First thing, I would like to apologize for the long delay... I went back to school, and it's not very easy to find time to write, even if I like it very much!

Second thing, thank you for all your kind reviews! They are very important to me and help me to write and continue this story. I had a not very kind review from a guest in the last chapter, so I could not answer him directly, but I just wanted to say to him that yes, I'm taking my time in this story because it's my very first one, so I'm not entirely comfortable with it. And if you find that my English is good, it's because of the work of my beta.

So yes, this story is long. Yes, I like to describe the life of Charles and Elsie when they were happily married, because I know that in the future I will describe their divorce, and I think no one will like that.

So please, if you don't like my story, stop reading, because it will never be perfect. But if you do like it, please keep reading and reviewing. And why not tell me what you would like to see in it?

Sorry for this speech, but I found it necessary...

...

Sybil and Elsie were sitting on the sofa, watching TV, while Anna was in the bathroom getting ready. It was already noon and they would have to leave soon.

Elsie saw the light of her phone's screen lighting up before Abba could sing a word. When she saw the name on the screen, she hesitated to take the call, but she felt the look of her daughter on her so she took it.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Elsie. I hope I'm not disturbing you..."

"Absolutely not. I was watching TV with Sybil. Anna is in the bathroom." Elsie tried to sound casual but was afraid to fail. When Sybil looked at her with raised eyebrows, she mouthed a "it's your father" and Sybil bent a little in the direction of the phone.

"Hi Daddy!"

"Hi Sweetheart!" Elsie moved the phone so Sybil could hear him, then moved it back against her ear.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"Well, I guessed that Violet asked you and the girls to come this afternoon?"

"Yes, yes, she did."

"Okay, so... Well, I wondered if, maybe, maybe I could pick you all up?"

Elsie stayed silent for a moment.

"You mean the three of us?"

"Yes, of course. Unless you don't want to, I mean. I can understand..."

Memories of the restaurant last night came to Elsie and her resolution to not let Charles be emotionally close to her.

"No, no! I mean you can. The girls will be happy." She looked at Sybil who was still watching TV.

"I'm glad. I will be there in 10 minutes."

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye."

She was putting back the phone on the table when Anna came back in the living room.

"Your father is picking us up in 10 minutes."

Anna sat and looked at her sister.

"Okay..." They said together.

"What?" Elsie asked, turning to look at them.

"Nothing..." The sisters answered at the same time again, which made Elsie laugh.

When Charles knocked, exactly 8 minutes later, Anna and Sybil jumped to their feet. Anna opened the door, and Charles did not have time to say anything before he had his arms full of his daughters.

He hugged them close before they pulled away to let him come in. Charles closed the door behind him. When he turned, Elsie had come closer, and their daughters were smiling behind her.

"I'm early."

"You're perfect. I mean, your timing! Your timing is perfect." Elsie said. She blushed a little and turned away from Charles. Anna and Sybil were looking at her, clearly amused. "I'm going to fetch my purse."

Elsie closed the door of her bedroom and put her head on it, hands each sides of it. She breathed calmly a few times.

"Easy, Elsie. Just a little moment and then you won't be alone with him anymore."

She grabbed her purse and returned to the living room. She took her coat and put it on.

"Shall we?" Charles asked. When the three women nodded, he opened the door for them. Elsie locked her front door and walked to his car. Sybil and Anna were already sitting in the back seat talking to each other. Elsie climbed in the front seat beside Charles. He turned on the car and watched his daughters in the mirror.

"No arguing over who is climbing in the front today, then?" He smiled.

Sybil and Anna laughed. Elsie turned to Charles.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Elsie shook her head and smiled fondly at them.

After a few minutes Sybil looked at her sister smiling. Anna looked back at her with a question in her eyes.

"Dad, we learnt lots of things about you recently..."

"Sybil!" Elsie warned.

Charles looked first at Sybil in the mirror and then at Elsie who was looking in front of her, biting her lip.

"What?"

"I always thought that you loved Mum's accent..." Sybil added. Anna laughed loudly.

Charles opened his eyes widely and turned his head to Elsie who had closed her eyes.

"You told them how we met?"

Elsie looked at him and nodded. Charles laughed and spoke to his daughters.

"I'm sure you thought me awful..."

This time, Elsie laughed.

"No, not awful. We were just impressed..." Anna said.

"Impressed?" Charles asked.

"Yes, that your relationship improved after that." She added.

"Well, that's thanks to time." He looked at Elsie in the corner of his eyes before adding "and Paris."

Elsie snapped her head up.

"Charles!"

Both Sybil and Anna leaned forward to be closer to their parents.

"Paris?" They asked at the same time.

Elsie turned to look at them.

"You really should stop doing that, you know?"

The sisters laughed, and Sybil asked.

"So! What about Paris?"

Charles and Elsie looked at each other quickly.

"You tell them." Elsie smiled at him.

"Alright. Well, now, you know that when your mother and I met, we were not very friendly... At the cricket match I acted stupidly because Alice had just told me something that I didn't take very well."

"Alice? Was she your girlfriend?" Anna asked.

"She was."

"And what had she told you?"

"That she had spent the afternoon with one of her friends that I didn't like. And I was right to be angry, because then she left with him... Anyway, some days afterward, I apologized to your mother, and she forgave me."

"Of course I did! I was new in a group of friends. I had no choice." Her voice was grave, but Charles saw the smile in the corner of her mouth.

"But what about Paris? Did you go there?" Sybil asked.

"Yes, with my 'group of friends.' That's where we realized that we liked each other, I guess," Charles answered smiling.

Sybil and Anna saw their father looking at their mother before he turned his gaze back on the road again.

"And can you tell us what happened?"

"Sybil... I'm not sure..." Charles and Elsie started at the same time.

The sisters laughed before Anna added. "Please..."

"You go!" Elsie said, looking at Charles.

"Oh, my!" Charles said, watching around him. Then he saw Elsie standing in the middle of the place, eyes on the floor. He fixed his eyes on her before he spoke to her.

"Come on, Elizabeth! I dare you!"

Elsie looked up at him. She really seemed scared, and he did not want to mess things up with her.

"But what if..."

"What if you enjoy the incredible view? Come on! I will stay with you." He extended his hand to her. She hesitated just a second before taking it. He led her close to the barrier of the first floor of the Eiffel Tower. Elsie was taking very little steps. At some point, she closed her eyes, too afraid.

"I can't do it..." She started to turn away, but Charles put his hand on her waist to stop her. She looked up at him and their eyes locked.

"You can. Keep your eyes closed. I will help you."

She closed her eyes again and Charles just looked at her face for a moment. He took back his hand from her waist to take her other hand in his. He led her where the view was the most amazing. He kept her hands in his but moved so that his front was to her back.

"Alright, when you want, open your eyes, Elsie."

It was the first time that he used that name. Everyone else did, but he had never felt close enough to her to call her that. Until now.

Elsie smiled and slowly opened her eyes. Charles heard her gasp and felt her grip his hands stronger.

"You're okay?"

"Yes! That's amazing! We can see so much of Paris from here!"

"Like what?" He asked curiously.

Without thinking, Elsie let go one of his hands and pointed her finger to different place.

"This, L'Arc de Triomphe. There, Le Sacré Cœur. And there, La Place de la Concorde."

Charles was smiling. He had not even looked where she had pointed, overwhelmed by the fact that she was so at ease with him that she had fought her fear of heights.

When she had finished, Elsie let go of his other hand and turned in his arms.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Elsie smiled at him and started walking away but she didn't see the stair. She almost fell, but Charles easily caught her.

"Oh, god." Elsie opened her eyes and saw how close they were. She could feel herself blush.

"Thank you, Charles."

"You're welcome, Elsie."

They smiled at each other and Charles let her go. Soon, Richard joined him and stood next to him.

"What was that about?" He asked.

"I don't know... But I think I like it..."

The family stayed silent in the car for a minute. Charles parked his car in front of Violet and Igor's giant house.

"That's so romantic!" Sybil said.

"Yeah!" Anna added.

Elsie's eyes, full of tears, looked straight ahead. She could not look at him, or her plan to forget him would fail. Charles saw her look and tried to make a diversion when he saw Violet coming out of the house.

"Girls, someone is waiting for you."

Anna and Sybil smiled and went out of the car.

"Granny!" They said together as Violet hugged them.

Charles heard Elsie breath loudly.

"Elsie?"

"No, Charles, please don't."

"I'm sorry... I should have not told them this story... But it was- it is- a good memory to me."

Elsie turned to him, and when she blinked, a tear ran down her cheek.

"It is a good memory. That's why it hurts."

"Elsie, I..."

"Will you two stay in there all the afternoon, or will you join us?" Violet asked after she had knocked loudly on Elsie's window.

...

(5 days to wait ! He kissed her ! Said that he loves her ! Oh mon dieu !)