The Opera singer sat on her dressing room settee brushing Charlotte's hair. The little girl's hair was now shoulder length but still thin and such a white blonde it sometimes looked silver. It was just like her father's hair with the exception that she had a full head of it, not just patches, and it was at least soft to the touch instead of coarse. Still, it did little to hide the deformity, but Charlotte did not seem to care. However, today Christine once again cared about her oldest daughter's appearance.
"Charlotte, do you want to wear a ribbon in your hair that matches your new dress?" Christine bent around to be eye level with her standing daughter.
"Is it the same green?" The girl's eyes lit up.
"The exact same green! I had it made the same time as your dress," The Diva smiled.
"Will Dada like it?"
"He will if you do. And I think it will look extra beautiful it in our picture."
The girl squealed, jumping up and down, the new green dress she wasn't supposed to get flaring, exposing even more ruffles of her pantaloons. "Yes, Mama!"
Christine took a chunk of her daughter's hair and gracefully tied the bow so that it sat on the side of her head just above the deformity. Loops hung just so you could barely see it. She patted the top of Charlotte's head, "There now go look in the mirror…and don't touch anything!"
The girl skipped over to the full length mirror, her new leather Mary Janes squeaking, and tilted her head. "Mama, will my cheek always look like Dada's?"
Christine took a deep breath and walked over to the mirror. She bent down so her reflection was eye level with her daughter's. Charlotte had never asked about her face; of course she would start today. Mother's reflection smiled at daughter's. "Of course not. Yours is much prettier than Dada's." Lips then smothered the cheek in kisses as wrapped her into an embrace.
The room filled with shrieks of laughter just as the door opened.
"Here I am finalizing everything with the photographer, missing out on all the fun," Mr. Y walked in, grinning upon seeing such the playful sight of his wife and Charlotte.
"Dada! Dada!" Charlotte broke free from her mother and ran to her father. "Look at my ribbon! It matches my dress and Mama got it just for me!" He studied the bow's placement and looked up at his wife, their eyes meeting. Christine looked away, not wanting the discussion. Charlotte however made it moot.
"Mama said my cheek is prettier than yours!"
Erik bent down and picked Charlotte up, "I happen to agree." Deformed lips met deformed cheek. "What about this ribbon?"
Blue doe eyes widened, "You don't like, Dada? Mama said if I like, you like. It's the color of my dress. You said I could get green dress."
"Yes, I did not know it included a ribbon. Did Mary get a ribbon as well?"
"No, silly Dada. The bow is too big for Mary," Charlotte giggled.
"Well then is your bow ready for our family photograph? What about you, Angel?"
Christine lifted Matilda out of the stroller, "Yes, as long as Matilda does not vomit on her new white dress before the photographs are finished."
Erik held the dressing room door open for his wife and infant before they headed down the halls to the stage. Christine looked up at her husband and smirked. Both of their hands were full of children so she leaned into him and pushed him with her bustle and giggled.
The Phantom missed a step and tripped over his own foot. Charlotte found it amusing and squealed. "What was that for?"
Christine did it again, "My hands are full and I needed to do something to express my joy that you agreed to have a family portrait done. The Opera Ghost on film. Erik the man, even in the mask, willing to have his face captured."
"We should have done one when we got married…"
The Diva interrupted her husband, "We are doing one when it is right, when you are ready."
They reached the stage where a couple of chairs and a stool stood in front of a plush red curtain. Gustave laid on the stage looking up at the chandelier.
"Watch out, son there might be a Phantom waiting to drop that," Erik taunted.
"That's just an old story Mr. de Chagny used to tell," Gustave stood up and smoothed out his suit. "Right, Mama?"
Christine looked up at her husband then at her son, trying, but failing, to suppress a smile, "Correct."
"So Where am I sitting, Monsieur?" She walked over to the chairs and turned her attention to the camera man.
"The chair stage left, Mrs. Y. And the Mr. Y is in the chair next you. The baby on your lap, we have the stool for the child and the young man standing behind the chairs between you."
"Do you think you can sit still and pretty?" Erik looked at the daughter he held.
"Yes, Dada, put me down!" As soon as Charlotte was on the stage floor she ran over to the stool and sat down, feet planted on the floor. She smoothed out her green dress and then folded her hands in her lap. "Like this, Dada?"
The Phantom laughed, "Yes, darling just like that."
As Christine settled herself and then Matilda and her dress, she studied her husband as he positioned himself in the chair. He angled his body just enough so his mask was hidden from the camera eye.
"Do you want me to turn towards you, Angel?" Christine asked.
"Yes, turn to your husband, please," The cameraman spoke instead.
Christine repositioned herself but kept Matilda front facing. Her little hand grabbed onto Christine's thumb.
The cameraman placed his eye in the viewfinder and stood there for a view second. He then spoke, "Little girl, could you sit on the stool the way your mother is sitting in the chair? And young man, turn your body to match your father's."
Christine sighed feeling Matilda's feet kicking.
"What do I do, Dada?"
"Turn slightly towards me, darling," Erik looked down at his daughter sitting between her parents.
The girl turned and smiled, "The camera will see more of my bow now!"
"That's right, aren't you glad you wore it now?" Christine asked re-adjusting the squirming infant.
"It's such a pretty bow," Erik smiled at his wife. "Such a brave girl for showing that side off."
Christine returned her husband's smile, sharing a knowing glance.
"Such a genius idea to have the photo taken in here and use the stage lights, Mr. Y," The camera man observed. "Alright is everyone ready? Please sit still."
The camera captured it all: Charlotte's bow, the small malformation on her cheek, Gustave's current bout of melancholy, Matilda's hand around her mother's thumb and the Opera Ghost and Soprano's smiles.