For the next month; the relationship between me and CJ improved. She still kept her distance from me most of the time, but at least we were speaking every day. CJ continued to get payments from the newspaper and that, along with my meager salary from the police station, paid for more paint for the house; CJ had decided to renovate the whole dismal dusty dwelling, blankets for the approaching fall and winter, food, and other necessities.
I had sworn I was not going to do it, but then I realized it was necessary. One day after I left the station, I 'barrowed' a police cab and went back to the opera house. Going back down the tunnel was the most bazaar, eerie experience I had ever gone through.
The tunnel had an odd feeling to it; unfamiliar and menacing and I knew why. This was no longer my domain; I no longer ruled the vast caverns. Now I was an intruder, an outside interloper who did not belong under the cold, damp walls.
I reached the house by the lake. The water was a still and threatening sight; I felt all around me a secrete presence urging me to leave. As the boat cut through the water and the sound of the lap of the oar disrupted the silence it sent a chill up my spine.
The house was completely dark and quite; I wondered if it had always been this still under the opera. I entered through the front door; there was no reason not to this time. I shuttered as I remembered bursting in through my secret bedroom door and then being tricked into entering the torture chamber,
I wanted to get this trip over with as soon as I could. I walked quickly through the house toward the room where I kept the crib; we were going to need one and as we were strapped for money this was the best solution. I reached the crib and found the baby doll was lying inside it.
CJ had hated that I had kept this; I picked it up and stared at it. As I looked at it I wondered why I had kept it so long. It was the epitome of my rejection by my mother and my desire to be accepted; she had despised the sight of me so much and I had wanted her love so much I would have gone to any length to please her.
Now I had the feeling it was going to happen all over again; when CJ had this baby, she would see its hideous face and leave us both. Angry I heaved the doll against the wall, chipping its wooden head.
Hurriedly I carried the crib out to the boat. I went back into the house and took another look around. I decided it would be prudent to bring back all the clothes I had in the house; I even had some dresses I had had for Christine. I brought pillows from the bed, kitchen wear, and lights, basically anything I could carry.
As I was making one last inspection of the house I saw a crumpled pile of clothes; the ones Dumas had given us on our first day which we had changed out of. Then I remembered; the ring in the pocket.
I grabbed my pair of trousers and checked the pocket; it was still there. I took it out; it looked as beautiful as ever; one sparkling perfect diamond surrounded by garnets. I remembered my plan to bring back Christine and give her this ring. However now that truly could not happen; now I was married, and I wanted to give the ring to my wife.
It was very difficult to get everything back up the tunnel. The only way I managed to carry it all was by lining the crib with blankets, then piling everything else into it. I had to stop several times to rest before I made it back up to the cab. It was quiet late before I reached the house.
To my surprise, CJ was waiting for me in the kitchen,
"Oh…," She said when she saw all I was carrying, and she raised her eyebrows, "That is much more than a crib…"
"I thought we could use some other things," I set down the crib in the kitchen,
"Obviously," She walked over to inspect what I had brought, "Is there a whole other house in there?"
"Don't I wish," I grumbled, "Well, I have to take the cab back now…" I sighed and wished very much I could just go to sleep,
"I will come with you," CJ said, and I was surprised,
"Do you think that is a good idea?" I asked her skeptically,
"No, I think it is a terrible idea, that is why I suggested it; I was forgetting about the fact that should a pregnant woman step outside, she will burst into flames,"
"Alright then,"
The ride back to the station house was actually quite pleasant; almost romantic, the balmy night air, bright stars, soft gas lamps. CJ sat silently beside me; bright eyes turned upward. I did not say anything either; if I did not say anything I could not ruin anything.
We left the cab in front of the police station; tying the horse to the post. We began to walk back; there were few people out at this hour, and no cabs to be found.
"Nice night," CJ said finally, breaking our silence
"It is," I dug my hands into my pockets and my fingers closed on the ring; I was just wondering how I should give it to her when we walked into the misty light of a gas lamp and she grabbed my arm,
"Look!" and she pointed up at the moon; there had been some clouds covering it but now the bright circle in the sky could be seen un obscured; it was an astonishing orange color which was enough to make even an old, sarcastic cynic like me stare at the sight,
"You know," CJ said, still looking up at the moon, "Sailors used to say that if the sun was red at sunset the weather would be good the next day, but if it rose red in the morning the weather would be bad,"
"What if the sun sets red at night then raises red the next morning?" I asked before I could stop myself,
CJ laughed, "I think it meant sea monsters were going to commandeer the boat,"
"That sounds right," and then I realized this was right; this was the right moment, while CJ was still looking up at the moon,
I took the ring out of my pocket but kept it concealed in my hand, "Close your eyes,"
"Not a chance," CJ laughed, pulling her gaze away from the sky,
"Please,"
"Why?" She asked me skeptically,
"Please," I said again and she sighed and let her eyelids fall shut; she looked quite beautiful standing in the gaslight with her eyes lightly closed, her face drawn in an expression of mild irritation, and a slight bulge in her stomach where our child was growing;
I lightly grasped her hand and brought it up to me, "What are you doing?" she asked; half laughing and half irritated; I just slid the ring on her finger,
"There, now you can open your eyes," She did so and I saw the green lights fall on the sparkling ring on her finger,
"Oh…my God," She whispered, "Where did you get this?" she asked me in amazement,
"That house we broke into to return the stole heirlooms, I took it,"
"Why?" she breathed,
I thought that telling her I had taken it for Christine was a bad idea, so I lied, "I don't know, I just did,"
"Erik…it's beautiful," her face was glowing as she looked at it, then it darkened slightly, "But I can't keep it, we should sell it,"
"Sell it?" I snorted, "To who? The only people who could afford to give us what it is worth are to rich anyway to want to buy it; besides if someone did and then the original owner saw it…we would be in trouble,"
"Erik, thank you," She said, smiling up at me, and then she moved close, close enough for me to touch her, and she leaned up and pressed her lips gently to mine. I had not kissed CJ in months, and it was heavenly. I circled my arms around her and our kiss deepened.
She pulled away suddenly, "Thank you very much Erik,"
We walked all the way back to the house; there were no cabs to be found. We walked in silence, not awkward, just tired. We trudged up to our room and fell gratefully into our beds. I knew there was still an unspoken problem between us; but we were getting by.
The next morning I was greeted by a red rising sun; bad weather ahead, I thought with a grim laugh. There was nothing I wanted more than to lay in bed all day, but it was not meant to be. As I sat up and pulled on my shoes, CJ rose in a sleepy state,
"Is it morning?" She yawned,
"Yes, and there is a red sun,"
CJ laughed, "How…odd,"
"Alright, I have to go," I said standing,
"Wait, wait, I want you to see something," She rolled off her bed and pulled me into the room which had been declared the babies room, and my eyes widened;
CJ had finished the room; it was a deep blue with a white pattern of wispy clouds and bright points which were shinning stars; it looked like the evening sky,
"This looks amazing," I said; I had not know she was so talented,
"I used to love to paint," She said guilelessly,
I wished I could have just stayed there; but I had to go. Leaving to go to the station house had never seemed like such a bleak prospect. Walking down the rows of desks at the police station to my own I might as well have been a ghost for all the attention I was given; but at least I knew that when I went home CJ would see me.
