AN: A very short chapter, but I will make it up by posting two chapters today. I hope you all enjoy it. As Dom Dom pointed out, I would've ended the story at the previous chapter but there is still stuff I want to clarify with the characters and all that jazz. Plus, there's one more song that I want to use. 8-D Have fun! I love you all more than an empty printer cartridge loves Kleenex tissues that are in a swirly purple plastic wrap.

Chapter 46. The Sooner The Better

The first few days at Christian's home consisted of his father rambling on about how truly happy he was for the love Christian and I shared and the future that it promised. He did not allow us the time quite yet to explore the rest of town, for I had never left France, and the new environment was still quite enigmatic to me. Rather, we spent the days chatting about every topic imaginable as Christian's father gave us a tour of the house with all of the history imaginable from the day the floorboards have been nailed together to that exact moment we entered the room.

Now sitting in the garden, tea set before us as I rested on Christian's lap, holding hands with him while we watched his father and the maid sit on chairs opposite us, completely enthralled in a large stack of papers they held in their hands.

"Nervous?" Christian whispered, his breath tickling my ear.

"Just a tad," I breathed, trying to stop the fluttering in my stomach. "It is always going to be nerve-racking awaiting the critiques of something you wrote with your heart and soul. And that tickles, Christian."

"Really?" Christian brushed his lips over my ear now, causing my flesh to tingle at his touch. "How about now?"

"You are terrible," I giggled, unable to help myself. "Completely incorrigible."

"I love you," Christian replied innocently, plopping his head on my shoulder. "And you are beautiful, mon amour."

"Well…" I tried to keep a straight face when Christian proceeded to kiss the side of my neck as his father looked up and set down the stack of papers on the table. "What do you think?"

"It was beautiful," the maid sniffled, setting down Christian's story and looking up at us with tears still in her eyes. "I don't believe I have been this riled up over a story ever in my life. What you have is beautiful, young ones."

"I am pleased that at least one of the stories ended happily," his father remarked, looking over at Christian over his reading spectacles. "I am sorry for your loss, son."

"For every great thing lost, another great thing enters your life." Christian wrapped his arms around me, kissing me affectionately on the cheek. "I used to not believe that, but after meeting Isabel… after experiencing it with her.. I truly do."

"Can I… may I hug you both?"

The maid stood up, holding out her arms, as more tears came from her eyes. Such a sight this rotund lady appeared in her apron and cap as I walked into her arms. I could feel her tears soaking my dress and I patted her back, and laughed when her grip tightened.

"You are such a dear," she looked up at me and wiped her nose. "I never had a daughter before in my life, nor have I experience much of love, but after reading this... I now realize the true beauty of it all. You... Oh my… I believe I wish to hug you again!"

Now Christian and his father laughed along with me at the maid's softness towards me. After a few more hugs and praise from her, she walked off, wiping her eyes with her apron only to cry allthe harder. Christian's father laughed loudly at this sight and then shook his head in contentment as if he would not have had the moment occur any other way.

"Well…." Christian's father leaned forward. "I enjoyed both of your stories very well, and that is saying much from a bitter old man who has resented love ever since he was denied it by his wife's death. I can perhaps pull some strings with some powerful men within London and have your story approved for publishing by the end of the month. But, personally, I would think it best if you both were to combine your stories. It is so much more impacting, rather than leaving the story in tragedy after the first and then trying to recover it in the second. But, together, it makes a love story that ends happily and will leave such sappy women like Betsy completely satisfied and in tears of joy. So what do you two think? Combine the stories?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Christian answered in confidence, squeezing my hand. "Alone, we are only half of the potential… the true being. But… together… we complete one another. I do not believe I felt more whole before meeting Isabel."

"So to the publishing company, it is?" his father questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"To the publishing company it is," I told him, smiling in bliss at seeing my dreams of being a writer unfold before my eyes.

It was like sitting in the audience and watching my dreams come true. When Christian and I were interviewed by a publishing company for our book, it felt so surreal, I had begun pinching myself to remind myself this was no dream.. Or… perhaps… because I needed to remind myself what it felt like to hurt and be hurt. The couples I used to glare at with hatred that I now realize as jealousy I watched myself slowly become with Christian.

Our public shows of affection, no matter how inappropriate at times when Christian would lift me up in his arms and kiss me until we were gasping for air as we stopped traffic in the middle of the street, were reason for scandal in the town and yet people only shook their heads and told everyone we were just the love-sick fools from France and peoplesuddenly understand,as if the fact that we were in love and were from France would suddenly make everything we were doing suddenly understandable.

As ignorant as the people were to our actions, Christian and I could care less of the public opinion. We thrived upon being together. Every moment was cherished for we both knew and realized how we could lose that love in one moment… one blink of an eye… one moment apart that would allow some other force of nature to come and attempt to tear us apart. Apart from one another, we were a broken piece of a priceless gem, but together we completed one another and made us whole.

Walking down the street hand in hand, Christian twirled me around at the corner and kissed me, running his hands through my hair before deepening the kiss further.

"When's the wedding?" a passerby commented upon seeing us.

"The wedding?" we broke apart and looked at one another before gazing at the person with wide-eyes. "Well…"

"I never thought about it," Christian confessed with a laugh.

"Neither did I," I told the passerby. "I always considered us together."

"Well… be sure to invite me," the passerby remarked. "I would like to see you both act like that at the altar."

"What a thought!" I giggled. "Can you imagine, Christian?"

"I imagine only being with you, mon amour." Christian kissed me again before we walked on, swinging our hands. "Do you suppose we will have the wedding soon?"

"I suppose so," I said as offhandedly as he. "I guess we look indecent enough doing what we do in public without our vows being said. Perhaps being married will make it all that more decent."

"Either way, it won't stop me from showing the world how much I love you," Christian remarked, leaning me back and kissing me again. "A week sound good to you?"

"This weekend?" I said.

"You just have to say the word."

"The sooner the better."