The house had returned to its usual peaceful state after the celebrations of the marriage between Renzo and Nicole. Renzo had finally saved enough money to present his sweetheart with her golden band, and the newly wed Signore and Signora Barbari were on their way to Istria by boat, to spend some intimate days together before resuming their tasks at the household. It was agreed upon that a governess would be hired to tutor Céline. As she was approaching her fifth birthday that summer, she ought to commence a proper and more profound education than the one Nicole was able to provide. Nicole, so long as she had no children of her own to tend to, would assist Christine with the baby after it was born.
The governess was found in the form of a Mademoiselle Simone Lauvet. Originating from Switzerland, she was fluent in Italian and French as well as mastering the English and German language. Her father being an art historian, she had traveled Europe extensively before deciding on a formal position. Her father was getting old, desiring to settle down and Simone had felt an urge of responsibility as to provide the two of them with a proper income.
"I must confess to knowing nothing of music besides the few notes I manage to produce on a pianoforte, Signora. My father was always more engaged in paintings and archeology and has dreadfully lacked on my education on that part I'm afraid!"
Christine had chuckled at her remark. "My father has always done the exact opposite Mademoiselle, teaching me all there was to know of music and no language skills other than what I learned on the road of our travels!"
"I dare say you have picked up nicely over the years, ma chère!"
Erik had entered and abruptly made them change their conversation from Italian into French. He had agreed Christine would assign Céline's governess, but being as he was still fairly uneasy among strangers he could not help but drop in on her interviews every now and then to follow her progress.
"My husband, il Signore Alighieri. Dearest please meet Mademoiselle Simone Lauvet."
"Enchanté Maître. Allow me to confess my deepest admiration on you work on the Santa Maria Formosa. She's quite a beauty, Monsieur!"
He studied her face closely as he took her hand, and found no false pretence in it whatsoever. Nor any shock at finding a masked man before her.
"I was just explaining to Mademoiselle Lauvet that Céline's musical education would be of no concern to her."
Erik now smiled as well. "That I may safely assure you, Mam'zelle. If my daughter proves to possess the same musical talent as her dear mother I shall thoroughly enjoy training her myself."
Simone happily smiled up at them. "Well then, it shall be a great honour to work and live among such great artists!"
And thus the deal was done. Simone proved to be quite strict on her pupil, a thing both Erik and Christine could approve of. Céline had been alone in their admiration for too long and they feared she might turn out to be an insufferable little pout if not corrected in time by someone less partial than her loving parents.
"I am really happy for Céline's progress. She works very hard, Simone tells me!" Christine glowed at Erik, showing him Céline's latest writing exercises.
"She still pouts a great deal and claims Simone to be way too harsh on her, but I dare say we've passed the most trying period!"
Erik kissed her hand while studying Céline's brave attempts to spell her own name. "I dare say she shall have to learn to share attention when the baby has arrived!" As if the child had heard his remark, Christine suddenly fell back in her chair, gasping for breath.
"Christine, my angel what is it?" He thought his heart had plunged down into his stomach entirely.
Christine took a deep breath, turning to him with a curious twinkle in her eyes. "I believe it is time..."
"You mean...?"
"I mean the baby is ready to come!"
Before she could speak any further Erik had her cradled up in his arms, carrying her across the hallway into her own chambers, calling on Franca.
"Get Donata over here, now!"
Donata Firmano di Barbari was Franca's older sister and a very experienced midwife. Like many, she had left Murano and it's glass industry at a young age to try her luck on the mainland of Venice. She had met her husband and had learned her skills from his mother, who had no daughters of her own to pass her knowledge to. Happily dividing her time between caring for her own children and aiding others to bare theirs, she had been the most logical choice to offer to assist Christine. They had met on several occasions and Christine felt very confident around her. She had the same happy air about her as Franca, always speaking her mind very frankly and always putting an expectant mother at ease. Within the hour she had arrived at the Palazzo.
"Well then Signora, your child has been keeping a calendar of its own then?"
Dottore Romani had estimated the child to be born in the last week of April, and it was now the 26th. Christine smiled up at her, unable to answer her due to the next contraction that shot through her lower body.
"Come on then, off your bed! The movement will help warm you muscles and keep your blood circulation at pace. It will help you avoid those dreadful streaks!"
Christine looked up at her in total confusion before slowly getting to her feet. Her doctor in Paris had never seen the need for such rituals. But then she realised it was only logical. At the Opera, when her bleedings had been at their worst, her ballet rehearsals had always lessened the cramps she had felt in her lower abdomen. Erik beheld the spectacle from a distance, not wanting to interfere in matters he knew nothing of. All he could think of was that within the next few hours he would hold his child in his arms and it confused him greatly. Never in those nine moths had he really come to grasp the idea that he was actually becoming a father, save the role he had undertaken on Céline's behalf, and now it seemed there was no escaping the matter.
"Have you been keeping time of the contractions Signora?"
When Christine helplessly looked up at Erik, he noticed he knew the answer without thinking. "Every fifteen minutes. The last one before this one was at twenty to ten exactly."
It was now four minutes to ten, so that seemed correct. Donata gave him an encouraging smile, happy to finally find an expecting father who, if not knowing what he was doing, at least provided a brave attempt.
"Should I..." "By all means stay Maestro, if your lady has no objections...or your stomach for that matter!"
"I can assure you Donata, I have witnessed a fair share of blood and gore in my days..."
Again that teasing smile. "I have seen the bravest of soldiers claiming the exact same thing Maestro, and yet while they seem to have no troubles watching their comrades being shot to pieces on a battlefield, they suddenly tend to faint in seeing their own child coming into the world."
"Please stay Erik!" Her plea was all it took to convince him.
"I'm right here, my angel. I won't leave you, I promise!"
Through her agony, Christine managed to smile up at him. "You had better not! You have bestowed this child upon me Monsieur, I believe it your duty and privilege to aid me in bringing it safely onto this earth!"
She kissed him and hooked her arm through his, continuing her walk about the room as Franca and Donata set out plenty of clean towels and hot water. They were in need of it no more then ten minutes later, as the next contraction came and Christine's water broke...
Midnight had come and gone and the household lay dormant save for the main hallway up the first floor. Franca and Donata continued their supplies of fresh towels, hot water for cleansing, cold water for drinking, and sufficient candles to keep the room alight. Simone had been briefed of the labour, so that she could keep Céline with her should the girl awake early. Erik sat back on the bed, resting against its headboard, cradling Christine against his chest. He had removed his mask some time ago, asking Franca for his tonic which she had quickly fetched him. Neither women seemed to be shocked upon beholding his face, and seeing as it seemed to become a long night, he had left the mask discarded on the vanity across the room. Contractions now came frequent and increasingly stronger, and Donata was content to see the baby's progress. She had been able to establish early on that the baby lay in a perfect, straight position towards the birth canal and thus should encounter no problems. But then again, Christine Alighieri was a frail woman with a fine posture, and that might mean the completion of the ordeal could take some hours still.
Erik felt quite helpless, weary in being in a situation he could not control. He realised everything depended on Christine's strength, and the baby's for that matter. His presence seemed to calm her though, and she told him over and over again how happy she was to have him by her side. He therefore contented himself in wiping her pearled brow and softly singing to her in French, Italian, Farsi or any other song of any language that seemed appropriate for the moment.
"Was your husband present for the birth of your first, Signora?" Donata had meant her question innocently enough, even though Christine was not sure whether she meant Erik or not.
"My..." a contraction cut her breath short. "My late husband, the magnificent Vicomte de Chagny, belonged to your first category of husbands, Donata. Always talking of bravery but hiding downstairs with his brother and a bottle of brandy as I lay in labour of his child!"
Her words had sounded raw and full of sarcasm, and she realised she must have picked up some of it from Erik. She was in fact very tired and weary, and eager for her baby to arrive and the ordeal of its birth to end. She felt Erik wrap his arms around her more steadily, possessively, as if he meant to confirm that he himself was at this point a far better husband as Raoul. Always that element of competition...normally she would have scolded him for it, but right now she was so relieved to feel him near. She closed her eyes and tried to immagine the two of them sitting as they usually did in the large bath together, the warm water around them, his quiet whispers in her ear, his hands on her body...Another contraction cut the memory short, and at last Donata gave her permission to try and push along with the next contraction.
Finally, she thought. This was the familiar part of birth, this was something she knew how to do! She grasped Erik's hands in hers and for a moment he was amazed at the strength in them. Frail as they were, she was nearly crushing his!
"You are doing very well Signora, I can already see the head. Only a little more now and you can meet your baby!"
Christine smiled at Donata's encouraging words. The head was not that much of a problem. She knew the baby's shoulders were still to come! She bit her tongue however so as not to worry Erik too much. Two more, three more pushes...and then the room fell oddly silent...before the first faint cry escaped the baby's lips. Erik knew he had never heard a sweeter sound. His child had been born! He sighed in relief, as did Christine who noticeably relaxed in his arms.
"Maestro, would you like to have the honour of releasing your daughter from her mama?"
"Céline has been granted her wish, Meg was right Erik!"
He saw Christine glancing up at him blissfully, and he kissed her gently before taking the scissors from Donata's hands, cutting the baby's chord. The baby was quickly washed and weighed, before being wrapped warmly in a woolen blanket and presented to her proud parents.
Erik could do nothing but stare, as the child ceased her cries and let her eyes wander. Though still quite blue as with most babies, both of them could already see an emerald dominance in them and her hair clearly did not mirror her mother's. It was a soft layer of golden blond, reflecting the shimmer of the candles and the first streak of daylight passing through the curtains.
"Your daughter Erik, so clearly your daughter!" Christine seemed as much in awe as he was.
"Do you wish to..." He looked at her insecurely, this child was so much smaller than Céline when he had first come to know her.
"Just make sure you hold her head my love, her muscles are not yet that strong!" She carefully handed the precious bundle to him, patiently showing him how to hold her just right.
As she lay in his arms he no longer noticed the tears streaming down his face. Perfect. She was perfect in every aspect. Her golden locks, her bright eyes beholding him so curiously, her little fingers reaching out to him, her little nose wrinkling as one of his tears landed on her cheek... He knew she mirrored him in every aspect, yet he could not believe he himself had arranged for her procreation. How could such beauty ever come from him!
"My beautiful, beautiful child..."
It had been a whisper upon his lips, and Christine found no reply. She knew how important this moment was for him and like in their wedding night, she granted him his silence. Franca and Donata busied themselves in cleaning up, not wanting to disturb this precious moment but being deeply moved by the image before them. They exchanged glances. How dear the reaction of a young father to his firstborn, and how dear the reaction of this particular father to a daughter!
"What shall be her name then, Maestro?"
Christine looked up at him expectantly. They had not discussed names that much, as Erik had claimed he needed to see the child first in order to ascertain which name would fit just right. It was as he was used to doing with his music, never naming a particular piece until the last note was written and sounded just right.
" Aurora. The Greek goddess of the dawn." She noticed him glancing at the window as he had said it, she had indeed brought the dawn with her. " Aurora, it suits her very well, wouldn't you say?"
"Aurora Alighieri, that sounds very noble indeed! Not to mention Céline will be very happy to see you naming her after her favorite princess!" Erik now smiled as well, recalling the girl's fondness for the story of Sleeping Beauty.
"Welcome home, my little Aurora..." He cradled her as if never letting go until the baby started crying uncontrollably, signaling she needed to be fed.
"Perhaps you should try to get some sleep my angel, as I will." His gaze upon Aurora, contently suckling her mother's breast, was broken by her words.
"You expect me to have any sleep at all, after helping you through this night? After looking upon such a child?"
Christine chuckled. "I think I may safely promise you she will still be here in a few hours time my love. We both will. But in a few hours time your other daughter shall awake as well, and I do not see how you shall receive her enthusiasm in your current insomniant state!"
He knew she was right. He kissed her once more before leaving the women to the final stages of their work and retiring to his room. He slept deeper and happier as ever before, dreaming of his daughter's angelic face...
He awoke to another pretty face just above his own. "Papa, are you awake?"
"Now I am, my sweet!" He cradled her on his chest, Céline giggling and trying to get away from his grip.
"Can we go see maman and the baby now, papa?" He looked at the clock, realising it was almost noon and Céline had probably been running about nervously for quite some time.
"I suppose we could. But remember my angel, maman is still very tired and your sister is a very little baby, so you shall be as quiet as a..." "Mouse!" she finished for him. He took her hand as together they made their way back to Christine's room.
Christine had just provided Aurora with another feeding and looked down at her in amazement as she happily lay slumbering against her chest. So different from Céline, and once again so beautiful. And so loved. She had been truly touched by Erik's reaction to her, and it had taken her quite some time to fall asleep.
"My little Aurora..." She could have a hundred more children and would be perfectly content in letting Erik name them!
"Maman, are you awake?"
It was a shy whisper from the corner of the room. Normally Céline had no troubles in bouncing up at her mother but seeing her now, looking so tired and pale, cradling the tiny creature in her lap, made her suddenly very shy. She squeezed her father's hand a little tighter, looking up at him insecurely.
"Go on my sweet, go and meet your little sister. Have you not prayed to see her all these months?" Quietly she made her way over to the bed, balancing on her toes to peek over its high edge until Erik lifted her to sit beside her mother.
"Say hello to Aurora, Céline." She tilted her head a little on hearing the name, then with one more reassuring smile from her papa she cautiously stretched out a finger to caress the baby's cheek. Aurora's eyes immediately fluttered open and wandered in Céline's direction before landing on her face. The little girl quickly withdrew her hand before giggling nervously. "She has eyes like you papa!"