Chapter 7: Saying Goodbye

The next few weeks were very similar to that night. Christine would spend hours on end with Erik, making love, playing music, and enjoying each other's company, but unfortunately the more fun they had, the faster time went. Soon enough, Christine's last month of school was up. She had to pack her things and get her plane ticket.

Erik had been dreading this month. He didn't know what he was going to do without her. He loved her too much. He had spent every hour with her, often sneaking into her room later at night to sleep beside her, and now he helped her pack reluctantly.

He recalled now as he stuffed her shirts into a suitcase when, on the last week, he had taken her out on a date. They saw a movie, went to dinner, and took a walk to their favorite part in the city, which was a high cliff that looked out over the entirety of Houston. As they gazed out at the view, Erik kneeled behind her.

"Christine," he whispered softly.

"Hmm?" She turned around to see him like that and frowned in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Christine… I know we're still young, but I already know I want to spend the rest of my life with you… I want your promise that we'll find each other again and… Marry me some day." He pulled out a little ring box. "It's a promise ring. Will you accept it?"

Her eyes widened and then welled up with tears. She gave a little nod and held out her right hand to him. "You have my solemn promise that I will return and find you again, my Erik. I swear it."

He smiled and slipped it on to her finger and kissed her lovingly. "The sun will never be as warm nor as bright when you are gone…"

"Enough with your soliloquies," she laughed sadly and kissed him again. "Promise me that you'll never look or think of another girl without first comparing her to me."

"That would be impossible. You're the only girl for me." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"God I'm going to miss your damnable sweetness," she whimpered while cupping his cheeks. "Mm… Take me home…" He kissed her and they walked back home, hand in hand.

Now they packed her bags and boxes together, his promise ring now on her delicate finger. She was crying silently as she packed away her records that they had previously danced to before the winter formal. It broke his heart every time he closed a box that was packed.

"I'll come visit you…"

"I doubt again, that your parents will allow that, despite how much they just don't give a damn," she chuckled sorrowfully.

"I'll tell them it's for school or something," he insisted. Christine just shook her head and kissed his cheek. She didn't believe that he'd be able to go down to Sweden so easily, not with school and music going on.

"You'll have to see if you can't make it to State Competitions next year for choir and piano," she changed the subject. "You could very easily get top scores."

"Yeah...I guess." He didn't really care about that.

"Christine," Mrs. Giry spoke from the doorway. "It's time to go." Christine gave Erik a heartbreaking look and hugged him tightly. He held her tightly and tried not to cry.

"Tell me when you land...so I know you're safe."

"O-of course," she whispered against him. "A-and text me everyday, call me every weekend, I just need to hear your voice and know you're still there."

"I promise…" His voice shook and he kissed her until Mrs. Giry told her they had to leave.

Tears streamed down Christine's face and she handed him a picture frame from her purse. She whispered brokenly, "Don't forget me." She left with Mrs. Giry and said a brief goodbye to Meg who was actually crying at her departure.

They got in the car and started to drive away. Erik ran after her and cried out at the vehicle that went down the road, "I LOVE YOU!"

He received no shout back from her as they got too far away and was left behind with Meg. The picture frame in his hands contained a shot from when they went to the formal dance together. Mrs. Giry had insisted that they take the picture before they left. She looked marvelous in her red dress and he in his suit. They made a perfect couple and signed at the bottom was a message from her:

"We'll never be too far away. All my love to you, my Erik."

- Christine

Meg walked beside him and said sadly, "She really did love you an-and I'm sorry I wasn't more supportive of that…" She was extremely guilty now that Christine was finally gone. "She was like a sister to me and I didn't appreciate that. I'm so, so sorry I gave you such a hard time. I-I hope you can forgive me and we can b-be friends even though she's gone."

He turned to look at her and tears streamed down his face. "You're acting like she's dead!"

"Th-that's not what I mean!" She tried to reason with him. "All I'm saying is… Is that I want to be friends, that's all."

"I don't have friends." He got up and started to walk away. He hugged the picture to his chest, feeling broken.