updated 12-20-20
SEPTEMBER 1919
ERIK
Arriving at the park that served as the venue for the wedding only widened the smile on my face, if that was even possible for me. It had turned out beautiful; tents had been set up with tables for the guests, as well as the space to dance. Candelabras sat on each table and servers were rushing around to light them all just as we arrived. The lilies Lara had selected seemed to glow in the sunlight of the late afternoon, making it even more obvious that they had been the superior choice over roses. And, without a doubt, the off-white tablecloths that Gustave had laboured over choosing tied everything together; his efforts paid off, most definitely.
I stepped out of the carriage I had shared with Marguerite and Philippe as the parents of the bride and groom, offering my hand to the Comtesse as she stepped out after me. "Well, Philippe, we are officially in-laws now," I said as the Comte stepped out and let his wife take his arm. "I never thought I would say that concerning a Chagny, but I never thought I would be calling one my daughter-in-law, so I continue to be shocked."
"Yes, I would think so," Philippe replied with a laugh. "But still, I don't think we're going to turn into those in-laws that despise each other, even with your history with my family. Right? We seem to have become rather good friends over the years, at least to me."
"Yes, I would call us friends as well. I don't believe we'll turn into bitter in-laws now that we know each other as we do," I said. "You two can go ahead to our table. I'll meet you there."
Philippe gave me a nod and walked into the tent with the head table to sit down with his wife, leaving me to wait outside and greet guests as they arrived. Really, I was looking out for Nadir, but with him being the best man, I wasn't surprised that he hadn't arrived yet; he would have been needed to sign the marriage certificate and other documentation. In the end, though, I didn't need to wait for too long, as the carriages with the bridal party arrived shortly and Nadir stepped out with Adele on his arm, smiling all the while. I couldn't help but laugh to myself as I watched him wrangle the younger groomsmen before making his way towards the tent, smiling at me as he and Adele walked up.
"I'm impressed that you manage to control those three lunatics. When they're set on making mischief, they do it well," I remarked.
"Yes, well, years as the Persian chief of police, as well as dealing with you, gave him plenty of practice," Adele said with a laugh.
"Indeed. You prepared me well, Erik," Nadir said, rolling his eyes as he turned to Adele and smiled at her. "It never ends."
"No, it certainly doesn't, but you are the one who stuck around with him, dear," she replied, smiling back at him.
I couldn't help but smile along with them when I heard the term of endearment she had used to refer to my friend. Every interaction between the two of them that I was a witness to only made it more clear that Nadir had almost needed Adele in his life; having friends like myself or Maddie and Charles was one thing, but having the companionship of a woman that he cared about was completely different. I had always wished he would find someone to connect with in that way again, someone to ignite the same joy he had felt when Rookheya was alive, and it seemed that Adele was that very person for him. The warm smile on his face said it all.
"It was a lovely ceremony, wasn't it?" I said as the three of us made our way towards our respective seats. "Gustave didn't pass out from nerves, which was a major relief."
"Yes, definitely. I had it in the back of my mind to be ready to catch him if the need arose," Nadir chuckled. "But he did well, and Lara looked beautiful."
"She was wearing the same necklace that you gave Christine all those years ago, was she not?" Adele asked. I could tell she was approaching the subject very carefully, well aware that it was a sore point in our relationship. Even still, as sensitive as the topic was, it had been years and she wasn't the one I had to be angry with for the events of that night; there was no cause for hesitation.
"She was, yes. Her engagement ring is a replica of the one I always wore, which I left with Christine. The necklace has the same onyx stones, and she needed something old for the wedding tradition, so I figured I would give her the necklace as well," I explained with a nod.
I noticed Adele give me a smile when I said it. "She means a lot to you, then. Lara, that is."
"Indeed she does. My son adores her, which automatically has me holding her in a positive light. Besides that, she helped me tremendously while Gustave was deployed during the war, and I've been teaching her to sing. She's like my daughter and nothing less than such."
"That's lovely, Erik," Adele replied, letting go of Nadir's arm as we reached their table and he pulled out a chair for her. "I'm sure she appreciates having you in her life."
"Well, that would be a new experience." I started to say more, only to turn my head when I noticed another carriage turn the corner into the park. "It seems our bride and groom have arrived, so I will speak with the two of you shortly," I said, smiling at them as I walked over to the head table. I quickly found my place between two empty seats; one was about to be taken by Gustave, while the other was set aside for William's photograph, which had already been put in place. I couldn't help but smile slightly when I saw the grin plastered on that boy's face in the photo. It truly reflected how excited he would have been had he gotten the opportunity to be in attendance.
I looked back up a moment later when I heard everyone applauding and was quick to join in as I noticed Gustave and Lara making their way into the tent, hand in hand. I suppose I had been so lost in thought about Will that I had completely missed the lead member of the small orchestra announcing their entrance. That aside, my attention was only on them as they greeted the guests and shared a quick kiss before making their way over to the head table. Gustave pulled out Lara's chair for her, and we all couldn't help but laugh as the two of them wrestled with the skirt of her dress in order for her to sit down comfortably. Once she finally got settled and Gustave sat down as well, dinner was able to be served and we all got to chatting before the speeches and dancing started. I was grateful for that fact; I would take any extra time I could get to run over what I was going to say in my speech.
Dinner ended far too quickly for my liking. As much as it tasted fantastic and the conversation was enjoyable while everyone ate, it still passed by in no time, which meant that the speeches were set to begin. Thankfully, Nadir was to deliver his, or rather William's, speech before I was set to give mine, which only eased my mind slightly.
As he was invited to the front of the room, I watched Adele kiss his cheek before he got to his feet and made his way to stand to the side of the head table. He cleared his throat as he glanced over at Gustave and Lara, giving them a smile before pulling the speech out of his breast pocket.
"Just before we start with this, I would like to pass on my congratulations and best wishes to the newlyweds, as I think we all would," he said, pausing for the polite applause that followed his statement. "I did have a speech of my own prepared that I probably spent far too many sleepless nights fretting over, but Madeleine Edwards came to me some time ago and presented me with a much better option: the best man speech that her son, Gustave's best friend, William Edwards, wrote before his death."
I heard Gustave gasp from where he sat next to me, so I reached over to set my hand on his knee for that extra support that I knew he would need as Nadir continued.
"No part of this speech has been adjusted, altered, or omitted whatsoever. These are William's expressions, word for word," my friend said, glancing back at the head table with a slight smile before he started to recite William's speech: "Gustave Destler is, and always will be, my best friend. I've known him since we were twelve years old after we met at school when he introduced himself in French by accident on his first day. From then on, we were joined at the hip, partners in crime; our parents can attest to that. He was by my side for every major moment in my life. He was there to help me when I broke my leg, to support me when my father got so sick that we didn't know if he was going to make it while we were deployed, and to tease me and offer advice when I first took a liking to Jane, the girl that I'm going to marry one day. Knowing that Gustave was there for me whenever I needed him is such a blessing; to know that I could go to him when I was so happy that I couldn't contain my glee, when I needed a shoulder to cry on, or when I needed to get my anger off of my chest was an incredible feeling. He was the friend I never knew I needed but now that I have him, I feel like the luckiest person alive to know that he's my best friend. But all of the reasons that I just listed are the same reasons why I know that he is going to make Lara the happiest woman on earth."
Nadir turned to look at Lara then and gave her a warm smile, and I glanced over to see her return the gesture from where she was resting her head on her husband's shoulder. "Lara, when I say that Gustave is going to love you and cherish you, make you laugh, hold you when you cry, and be by your side for every moment for the rest of your lives, truer words have never spoken. From the second he saw you, he was smitten; he never shut up about how beautiful you are, how much smarter you are than him, and how happy it makes him to just be in the same room, seeing your smile. I heard him say something once that I thought was just some lovesick nonsense, but now I see just how poetic it was. He said, 'I've read a lot of books with fantastic love stories, but our love story is my favourite.' I'll admit, I laughed at him, but he meant it. He really did.
"Talking about marrying you, raising a family with you, spending his life with you put a grin on his face, brought a light to his eyes in a way that nothing and no one else could. You and I both know that he lost the most important woman in his life when his mother, Christine Daaé, died years ago. Both of us were privileged enough to never know that pain, but seeing how much it weighed on him almost made it seem like we had lost someone, lost a mother as well. To me, I never felt like I could do enough to help, but you are exactly what he needs to fill that void in his heart, at least to a degree; you are gentle and kind, caring and self-sacrificing with such a motherly attitude. All you need to do now is learn to sing and we'll be golden. That aside, you are the person who completes him, and Gustave is going to give you everything you could ever want and more. I cannot wait to see you two go on that journey together."
As the speech concluded, applause filled the room and I barely had time to move my chair out of the way before Gustave pushed past me to get to his uncle and hug him tight. I could see his shoulders shaking as he cried, which only made it more difficult for me to keep my own tears at bay. When Christine had come up, I had almost lost my composure, as William had put everything so beautifully; Lara really had helped to fill the deepest part of my son's heart that had so long been empty after his mother's death and that was a deed that both Gustave and I could never thank her enough for.
Nadir held him tight for another moment before leaning back to cup his face in his hands, wiping his tears away with the pads of his thumbs. With a smile, he folded up the speech and tucked it into the breast pocket of Gustave's jacket, then started back to his table, patting my shoulder as he walked by. I gave him a nod, waiting for Gustave to sit down again and for the guests to settle before I got to my feet and walked to the front of the room. I quickly ran through my speech again, remembering Nadir's recommendation to try and keep it somewhat light, at least to start.
"I'm not quite sure how I'm meant to follow something as wonderful as that, but I suppose I'll make an effort," I began, breathing a sigh of relief when I heard people chuckling at the comment. "In all honesty, this is a day that I never thought I would have a chance to experience; having children was not in my plans for most of my life. Until I met your mother." I was speaking directly to Gustave by that point; keeping my eyes on him and his wife instead of focusing on the room full of people and their silent judgment lessened my anxiety to a degree.
"After meeting her, I saw a future for myself. Then, when you arrived, the light only got brighter and I came to love parenthood, being a father. You were such an amazing little boy and you never failed to be able to put a smile on my face. I figured I should pick a story to testify to that fact, and the one that came to mind was our failed attempt at cooking together when you were about eleven. You had been trying to cheer me up; it had been a year since we had lost your mother and you were determined to make me smile..."
I had holed myself up in my study, burying myself in my work to block out the heart-wrenching thoughts that had been running through my mind since I had woken up from an already restless sleep. Was it careless to be away from my child when he was struggling as much as I was? Perhaps, but I had already forced myself to leave the door ajar so Gustave could come in and out as he pleased, which he had already done once or twice.
As I worked, I heard the quiet creak of the door being pushed open and soon felt my son's hand on my back as he rested his chin on my shoulder. "Hello, my boy," I said quietly, still working on the commission in front of me as I spoke.
"Hi, Papa. Are you done work yet?" Gustave asked, watching me work over my shoulder. "It looks really good so far. Can't you take a break?"
"Gustave, I just need to get a bit more done. You were fine reading by yourself up until now, weren't you?"
I heard him sigh, and the next thing I knew, he had pulled my pen out of my hand and made himself quite comfortable on my lap. "I just don't want you to work anymore. I don't want to be by myself," he admitted, leaning his head against my chest.
"I know, I'm sorry," I replied, leaning back in my chair and reaching my hand up to cradle his head. "Today is just very difficult, which you obviously understand."
We sat quietly for a moment, the silence only broken by the occasional sniffle from Gustave, but eventually, he sat up and smiled at me. "But Papa, even though we're both sad today, something really great happened this time last year."
"And what would that be, mio soldatino?"
"We became a family."
I couldn't help but smile at the comment; somehow I had been so blinded by my grief that I hadn't thought to recall that I had truly become a father a year ago. "I suppose we did, hm? It truly is hard to believe that it's been a year already," I said, smoothing down his hair as I spoke.
The boy nodded, reaching up to push my hand away. "It's been kind of like an adventure," he said. "I always wanted to go on an adventure and now I have."
"Oh, you think you've been on an adventure?" I chuckled. "I have had to figure out how to raise a child; I am on an expedition."
"But we're doing it together, Papa! That just makes it fun," Gustave replied.
"Yes, I suppose it does. I have had so much fun with you, my boy."
"And that's why we should try and be a little happy today. I think there should be a special dinner to celebrate."
I raised a brow as I looked at him. "Oh, is that so? Tell me, then, what are you making tonight?" I inquired.
"I think you mean what are we making? Let's do it together, Papa, come on. It will be fun," Gustave insisted.
I looked at him as I considered it, though the wide smile on his face won me over almost immediately. My work could wait; spending time with my son was much more important at the moment. "Alright, then. Let's get started, shall we?"
Gustave immediately gave me a tight hug before he jumped off of my lap and bolted out of the room, clearly making a beeline for the kitchen. "Gustave, wait! Don't touch the stove!" I called, getting to my feet and running after him.
When I got into the kitchen, I found him pulling a step stool up to the counter so he would be at a better height to help me. "What do we have the ingredients for, Papa?" he asked.
With a relieved sigh after realizing he wasn't near the stove and couldn't hurt himself, I walked over to look through the cupboards and icebox to figure out what we had on hand. "Well, a few things, I suppose. We have plenty of food, more than the two of us will probably eat. All that tells me is that I'm spending too much money on groceries," I sighed.
"Well, what do you want to make?"
"Do you have something in mind? You were the one with this good idea, to be fair."
"I wanted to leave it up to you."
"Well, we are off to a brilliant start, aren't we?" I asked with a laugh. "Two indecisive people."
Gustave giggled and gave me a nod. "We are. It's sort of funny," he said.
"I suppose it is, yes. Still, we need to come to a decision. I would prefer to do something simple, if you don't mind, Gustave."
"I think that's probably safer for everybody. And the house," Gustave replied.
I found myself laughing harder than I had thought I would. He had a point; every meal that I made without incident was a triumph as I worked to hone my cooking abilities. Now to cook while managing my child? If we succeeded, it would be an achievement to go down in our family history.
"Yes, very true," I said, grabbing one of the few cookbooks I had purchased and flipping through it before I settled on a recipe. "Look. Chicken and pasta. How hard can it be?"
"Probably not too bad. Let's try it!"
In due time, we finished cooking our dinner without major incident, though looking at my son, I could already tell that the process of cleaning up might take quite some time. "Gustave, how are your hands such a mess?" I asked him.
"I don't really know, but we're both a mess, Papa! Look at your shirt!" he exclaimed, pointing at me and starting to giggle.
Looking down at myself, I couldn't help but groan when I saw that the sauce we had made had splattered all over my once-white dress shirt. "Dear God, this is going to be impossible to wash," I muttered.
"It's fine, it's fine. Come on, I want to taste it," Gustave said, tugging on my sleeve as if that would make me move faster.
"Alright, alright." I quickly served two plates and set them on the table, then went to open the cutlery drawer, only to pause when I looked inside. "Right, we have an issue."
"What is it, Papa?"
Instead of offering a verbal explanation, I simply held up the one available set of cutlery and turned to look at him. "This is the only fork and knife that we have that is clean in this house. Didn't I tell you to wash the dishes last night?" I asked.
"Yes, you did," Gustave replied, clearly not finding the issue I had with the situation.
"Well, the sink is quite full. Even more so now after our little endeavour this evening," I pointed out. "Why didn't you do as I asked?"
"I was really tired yesterday. I went to bed early."
"Oh, you had an exhausting day, hm? What was it that made it so tiring?"
"I was playing outside while you were working. I climbed the tree in the backyard to play pirates and look out over the neighbourhood, I played on the swing that you made for me. It's tiring," he explained.
I couldn't help but sigh as he provided his reasoning. "You are certainly my son when it comes to physical activity; you tire out easily. Your mother was a ballerina, why didn't you get that strength?"
Gustave simply shrugged. "I don't know, Papa."
"I know you don't, my boy, it was a rhetorical question. Still, you're turning out to be too much like me, you know. It's frightening. I was relying on you being more like your mother in practically every way."
"Okay, but Papa, I'm hungry and we only have one cutlery set." Clearly, he had no interest in what I was saying; food was his priority, as it almost always was with how fast he was growing lately.
"Yes, that is our dilemma. Were you expecting me to do the dishes just because you didn't?" I asked.
Gustave nodded. "I knew you probably would," he said.
"Well, now I'm not going to and you can do that after dinner," I said, quickly washing another fork and knife before I walked back to the table to sit down. "For now, eat your dinner."
"Yes, Papa," Gustave replied, taking a cutlery set and cutting a piece of chicken for himself, only to frown as he put it in his mouth. "It's sort of dry, Papa."
I followed his lead and ate a piece of my own chicken. "Never mind 'sort of'; it is dry. How did we mess it up? We followed the recipe exactly."
"Maybe the pasta will be better."
"Let's hope so because we have nothing else." I collected a forkful of pasta and it into my mouth, only to cough when the taste of salt assaulted my tastebuds. "Dear God, how much salt did you put in the water, Gustave?" I asked, quickly getting up to pour myself a glass of water.
"The recipe said 'add salt to taste'! It wasn't salty enough for me!" Gustave replied.
"Oh, that is very salty, my boy," I laughed before rinsing out my mouth. "But it's alright. Sometimes we just need to triple check a recipe."
Gustave nodded. "This was...interesting."
I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "Indeed. We salted the pasta to death, tried to burn the house down while we made chicken, and destroyed my dress shirt, but we had fun, did we not?"
"We did, but what are we going to do for dinner? I'm still hungry," he pointed out.
"We could go to the café you found on our first night here. Make it the spot for this anniversary."
"That sounds perfect, Papa," Gustave said. "But we should probably change first."
"Oh, most definitely. I'll race you to see who can get changed faster," I said as I bolted down the hall and up the stairs, laughing when I heard him accusing me of cheating as he ran after me. Dashing into my room, I was quick to unbutton my shirt and toss it into the waste bin, knowing there was no saving it, before pulling on a fresh shirt and waistcoat. Grabbing my jacket, I ran into the hall and appeared in my son's room with a resounding, "Ha!" only for my smile to drop when I saw him already sitting on his bed in a fresh shirt, reading a book. "What? How?"
"I only had to slip my shirt off and put on a clean one. Yours have all those buttons," Gustave said as he glanced up at me. "And they're lopsided, so you wouldn't have won anyway."
"Wh-" I stuttered, looking down at myself and finding that my buttons were, in fact, done up wrong, leaving one hole without a button. With a huff, I pulled off my jacket and walked back to my room as I unbuttoned my waistcoat, a smile on my face as I heard my son giggling all the while.
"So Lara, although he has improved, I still wouldn't let Gustave cook for you," I said as I concluded the story. I couldn't help but smile when I saw my son laughing with his wife while laughter from the guests seemed to fill the park. Turning my head, I looked at Nadir, who gave me a nod. That was the encouragement I needed to proceed with the speech, which he obviously recognized; he had heard me rehearsing and knew that the next part was significantly more heartfelt and emotional, so to have his support helped with my nerves...to a degree. With a deep breath, I cleared my throat, clearly getting the attention of my audience because the laughter soon stopped. I looked to Nadir again for another expression of encouragement, then took another breath before I finally continued my speech.
"Gustave, to say you saved my life is almost an understatement," I said, already having to clear my throat when I started to get choked up. I wasn't surprised that I was getting emotional; I had kept the speech on the shorter side for that exact reason. Still, I hadn't expected for it to happen so quickly, but I suppose I had never really told Gustave just how much he meant to me, especially in such a fashion.
"I have not had an easy go at life, what with never staying in one place for very long and always seeming to lose the people that mattered so much to me. And then to have you...I had never known such happiness before then. Never had I smiled quite so much as I did when you would burst into my room in the morning to jump on my bed and wake me up in the morning. I had never known that little flutter in my chest that I felt whenever you hugged me and came to me when you had a nightmare and wanted me to keep you safe. The love I feel when I look at you and the light that you have brought to my life is like nothing else I have ever experienced and I cannot even begin to thank you for the life we have lived together. As I raised you, I constantly wondered if I was doing anything right, if I was setting you up to enjoy the most perfect life possible. Now that I see you here this evening, married to the most beautiful, intelligent, kind-hearted young woman, though, I know that I must have done something right because I can tell that your life together is going to be incredible.
"Lara, I don't have the words to describe how amazing it is that you are a part of our little family; you effectively saved my life when Gustave was away and I am forever indebted to you for that. I cannot express my gratitude for the fact that I now have someone in this family with the same reading taste as me, so I will be able to have intelligent conversations for a change. I would also like to wish you the best of luck because I know how much of a handful he can be; and before you get defensive, you know I'm right, Gustave. I knew he loved you from the moment he told me about you, and I couldn't be happier than to know I was right about that. I know you will bring out the best in one another. I love you both more than you know. Gustave, thank you for the memories, and I look forward to making many more with you as you start this new chapter in this life."
I took a deep breath as I finished my speech, looking down at my feet and reaching up to quickly wipe a tear away, only to be tackled by Gustave as he hugged me tightly. "I love you, Papa," I heard him whisper. "Thank you for everything."
"My pleasure," I whispered back, lifting my head and smiling as Lara joined the hug. "Congratulations again to the two of you."
"Thank you, Erik. That was absolutely beautiful," Lara said, smiling at me. "I appreciate you giving a speech. I know you were nervous."
"Anything for you two, my dear," I replied, turning back to the audience and smiling wide. "Just one last thing; a little gift, if you will. I know a home is one of the foundations for a new couple. It gives them a place to settle in, grow, and all of those lovely things for their family. I also happen to know that the two of you are looking at temporary accommodations for now while you look for your permanent home. Frankly, I think that's ridiculous, given that I'm an architect, so I am going to fix that and give you your home." I couldn't help but chuckle when Lara gasped and Gustave's jaw went slack as I said it. It was unexpected; my intentions exactly. "It was a custom commission that never worked out, but I finished it for you two after your engagement. I do hope you'll like it."
Lara gave me another hug then that was tighter than before. "Thank you," she whispered.
Hearing the tightness of her voice, I leaned back and shook my head. "What did I say about crying?" I asked, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.
"I know, it's...that's just so amazing. I swear these are happy tears," she replied, laughing as Gustave gently moved her aside to hug me.
"Well, you're very welcome. I do hope you'll like it," I said, squeezing my son before looking up to see Philippe standing off to the side and watching us with a smile. "Let's sit down now, though, and give Monsieur de Chagny a chance to talk."
"I didn't mean to rush you," Philippe chuckled.
"No, no, it's good that I shut up and let someone else talk before I say something I regret," I replied with a laugh. "I've managed to get myself kicked out of quite a few places when I keep talking for too long."
Philippe laughed and gave me a handshake. "I know they thanked you, but I'd like to do the same. A house - one designed by someone with your talent, no less - is incredible."
"It's my pleasure, really. Anything for those two." I gave his hand another firm shake before I let go and stepped back. "Now, I'll let you give your speech. All the best."
Philippe nodded and walked up to where I had been standing, looking very nervous as he straightened out the papers in his hands. "Lara, my baby girl, it's hard for me to believe that I am standing here today. I remember finding out that you were a little girl and my heart stopping right then and there. I was afraid if I'm being honest with you; I didn't know what to do. I'd had experience raising a boy, thanks to your brother, but this was uncharted territory for me. I thought I couldn't possibly be of any help to you. But the second I held you in my arms for the first time, something in my mind clicked and told me that I was going to do everything in my power to make sure I was there for you in every way I knew how. You became this precious jewel to me that I needed to protect at all costs; though I do not doubt that you can handle yourself, you'll always be our baby girl in the eyes of your mother and me. You have taught me so much and I can only hope I have been able to impart some of my knowledge to you. Looking back, I think one of my fondest memories of you was from when you were very little; don't worry, I am not going to embarrass you too badly. Your mother already warned me against that." I looked over to Lara, who was smiling ear to ear with every word her father said as she clutched Gustave's arm. I could tell that it had meant the world to her to have him present, saying the things that he was.
"You must have been about five or six, which was a very inquisitive phase for you that has continued to this day. At the time, though, you didn't quite have the courage to come to me and ask the questions yourself. So I distinctly remember many conversations with André where I answered countless questions. I like to think you thought you were being clever but I knew better; I knew the difference between your questions and your brother's. I knew when it was one of yours because it was a question that, oftentimes, I didn't know the answer to. I always tried to answer them nonetheless and then he would run off to find you and tell you what I had said. I tried to make sure that your curiosity never died because that is what has helped form you into the wonderful woman you are today, which I could not be prouder of. I would also like to commend you for your ability to get André to do literally anything you asked of him; it's something you still need to teach me how to do. You had him wrapped around your little finger and you still do, and I would just like to say on his behalf that you two deserve all the happiness in the world. You'll be relieved to know that André approves of Gustave; he got the chance to interrogate him on the day he asked for permission to propose.
"Gustave, I do hope you know that you had nothing to be anxious about when you came to the house that day. I am truly proud to call you my son-in-law and I would like to personally welcome you to the family. I know that when we met, you were hit with something that I don't believe any of us were expecting. But at the same time, I don't believe any of us were expecting how important you two were to each other. Lara, I believe it was your curiosity that led you to Gustave. Without that, I don't think you would have been in that infamous music room that day; who knows where we would be right now if that day had gone differently. I don't believe either of you would care to find out the answer to that question, ironically enough. If I can give you any advice after twenty-four years of marriage, it is that the first rule is to make sure that you are always able to talk to one another. I know that you two will be absolutely fine because I have seen that you two can communicate without saying a word. That level of connection is something that people only ever see in fairytales and you have been able to capture it in real life. Hold on to that as tight as possible because what you have is special and it truly something that you only see once in a lifetime. May you both be as happy as you are now because that is what you deserve and so much more."
When he was done with his speech, Lara ran as fast as she could in her dress and almost knocked him over with a hug. Gustave was not far behind and hugged Philippe as well; I could tell that the speech had moved him. It felt good to know that Gustave was welcomed into their family as wholeheartedly as Lara was accepted into ours.
The applause that had filled the room continued as Philippe walked back to the table, his arm around his daughter's waist. As he did, I couldn't help but notice the difference in the volume of the applause and the general reception to Philippe's speech and mine. Even in that respect, I was put on the outs with the family; if the mask and my social status weren't enough, not even well-thought-out words to my son on his wedding day could earn me their respect. Besides that, I was still trying to smother my anger after I had seen some of the looks that Nadir had received as soon as he stood up. I was sure those individuals believed they were being subtle, but I saw it; the disapproval in their eyes that he was allowed to speak, that he was even permitted to be present as a guest rather than a servant. It astounded and infuriated me that things as simple as race and religion could create such division between people; I had seen it firsthand in Persia and had dealt with it accordingly, but I didn't want Nadir to have to deal with that.
I pushed those thoughts aside as Philippe sat back down and Gustave stood in his place, prepared to say a few words. "Lara and I would both like to thank you all for joining us on this incredible day," he began. "It means a lot to both of us to have you here. Thank you to my Uncle Nadir Moradi, my father, Erik Destler, and my father-in-law, Philippe de Chagny for those lovely speeches as well; they were very touching. I especially appreciated my father's, what with his little story. Thank you, Papa; that was a great memory from our years together, and your gift was absolutely incredible. Now that I have the attention of everyone, though, I would just like to tell a quick story that Lara begged me to tell - it's a favourite of hers - before I get to a little surprise. So that story just so happens to be the time my father forgot me at school."
I couldn't help but groan when he said it, not keen on the fact that he was telling a story of my flaws as a parent. "Of all stories," I said, turning to look at my son and hoping that he would reveal that he was just joking.
"Oh, you had to have known this was coming," he replied.
I sighed, preparing myself to be embarrassed. "I had an inkling, but I had hoped you had the respect for me not to tell it in public like this. How wrong was I."
"Oh, come on, Papa. It was a great story. Maybe not at the moment, but now it's fun. It was after school one day..."
I hurried out of school with my friends, setting our bookbag down so we could run around the schoolyard and lay until their mothers arrived to pick them up. I waved goodbye, pushing Stephen away when he tried to mess up my hair, then grabbed my bookbag and looked around for Papa, but he was nowhere in sight. 'He must be on the phone with a client,' I decided as I sat on a rock by the door of the school. 'He'll be here soon.'
I sat waiting for a while, but I eventually lost track of time after I pulled out my book for English class to read. I had finished three chapters already when I looked up again, realizing Papa still wasn't there; he had forgotten about me. I told myself not to worry and had to bite my lip to stop myself from tearing up, knowing he couldn't have meant it.
I turned my head when I heard the front door open and a teacher that I recognized as Mister Bryan stepped out. I noticed him frown when he saw me and asked, "Why are you still here? Where are your parents?"
All I could do was shrug. "My Papa was supposed to come to get me but I don't know where he is," I replied.
"Alright, well, I can't leave you here, which means I need to stay," Mister Bryan said with a sigh. "Come on, come inside with me and we'll call your father."
"I'm sorry if I'm stopping you from going home," I said as I got to my feet and followed him back into the school. "I really don't know why my Papa isn't here."
"We'll sort it out in a moment, don't worry." The teacher led me into the school office and exchanged a word with the old lady sitting at the reception desk. It amazed me that someone could actually talk to her; all the students were scared of her, myself included. I hesitated to step up to her desk to use her phone when Mister Bryan told me to do so, and he must have noticed because he gave me a warm smile and gently nudged me forward. "Go on. She doesn't bite," he whispered.
I couldn't help but laugh quietly as I took the earpiece and asked the operator to connect me to our phone at home, then waited for Papa to pick up on the other line. Eventually, I heard him, and he was using what I liked to call his 'businessman' voice - the serious tone he used when he was working with customers: "Hello, this is Erik Destler."
"Hi, Papa. I need you to come and pick me up at school," I said.
I could hear him gasp through the phone and I knew he was going to be mad at himself for the entire situation. "Oh my god. Gustave, I will be right there," he said, and with that, the line went dead.
I hung up the earpiece and looked to Mister Bryan with a nod. "He'll be here soon."
"I would like to interject," I said, interrupting the story my son was telling and laughing along with some of the guests. "In my defence, I thought Madeleine was picking you up, so you can't put it all on me."
Gustave simply scoffed and laughed at that. "Yes, that was one of the many excuses you gave me that day. Now, can I get back to the story?" he asked.
"Fine, fine. Excuse the fact that I needed to defend my parenting."
"You can do that later. Now, as I said, I called Papa and he frantically told me what he was on his way..."
I had been in the office for a few minutes, talking with Mister Bryan and laughing at the funny stories he told, when Papa burst into the room. His face was bright red and he was breathing hard, which told me he'd run to the school instead of waiting for a cab.
"Hello, Gustave. I am so sorry," he said.
"Where were you?" I asked with a frown.
"I was working, I'm sorry. I thought it was your Aunt Maddie's day to pick up you and William," Papa replied. "Didn't she pick up Will? Why didn't she bring you home too?"
"William wasn't at school today. He had to go to the dentist."
I noticed Papa pause as he thought about that, remembering that fact that both Aunt Maddie and I had told him. "Yes...yes, he did. I knew that. I'm sorry, my boy."
"It's okay, Papa. You're here now," I said, getting to my feet and smiling at him.
"You aren't upset? Because I'm a bit upset with myself," Papa said, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me close to him.
"Well, you were being productive, so I'm happy. I know that it can be hard to focus with me around sometimes."
"Sometimes it can be, but most of the time, I appreciate your little interruptions. They force me to take breaks."
I smiled up at him, happy that he wasn't upset about the fact that I came into his study to see him while he was working. "Good. Can we go home now? I have some math that I need help with; Mister Bryan tried, but he doesn't know how to do it."
"Well, I would be happy to help," Papa replied, turning to give Mister Bryan a handshake. "Thank you for watching him."
"Oh, it was no trouble. He seems like a good kid," the teacher said.
"I like to think so, but I might be a bit biased. I'm sorry if this kept you from getting home. I'm sure you have a family as well," Papa said.
Mister Bryan shook his head. "I'm sure no tears were shed over me being a couple more minutes later."
"Well, we won't make you any later than you already are. Thank you again."
"Don't mention it. Now, go help him with that math homework; I'm a history teacher, numbers are not my forte."
"That said, Papa, I can't thank you enough for these years together," Gustave said as he concluded the story. "They have been fantastic and you have taught me so much. I'll be able to use all of those lessons to make sure I give my wife the life that she deserves. Philippe, Marguerite, I have to thank you as well for being so kind to me, taking me under your wing and into your family. It really does mean a lot."
I smiled over at my son, turning my head to see the same expression on both Philippe and Marguerite's faces. I could only imagine they were feeling the same joy and pride as I was at that moment. However, I frowned when Philippe gestured to something in front of me. When I turned my head, I found a gift box set in front of me on the table.
"Oh, now what is this?" I asked, looking up at Gustave.
"A gift, Papa. You weren't at the wedding shower, so we didn't get to give it to you. Naturally, we decided to give it to you now," Gustave said with a grin. "Go on, open it up."
I sighed, shaking my head as I untied the bow on the box. "What is-" I said, only to stop when I lifted the lid and found a Siamese kitten staring back at me. "Gustave, Lara, what have you two done?"
"We brought your little Ayesha back," Lara replied, leaning over to wrap her arms around me.
I couldn't help but smile as I picked up the kitten, laughing when it mewed as I did. "Yes, it seems you did. Hello, little lady," I said, scratching her behind the ears and looking at my son. "Thank you. This is wonderful."
Gustave smiled back at me as I set Ayesha back in her box, gently putting it under the table. "I'm glad you like her," he said before turning back to the guests. "Just to finish off my little speech here, I wanted to pay tribute to the incredible talent and love for music that both of my parents have and passed on to me. Lara, this song is for you, my love."
Within the first few notes of the song being played, I was at full attention. I recognized it; I knew my own music anywhere. The little band was playing it beautifully, especially considering how small it was. I looked to Gustave with wide eyes as he started to sing the first lines of the aria I wrote for Christine...the last aria she ever sang. Memories of that night flooded my mind, but none of the horrific ones, though; only the beautiful ones stood out. How stunning Christine had looked with my onyx necklace around her neck and her light purple dress hugging her body perfectly; how my heart had fluttered when she sang, choosing me over anyone else as she did; how my life had grown so much brighter at that moment. All the plans for our future together had seemed to materialize in an instant. I had thought it couldn't get better than that, but as I listened to my son sing that very song, I realized that I hadn't known perfection yet. Not until the very moment I was living in the present.
As he concluded the first chorus, I was prepared to hear him sing the second verse alone, but when I heard a female voice beside me, my heart skipped a beat. For a moment, I almost believed it to be my angel herself, but when I turned, I saw Lara singing as she stood up to join her husband. I thought it was all a part of his plan, but turning back to Gustave, I saw shock and wonder in his eyes, clearing having had no idea that she was going to join him. I realized then that she had never told him that I had been teaching and training her using Love Never Dies; he was brand new to the idea of her knowing the song but was so clearly in love with it.
Both my son and I listened to her in awe, both of us undoubtedly picking up on the little similarities to Christine; the way she pronounced some of the words, the emphasis she placed on others. One perfect reflection of Christine's performance, however, was the passion; Lara was in love with what she was doing, finally putting her voice on display to be heard by someone besides me instead of hiding it away. I would have been smiling wide with pride as her father-in-law and teacher, but tears filled my eyes instead as Gustave and Lara's voices locked together as they sang the final chorus. I was stunned; only an hour ago, they had vowed to be together forever, their lives permanently intertwined, and here those vows were, embodied in song as their voices intertwined to create a flawless harmony
I found myself mouthing the words as they sang, finally managing to smile despite the tears in my eyes when I heard Lara sing the final notes of the song. She had always been nervous with those notes during our lessons, insisting they were too high or that she wasn't skilled enough to hit them. On the contrary, though, as she sang with her husband, she sang the notes flawlessly without a twinge of doubt in her voice as she did. As the song came to a close, I joined the other guests in their applause, watching Lara kiss Gustave before she returned to her seat.
"That was incredible," I said, having leaned over to speak in her ear. "You sounded beautiful."
"Thank you, Erik. It's all thanks to your teaching, you know that. Now, stop crying," Lara replied, reaching up to wipe a tear away that I hadn't noticed had fallen onto my cheek.
"I will, I will," I chuckled, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze before I turned my head to see Gustave still standing at the front of the room.
"Well, that brings the speeches to a close; I'm sure everyone's heard enough rambling tonight, so it's time to dance instead," he said slowly walking through the tent towards the table where Maddie, Charles and Lizzie were sitting. "This first dance is very special and unplanned, mostly. I had said we weren't going to have a mother-son dance, and although my own mother isn't with us today, Madeleine Edwards has become like a mother to me over the past eleven years of my life. That is why I would be honoured if she would share this dance with me this evening."
Lara and I shared a surprised glance when we heard him; both of us recalled his emotional response to the suggestion of dancing with anyone besides Christine, so we were naturally amazed that he was going to. That said, if he was going to share the dance with anyone other than his mother, Madeleine was always the obvious choice. She had been as much of a mother to him as Christine had been; he had even called her 'Mother' a few times as a young boy. Although those moments had always ended with him burying his bright red face in my chest to hide his embarrassment, they made his love for her obvious. I had always wanted him to have a mother figure after Christine's death, but I hadn't known where she would come from; I knew I wouldn't be courting or marrying anyone, so when we met Madeleine and she became the mother and the friend that we both needed, I was ecstatic. So to see the two of them slowly swaying back and forth to the music, Maddie resting her head on his chest - and crying on top of that - while he held her close, meant the world to me and brought more tears to my eyes.
"Damn him," I whispered, quickly wiping my tears away and looking to Lara to comment, only to laugh quietly when I saw her desperately fighting back her own tears to preserve her makeup. "Well done, don't let that makeup smear."
She giggled and shook her head as she stole my handkerchief to dab at her eyes. "Thank you, I'm trying."
With a smile, I turned back to watch my son and Maddie dancing, laughing when Gustave dipped her as the dance came to an end. As he walked her back to her table, Philippe got up and offered Lara his hand, then escorted her out to the dance floor to share their father-daughter dance. I couldn't help but sigh when people got to their feet to gather around and watch, which they hadn't done for my son, but I pushed those thoughts aside when I noticed Charles making his way over to me, drink in hand.
"Hello John," I said with a cheeky grin, pleased to be able to keep that joke alive.
Charles laughed, shaking his head fondly as I stood up to give him a handshake. "Are you ever going to give me an explanation for that?" he asked.
"You know what, John? I don't think I will," I replied.
"God, you're an idiot. I suppose it's just an inside joke now, is it?"
"On that, we can agree."
With a laugh, Charles raised his champagne glass to tap it against mine before we both took a sip, then turned to watch Lara and Philippe's dance. "Today was lovely, wasn't it? Lara looks beautiful, and I don't think I've seen Gustave smile quite so much," he said.
"Yes, everything came out beautifully. Lizzie did a fantastic job," I said as I looked over at where my goddaughter was dancing with Gustave, standing on his feet for a tiny bit of added height. "I could practically feel your tension when she walked down the aisle; I thought you were going to pass out from holding your breath."
"Look, I love and trust my daughter, but she's only three and a half. The last thing I wanted to happen was for her to get distracted or nervous or trip and fall, good God," Charles said, taking a long sip of his drink.
"Well, none of that happened and she looked precious. Now she can dance until she can't keep her little eyes open. If this doesn't make her pass out tonight, I'm afraid nothing will."
Charles smiled as he watched his daughter dancing with my son. "I really appreciate Gustave doing that with Maddie. The dance, that is. I'll have to thank him tonight. As the wedding got closer, she just seemed to get sadder about William and how he wouldn't be there to be with Gustave at the altar. I haven't held her as she cried herself to sleep in quite a while," he said quietly.
I sighed, hating that Maddie's grief had resurfaced so viciously over what should have been such a happy occasion. "At least she's feeling better now, to a degree. For the longest while, we didn't think he would do that with anyone. When we were planning everything, he had a bit of an emotional outburst; we put the planning on hold so he could try and calm down. Lara had suggested that he dance with Marguerite, but the thought of dancing with anyone besides his mother broke his heart. Still, Maddie has become a mother to him, so I can see why he felt comfortable dancing with her. It was a surprise for us all, though. And the best man speech as well; I'm glad Gustave got to hear that. I only hope it's what William would have wanted."
"I think Will would have loved it. Nadir did a fantastic job," Charles said with a smile.
"Well, he's always been the better orator between the two of us. He was made for people, whereas I was certainly not if my appearance didn't give that away. Still, people person or not, I don't think I've seen him as nervous as he was this morning when he finally read it over," I said with a sigh. "He wanted to do William justice."
"I can say confidently that he did," Charles replied. "I just hope that brings some peace to my sweet boy."
A tight-lipped smile on my face, I patted my friend on the shoulder, hoping to convey my sympathies as I had so many times before. His mood quickly lightened, though, when he saw Nadir walk by and he reached out to pull him over to us.
"Nadir, thank you so much for the speech this evening," he said.
"Oh, my pleasure. I'm glad you enjoyed it; I was worried I wouldn't do it very well because I read it last minute after rehearsing my own for so long. But I'm glad I was able to bring a little piece of William to the party this evening," Nadir replied, smiling as Charles pulled him into a hug.
"We appreciate it so much. Maddie especially; she cried, but they were happy tears. She was just glad to hear anything from William's beautiful mind brought to life."
"I'm glad I got to do that for you both." Nadir turned to me then, giving me a light punch in the shoulder. "Your speech was lovely, Erik. Beautifully done, truly."
"Thank you," I said, starting to fiddle with my ring. "I was ridiculously nervous, so I'm glad my sentences were somewhat coherent despite that."
Nadir gave me a small smile as he reached over and set his hand over mine to get me to stop fidgeting. "It was perfect. All the practicing on me paid off, hm?"
"I suppose it did," I said with a laugh. "I'm still in shock a bit, though; I just gave a speech at my son's wedding. Can you believe we're here now, Nadir? It seems like only yesterday he was that ten-year-old with big eyes of wonder about the world, asking me every question that popped into his head."
"I do share your sentiments, Erik," said a voice from behind me. Turning around, we saw Philippe walking over to us, having just finished his dance with his daughter. "It seems only a moment ago, Lara was just my little girl, playing with tea sets and dolls, and now she's married. That said, I know she's in good hands with Gustave. Her father-in-law isn't too bad either."
"Thank you," I chuckled. "I must say, I think I trust Lara to be sensible more than I trust my own boy. That trust extends to you as well, Philippe. Though I will admit that I was wary of your family for a long time, the kindness and open-heartedness shown to us have repaired that. For that, I thank you."
I offered him my hand to shake, only for him to laugh and push it aside. "We're family, we're past handshakes," he said, hugging me instead. Admittedly, it was a bit awkward, but I knew he was coming from a good place.
"Now, I feel I have to mention the little performance we got tonight," Charles piped up. "Gustave was amazing, as always - it's almost a given with his bloodline - but Philippe, your daughter was incredible."
"Thank you. I have to agree with you; I had no idea she could sing like that," Philippe replied, looking at me as if he was expecting an explanation. Then again, of course, he was; amongst the four of us, I was the only one who was musically inclined and he knew that. I couldn't tell the truth, though; Lara didn't want me to, and I couldn't betray her trust.
"Oh, she truly is a natural talent. It was spectacular," I said.
Philippe raised a brow as he looked at me. "While I appreciate that and I am sure that my daughter does have a natural talent, as she does in many things, you're fidgeting with your ring, which Gustave does as well when he's nervous. So what is the true reason behind her beautiful voice?"
"What do you mean? She has a gift," I said, cursing myself for letting my anxious ticks become so obvious.
"A fact that I am not denying, but to have the ability to sing with such clarity and to reach such notes with no training doesn't seem plausible to me. I'm sure even Christine herself needed some training from a masterful teacher to get her voice to be as beautiful as it was."
I sighed, glancing over at Nadir for some form of support, only to see him give me a slight shrug. Finally, I caved, realizing that I couldn't lie any longer: "Alright. But please don't tell Lara that I told you; she wasn't sure what you and Marguerite would say. I have been giving her vocal lessons."
"I see. How long have you been doing that?"
"It began while Gustave was away," I replied, the lack of any particular emotion on the Comte's face frightening me more than if he had been livid about it.
"So a couple of years now. Not that I'm surprised; I would imagine that to train her voice to that calibre would take a lot of time and practice," Philippe said with a nod. "But I know nothing about that. Music is a foreign language to me."
"You should know that she has a gift and natural curiosity for music," I said.
"Well, it certainly sounds like it, yes. Those two sounded perfect together, at least to me. I suppose it's another way those two were designed for each other. I'm a bit upset that I didn't know about her talent before tonight, Lara and I are usually very open with one another.."
I sighed, glancing down at my feet for a moment. "She was unsure of what you would think. She thinks very highly of your opinion of her."
Philippe smiled, clearly glad to hear that his daughter still valued his input so much. "She's told me as much in the past as well," he said. "I must say, though, I personally cannot object to her learning something like this; it's a beautiful talent to have. I believe her mother would be a bit more...apprehensive to find out that she's being trained, even by a teacher so clearly as talented as yourself. Her eyes practically leapt out of their sockets when Lara began; I thought she would faint. I'm sure you know that nobility and those who perform the arts have never had the best relationship."
I laughed before I could stop myself. "Believe me, I am well aware of that," I said. "I remember that it was Christine's first performance in years when she sang on Coney Island. When she married your little brother, she had to give it all up. I still don't know how someone like her - someone who was music - was ever able to do that."
"Yes, I hate that she had to abandon it. She was such a talent; it was sad to see it wasted. The only time I ever heard it - outside of the Opera, that is - was the one time I got to visit them when Gustave was little. I heard her sing him a lullaby; he was crying about something, though I can't remember what, exactly. What I do recall, though, is how beautiful it was."
"Indeed it was. Your daughter's voice reminds me of it."
"I'm sure that means a lot to you, having that sort of familiar voice."
"More than I can easily express," I replied with a nod.
"Well, you're clearly an incredible teacher, Erik. Natural talent or not, you've done wonders. I'm glad I finally got to hear her, and I hope I'll hear her again as you continue mentoring her," Philippe said, smiling at me.
"I hope so too."
I went to continue our conversation but stopped before I could say a word when Maddie tackled Nadir in a hug from behind, sending him stumbling forward with a groan. "Well hello, Madeleine," I said.
"You're not the one I came to see," Maddie quickly retorted, squeezing my friend tightly. "I came to ask our lovesick friend for the explanation that he owes us."
Nadir choked out a laugh. "Madeleine, I can't breathe. Let me go," he said.
"You know, I wouldn't mind hearing some more about this. I noticed the lady on your arm today as well, Nadir," Philippe said with a smirk.
"Yes, yes, I know you did," Nadir said, finally managing to free himself from Maddie's grasp. "She is an old friend that I knew in Paris. She moved to America, then back to Europe, to Switzerland. We kept up our correspondence through letters, our comments to each other getting a bit more...flirtatious over time if you will. I went to Switzerland for a month or so, then brought her back as my 'date'."
A squeal escaped Madie when she heard the story and she was quick to hug him tightly again. "Oh, I'm so happy for you, Nadir. When are you getting married?"
We all laughed, knowing she was teasing but still having fun entertaining the thought. Personally, though, I was having more fun watching how flustered my friend was getting as he was questioned; I could see the tips of his ears turning pink and heard him starting to stumble over his words. As much as it was fun to watch, there was a genuine smile on my face as I realized how happy he was. I was glad to see him simply enjoying his life even more with Adele. I was pleased that he finally had that special someone to enjoy his time with.
As the playful interrogation ended, Nadir turned to me with an accusing glare. "You have been uncharacteristically quiet. Why?" he asked.
"Well, I have my answers to all the questions that were just asked. And..." I said, trailing off when my name was announced by the band. "I have to go play the violin for my son and daughter-in-law's first dance. Do excuse me."
I laughed to myself as I turned to walk over to the band, the confused look of my friends proving to be very amusing. Nadir was the only one that knew that I played the violin, so I knew, or at least hoped, that the others would enjoy it.
Taking my place with the band, I picked up my violin and set it on my shoulder, taking a moment to make sure it was tuned as Gustave and Lara walked out onto the dance floor together. I gave them a smile and a nod as I leaned my chin on the violin and set my bow to the strings, starting to play a composition I had written back on Coney Island. A waltz, a song meant to be danced to as slowly and intimately as the new bride and groom were dancing just in front of me. For a time, I had thought it would serve beautifully as the song for the first dance that I would share with Christine at our own wedding, but if I couldn't have that, I was glad that our son could.
I couldn't help but smile as I watched the newlyweds slowly sway back and forth to the music I was playing. On occasion, they would change a few words - quiet ones, meant for only them to hear - before laughing together and going back to dancing in silence. I could tell Lara was using their height difference to her advantage, as she had tucked her head under her husband's chin to rest against his chest. Not that Gustave minded; I could tell from the smile on his face, one that I knew so well, that to him, he had found his perfect world. He held her so tightly yet so gently at the same time, knowing that this was the first day of the rest of his life dancing with her.
Turning my head, I smiled over at my friends, who were standing a few feet away to watch. While Philippe was mainly watching the dance, I noticed that Maddie was watching me, a dumbfounded look on her face now that she had discovered my other talent as a violinist. I could tell from the gleam in her eyes that I was going to be asked to play a lot more at home.
The song soon came to an end, Gustave twirling Lara around with a laugh before pulling her into a kiss. It was then that the attention turned back to me as people started to applaud after my performance. I took a slight bow, then went to set my violin down, only to look up when I heard someone call for an encore with others echoing his sentiments.
"No, I really shouldn't," I insisted, only to be met by more requests for an encore, including from Gustave and Lara.
The one comment that caught my attention, however, was from my ever so kind best friend. "He can't play like he used to. Maybe that's the only song he can still play," Nadir said, smirking at me as he got the people around him to laugh.
Jaw clenched, I grabbed my violin again and walked right over to our group of friends to stand in front of Nadir. Setting the instrument on my shoulder, I started to play the fast-paced song I recalled hearing at the New Year's masquerade ball that had been thrown at the Opera House countless years ago. I enjoyed getting to throw Nadir's comment back in his face, laughing as I walked away after watching his smug smirk disappear to be replaced by a look of amazement. A rare expression from when it came to me, so I was enjoying it while it lasted.
The guests quickly flooded the dance floor, keeping up with the quick pace of the song. As I stood at the side, I found my foot tapping to keep time, but also to make an attempt at dancing with no partner. That issue was quickly resolved, though, when Lizzie ran over to me.
"I want to dance with you, Uncle Erik," she said, quickly starting to bounce and move her feet randomly to the music.
I laughed as she grinned up at me. "Well then, dance with me," I said, striding along as I played while my goddaughter giggled and twirled around me as she made an effort to mimic my nonsensical footwork.
As the two of us danced, I brought the song to a close and lowered my violin before I tried to catch my breath. I took a bow as the guests applauded, then set my violin down and pulled out my handkerchief to wipe away the sweat on my bowling that had formed as I played and danced. I looked down then as Lizzie tugged on the leg of my trousers. "Yes, princess?" I asked,
"You broke this," she said softly, gesturing to my bow, where a few strings had popped off during my performance.
"Oh, that's alright. It happens sometimes," I replied, kneeling to give her a kiss. "Thank you for dancing with me. We'll have to do it again tonight."
She smiled wide and nodded, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Can we go see Mommy and Daddy?"
"Yes, of course." I stood up with her in my arms and carried her over to her parents, handing her over to Maddie. "I'm going to have to play my violin more often, aren't I?"
"Obviously! Why have you never shown us your talent?!" Maddie demanded, emphasizing her point by smacking my arm.
"It just never came up, that's all," I said in my defence. "I will play for you all more now, I promise. For now, I need to get myself a drink of water and sit back to catch my breath. You three go out to the dance floor," I said, giving my goddaughter another kiss before walking back to my seat.
I got a glass of water from one of the servers and was mid-sip when I was grabbed and yanked by the arm. "What in the-"
"Erik, come dance with me!" Lara said with a giggle, turning me around and tugging me again.
"Lara, dear, I'm still trying to relax after my performance," I replied, only to be pulled forward once more.
"It's a slow dance, you'll be fine," she said, giving me a pleading look. "Please, Erik?"
I sighed, hating to say no to her, and on her wedding day no less. "Yes, okay, let's go." I set my glass down and let her take my arm as we walked out to the dance floor. Smiling at her, I gently pulled her into my arms, taking one of her hands in mine and setting the other on the small of her back as we fell into step with the dance.
"Why were you so adamant about pulling me out here to dance, hm?" I asked her.
"Well, for one, I wanted to see you dance! I figure you could, but I wanted proof, especially after I saw you skipping around with Lizzie while you were playing your violin for us," Lara replied. "Which was incredible, by the way. You're an amazing violinist. Do your talents never end?"
I laughed quietly at the question. "Yes, yes they do. Nadir could tell you many skills and talents that I do not possess," I said. "But you said 'for one'. What's the other reason?"
"You're another father to me now, Erik. Now it's official, but you've been like a father for so long. I can't tell you how much that means to me. How could I not dance with you tonight, at my wedding?"
A warm smile formed on my face as I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm glad I could do that for you, dear," I said, setting my chin on top of her head.
As we danced, I heard Lara laughing quietly. "Erik, look," she said.
Turning my head to look in the direction that she was pointing, I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw Nadir and Adele on the dance floor, the latter giving her partner a short lesson on where to set his hands while they danced. "God, he's so awkward," I said.
"I think it's sweet. He really is fond of her, isn't he?" Lara asked.
"I believe he is, yes. I believe he's just hesitant and a bit sheepish because it's been so long since he's had a committed relationship. His wife died years ago and since then, he hasn't had or wanted such an intimate relationship. That's not to say his grief is any less prevalent, but he's finally found the person who can help him. I really am happy for him."
"I am too. It really is nice to see him so happy. He deserves it."
I nodded. "He does. As much as we pester each other, I want the best for him and that seems to have happened," I said. "As awkward as he is in public with her, that smile on his face has yet to fade."
"I think that's a common theme tonight. Gustave and I certainly haven't stopped smiling, and I've noticed that you haven't either," Lara said, pausing our dance for a moment to stand on the tips of her toes and press a kiss to my cheek. "You've truly helped make this night an incredible one. Thank you, Erik."
"It's been a pleasure," I replied, smiling as we started to dance again and I twirled her around just as the music came to an end. I opened my mouth to thank her for the dance, only to frown when I heard her gasp, followed by her hitting my arm repeatedly. "What, Lara, what is it?"
"Look, look," Lara replied, once again turning my attention to where Nadir and Adele stood. Now, though, I smiled wide when I saw them sharing a kiss, Nadir holding her even closer to him than he had been while they were dancing.
"And to think he wanted to ignore her sentiments," I teased, quickly starting to laugh along with Lara.
"I'll bet he's happy he didn't." She smiled at the new couple for another moment, but her eyes lit up as the music started again at a much faster tempo. "Erik, come on! Let's dance, these fast dances are always so fun!" she exclaimed, grabbing my hands in hers.
Knowing better than to fight with her on the matter, I nodded and let her pull me into step with the dance. The two of us joined the other dancers in a mad shuffle of feet and the skirts of gowns, with me being especially careful to not step on her toes. About halfway through the song, I could tell that my energy had been drained - another telltale sign of my age that I needed to come to terms with - and admitted that to Lara, so the two of us walked to the sidelines, where I pushed Gustave towards her.
"Go finish this dance with your wife," I said.
"No, Papa, you should dance with her!" Gustave replied.
"I just did, but I need to catch my-" I began, only to frown as the song ended. "Well, now you wasted a song. That aside, it's your wedding! I shouldn't be dancing all night with your wife at your wedding! There is no argument, now go and dance!"
He glared at me, but as his wife tugged him by the arm, a smile quickly replaced that expression and he hurried off with her. I shook my head fondly as I turned to sit down, only to get pulled out to dance again. Turning around, I found Maddie smiling back at me.
"I don't want to steal you away from your husband," I said as I set my hand on the small of her back and started to dance with her.
"Oh, Charles won't mind," she said with a scoff. "Plus, he's not a big dancer anyway."
"Well, neither am I, but here we are."
"That's nonsense. I saw your fancy footwork with my daughter and with Lara just now. You enjoy dancing and you're good at it, so now you'll dance with me too."
"Alright, alright," I said with a laugh, unable to keep a smile off of my face when I saw how Maddie was smiling up at me. As we danced, I turned my head and found Gustave and Lara just a few feet away. Looking at my son dancing with the love of his life, I knew that, for once, I had done something right. He had everything I could never have, and that was all I could want for him.
