Gustave's POV

Months seems to pass without a pause. Through the summer, I worked for my papa, never stopping my attempt to see Melody. Though my attempts always failed, for her father always met me at the front door. I never seen her, though I never stopped trying. But there eventually comes a time when one must give up, if only for a while. That's exactly what I did…It wasn't that I wanted to give up, but I was tired of coming face to face with death every night when I faced her father. Therefore, I decided to stay away, if only for a little while. Summer came and went, and soon, I was closing up Phantasma while my papa rested on strict bed rest. His health had taken a turn for the worse, for his heart began giving out on more frequent occasions. Therefore, I took over work that he couldn't complete, working sometimes until the wee hours of the morning. I had become my papa, and sometimes, the employees mistakened me for him, for I had grown tall, so tall that my papa's clothes began to fit. With his cloak and overcoat, I could impersonate him with no problem at all…The only thing to tell us apart was the fact that I didn't wear a mask.

"Papa, I'm home…"

I laid the keys on the table and headed into my papa's office to find him sitting at his desk sipping on a cup of tea.

"Gustave, it's late…"

"I know," I said. "Nadir and I had a few things to lock up for the season."

"Right, I should have been there…"

"You know that you couldn't have been there," I argued. "The doctor told you that you need to rest until further notice. That's the reason why I've been taking over Phantasma."

"You have not been taking over," my papa spat. "Nadir is still in charge when I'm not around."

"I can handle the park on my own. I've been doing it for a while now. I know Phantasma like the back of my hand, so when are you going to trust me and let me have the keys to the park?"

"When I think you're ready, and right now, I don't find it nearly time."

I rolled my eyes and stomped around in a circle.

"I'm fourteen! I can do everything on my own, so when are you going to trust me with taking over? You won't ever be able to do it on your own again, and you know this. Papa, I'm ready…"

My papa held out his ring of the keys to Phantasma and I reached out for them, only to have him snatch it away.

"See, you're nowhere near ready to handle a park on your own. The keys don't call for you just yet…No, Gustave, you see, you're still a child, stomping around in a circle like a baby who hasn't gotten his way. No, that is not the attitude of a successful businessman. A businessman doesn't stomp around in a circle. So, until you start acting like a man, you will not get the responsibilities of a man. And that is that."

Once more, I rolled my eyes and growled. Oh, I was so much like my papa in more ways than one. The way he threw temper tantrums was the same way I did… Why did we have to be so alike? I used to be like my mama, but many years of living with my papa had turned me into another person…One that I disliked at times. I was turning into my papa and I knew there was no changing it.

"There you go again, Gustave, stomping around like a little child. On a side note, you've got mail."

My papa held up a sealed envelope. I wasn't sure what it was, for I never got mail. Curious, I took the letter and opened it.

"Gustave,

I know that we haven't spoken to one another in a very long time, but it's urgent…I need to speak with you. Meet me by the river tonight.

Melody…"

"So, who might that be?"

"It's from Melody," I said. "She wants to see me…"

"And you're a fool if you go, boy…She hasn't wanted to see you in over four months. What could she possibly want now? You're a fool, just like your mother."

"If my mother was a fool, it was because she loved you…That was her foolish mistake."

"There you go with that mouth of yours again…Running it off like the smart ass you believe yourself to be."

"I got my mouth from you, father…I'm you, remember? If I have a smart mouth, it's because you have given me one."

"Anyway, I must rest, Gustave. Why don't you run along and get ready for your little date…But be warned, I still think it's a horrible mistake."

"We'll see. I'm going to have what you didn't one day…"

"Oh, and what's that?"

"A life…Mother has been dead a long time now and yet, you've never tried to go out and find someone else."

"That's because I loved your mother. How could I possibly love anyone after loving someone as exquisite as her? Even when your mother and I got separated, I spent ten long years after that pining only for her and her alone. When you love someone, Gustave, you can only love them and them only. No, until the day that I die, I will never love another. Anyway, go and run along now…Live that so called life you want to go live. Don't let me try stopping you from doing it…"

"I'll be back late…Don't wait up for me. Make sure that you get into bed at a decent hour. I don't want you up and working on your music all night long. The doctor said it can't be good for you."

"Yes, mother…"

I smirked as I left the room, heading upstairs to shower and prepare myself for my meeting with Melody. I wasn't sure why she wanted to see me all of a sudden, but whatever she had to say to me, I was prepared to hear it. If she could get out of her home to see me tonight, then perhaps she and I could start to see one another once again. After dressing in my finest attire, I headed out to meet her at the river. The area was deserted now, seeing that winter was nearly here. Usually, in the summer, the river was filled with couples strolling along the river…Tonight, however, it was deserted and dark. I searched for Melody, finding her sitting on a bench that was beside the river. I approached her and took a seat beside the girl. I had not seen her in over four months, and oh, how she had changed. She cut her black locks for they were no longer long and curly…No, her hair was short. It was strange seeing such a thing on a woman, especially her. But that wasn't all…No, her eye was bruised, making it clear that she had been in a fight of some sort…

"Melody, what's happened to you?"

The girl had tears in her eyes, tears that were full of pain and agony. When she didn't answer me, I took her cold hand into my own and gently stroked it.

"I've never stopped trying to see you. I came to the pub at least three times a week to try to see you. Your father was always at the door and trying to kill me. Once, he threw me across the alley. My legs hurt for a week after that. Another time, he punched me in the face…No matter how many times he hurt me, I never stopped trying to see you. Every ounce of pain was worth it as long as I got a step closer to seeing you again…How did you get out?"

"I…I don't live with him anymore. He…He sent me away," she cried. "Three months ago."

"Why didn't he ever tell me?" I growled. "I would have stopped trying to get into the pub if I would have known you weren't there. Melody, please…Tell me what's happened to you?"

"He sent me away…He sent me away to live in this horrible asylum… They…They beat me."

I squeezed her hand, causing her to cry harder.

"Oh, Melody, I'm so sorry… I would have come for you if I would have known. Please, please continue. I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault, Gustave…I know that you never stopped trying to see me. I know that you wanted to continue our friendship. It was my father who stopped me from seeing you. He wouldn't let me see you and he wouldn't let you see me. He doesn't like your father, and therefore, he began disliking you…I don't know why…Really, I don't. At first, you were a jerk, but when we got to know one another, you were the best. But…"

"But what? I'm here now…Oh, how did you escape that asylum? And why were you there? Please…I need to know."

"I…I can't, Gustave. I can't tell you…"

"Can't tell me what? Melody, you can tell me anything. There is nothing in this world that would make me hate you. I have spent the last four months thinking about you and only you. You're the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I go to bed. I'm glad that you're here now… I'm glad that you're here with me. If you don't have a place to stay, you could come stay with me. I don't care what my papa thinks…I'll protect you, this I promise you. Now please…Please tell me what's wrong?"

Melody sighed and placed both her hands in my own.

"My father sent me away a month after we went out…He sent me to an asylum. The people there cut off my hair and sold it to wigmakers. My hair, Gustave…They took it all. For months, they sprayed me down with cold water every morning and night. It was horrible. For the first few months, I tolerated it, but when I was sure, I couldn't stay there any longer."

"Couldn't stay because why? Please tell me, Melody…"

It was then, that Melody stood to her feet and pulled open her cloak. I wasn't sure what she was doing, but when she stood in the light of the moon, I saw it…She was not the skinny little girl I had taken out on a date. No, she had grown round and her stomach was protruding… There was only one explanation for this…She was with child.

"Melody…You're with child?"

She pressed her eyes closed, hot tears streaming down her cheeks.

"When? Who did this to you? Was it someone in the asylum?"

Melody shook her head. "No, Gustave, don't you understand? My father sent me to the asylum because I refused to get rid of the baby. He wanted to send me to a backdoor doctor to get rid of it, but I couldn't…I loved it too much. How could I not love this child? I love his father, so it's natural that I feel the same for the baby."

"Melody?"

"Gustave, you're the child's father…We conceived this baby on the night of our date. That's why I wasn't allowed to see you…I have no place else to go…"

It was then that my heart stopped within my chest. My baby? I was going to be a father? No, it wasn't possible. We had only made love once. But I guess once was all it took. My papa would murder me…But a baby? I was going to be a father. I was going to be a man!

"Gustave, say something…"

But I couldn't…I was speechless. I would not run away from my problems…No, I would step up and be a man. I would do as my papa would do and take care of this girl and my baby.

"We'll then, I shall have to congratulate you, Melody…"

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