The beach supper and seashells adventure, must have been too much for Gustave. His eyes began to feel tired and no sooner did Erik and Christine have the leftovers placed inside the basket, did the boy fall into a deep sleep.

Christine poked Erik and whispered, "So much for blind man's bluff." She smirked.

Erik looked sad and pouted his lips. "There's always tomorrow." He then looked up at her in all sincerity, wondering if he had presumed too much.

She must have caught his meaning and simply took his hand. "Till tomorrow."

He smiled. "Let's leave all this here. I'll have someone come and retrieve the lanterns. I'll escort you both back."

He then kneeled at Gustave's feet. "Would you mind if I…."

"Not at all. He's getting too big for me to carry him. I know I'll regret saying that one day."

Erik picked the boy up with ease and carefully made sure his head rested comfortably on his shoulder. "No matter what age he is, he will always need his mother."

Christine smiled. The image of Erik carrying their son in such a way warmed her heart. She quickly wiped a tear away before Erik misunderstood her thoughts.

The walk back was silent but comfortable. Erik was afraid to wake Gustave and Christine could sense his concentration. She linked her arm with his.

"Is this okay?" She asked.

"Ok?" Erik asked in amazement. "It's better than the dreams I use to have about having a wife to take for a walk on Sundays."

She kissed his cheek and they lingered a little too long staring at one another until Christine motioned to the boy. "We best hurry and get him to bed."

Erik nodded quickly and resumed their pace.

When they got back, he expected Christine to take the boy from his arms and bid him goodnight. Instead she kept walking towards Gustave's room and Erik concluded he should follow her. She turned when they reached the boy's bed and helped Erik lay him down.

"Can you get his night clothes? They are in the drawer behind you."

Erik only nodded, as he watched in fascination by the way Christine began undressing the boy and turning down the bed. He then remembered his task and picked out a pair of black garments. He couldn't help but smile.

He likes black, like me.

"Erik? Did you find them?"

He turned around instantly and brought them over. "Sorry, I got distracted."

She arched her brow when she saw the garments. "Nice choice." She then got her son dressed and tucked him in. "Erik, would you mind getting him some water? I like to keep some here on the nightstand for him in case he wakes in the middle of the night."

"Of course." He returned instantly and heard Christine humming a song, as she stroked her son's hair.

She took the glass from him and smiled. "Thank you." She then leaned in and kissed Gustave's cheek. "Good night, love."

"Christine, thank you."

"For what?"

"For letting me help put him to bed."

"I enjoyed having the company. It's not something that I ever did with…. Raoul." She didn't want to bring his name up but how could one really avoid it?

Erik took her hand. "He was and will always remain a fool."

Christine looked over one last time at Gustave and then walked towards the door. "Let's let him sleep."

When they were in the living room, Erik couldn't wait to ask her a question.

"What was that song you were humming?"

"Oh, nothing. Just a little song from my childhood. I remembered it tonight, with being by the sea and all."

Erik frowned. "I hate that our lesson had to be postponed.

She shook her head. "It couldn't be helped after all the changes the past few days." She suddenly wanted coffee. "Would you like some coffee?"

Erik shook his head. "No, I'm not much for coffee. I prefer…."

"Tea."

"That's right."

"I suppose I learned to like it because it would help me stay awake when Gustave was nursing."

"I'll have them bring up some tea."

"Why?"

"Because you will need to think of your voice from now on and tea is better for that."

She wanted to retort that she was a 28-year-old woman who had a child. She should know what she can and cannot drink but then stopped herself. He wasn't talking as Erik. He was talking like her Maestro now. Her all-knowing, always right, but never-the-less infuriating, Maestro.

Erik sensed her mood. "Do you want to get your voice back into shape or don't you?"

"I know…."

"And I can't wait to see your posture."

She rolled her eyes. "I am not sure I can get used to your going from suitor to tutor in less than two minutes flat."

He shrugged. "We missed your lesson. I have to make up for it somehow and the Maestro is dying to make an appearance."

"So, he is." She laughed. "Can we sit down?"

"What about the tea?"

"I want to talk first." She sat and patted the cushion next to hers.

He sat down as he asked, "Am I going to like this?"

"I only want to know what is going to happen now that Madame is gone."

Erik relaxed. "We move on and for the better."

"What about Meg? When she comes back…."

"I meant what I said. She will have a place here, should she want it. Although, it can never be like it once was. I still feel as if I am to blame. Maybe I should have paid her more attention but frankly, I just thought staying out of her way was the right thing."

"Angel, do you think she may have been…." She closed her eyes and said the last part. "In love with you?" Why was she always so upset whenever she thought other women loved Erik? She never was this way with Raoul.

Erik jumped up. "What?! Christine that is not love."

"Perhaps she did it because she wanted to help you, so you would look at her the way would look at me?" She took his hand. "The way you still look at me."

"Christine, first you ask if I had a relationship with Antoinette and now you ask if her daughter loved me in such a way. I assure you, everything had been platonic between the Girys and me. I never loved them."

"I didn't say you did but people can fall in love one sided."

Erik abandoned the notion. "That's not how you show someone you love them."

"No, I suppose it isn't. I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"I seem to always pick such unsuitable women to love you?" She giggled. "Truth is, I can't stand the thought of anyone loving you the way I do and that is so grossly unfair and childish, I hate myself for it!

"Christine, do you think I oppose to the fact that you are jealous? Do I find it unbelievable? Yes, but I am never angry for it."

"I never felt this way with Raoul. Never." She looked at him with such sincerity.

"In that case, I am not only not mad, I am ecstatic. Come here woman, so you can claim this piece of work all for yourself." He then took off his mask in a move that shocked them both.

Yet when he started to apologize, she threw her arms around him and kissed him.