Erik's POV

Winter arrived with a foot of snow, caking Phantasma in the white substance. Since the heat had warned off, I took to working in my office during the day. I needed to get out of my home… I needed to get away from Gustave's nagging girl. I didn't really care for her to begin with, but for Gustave's sake, I tolerated her. To make matters worse, my boy was wandering around and bragging about how he and Melody were planning on getting married on Christmas. That was still months away and the child would be born by then. Christine would be spinning in her grave with this all, for I knew she would have wanted Gustave to have a big wedding in a church. Instead, the child wanted to be married in front of the courthouse…Something small and intimate. And when he meant intimate, he meant just me. The entire thing made my head spin…To think, my boy, Christine's son, already grown and a father to be. It disgusted me in a way, for I would have believed his life to be different.

"Drowning away your sorrows again are we?" came Christine's voice. I groaned and looked over my shoulder to spot her standing over me. I was ready to die…I was ready to be laid to rest so that I could be with her, and yet, I was still on earth and suffering.

"Erik, what's wrong? You've been acting so strange lately."

"Well," I growled, taking my pocket watch out of my pocket and having a look at the time. "Seeing that Melody is nearly nine months along, you surely can't be sticking around much longer. Oh, Christine, what am I going to do without you? Just thinking about being alone makes me ill. I can't live without you, I'll die of a broken heart, ange…"

Her hand reached out to touch my shoulder, her warmth filling my empty soul.

"Erik, this doesn't have to be goodbye. We don't have to part ways, ange…You will always be in my heart, and me in yours."

"Yes, and I forgot how the world is supposed to be happy and filled with endless rainbows. Sadly, Christine, things can't be that way. I know that you will soon be gone and my heart feels it."

Christine pressed a kiss to my cheek, but I jerked away.

"Erik, don't be like that. I know that you're upset, but this won't make it better. God has a plan for all of us, Erik… His plan for you just isn't fulfilled yet."

"Why does God do things like this, Christine?"

"Like what?"

"Why does he laugh at me and make me suffer? He took you from me as a joke, Christine….He took you away because he knew how much I loved you. Your death was his revenge on me. God loves to abuse me, and therefore, he took you away to make me suffer. I wish to die. Do you know that, Christine? I want to die every day…"

"Erik, no you don't…"

"Yes!" I cried. "I do… I love our son, but I love you more!"

"Erik…"

"Go away!" I cried. "Just go away…Go…"

I was in tears, but I didn't care. I had a plan, a plan that would finally lay me to rest. I didn't want to continue living. I didn't want to live without Christine, and I knew as soon as Gustave's child was born, Christine would be gone. No, I had to leave this world before then. After arriving home, I was relieved to find that Gustave and Melody were out. Most likely on their once a week date. They didn't have much money because they were saving for a home, but Gustave did take her out to dinner. I groaned and headed up to my room and closed the door. This was it…This was going to be the end of my sad life. I quickly began writing a letter…A suicide note, actually. Afterwards, I placed the keys to Phantasma on the letter and began rummaging through my desk.

"Erik, what are you doing?"

Before I could answer Christine, I pulled out a knife and held it over my wrist.

"Erik, no…" Christine cried. "Don't do this."

"Give me a reason, Christine! I'm tired…I'm tired and heartbroken. All I want is to be with you, and that is what I will get. You can't deny me this, Christine. Gustave is a man and he doesn't need me anymore. He has a soon to be wife and a child on the way…."

"Erik, don't…"

I held the blade over my wrist, ready to cut, when Christine knelt down beside me.

"Erik, please…"

I pressed my eyes closed, tears falling from my eyes. I was about to cut into my flesh when all of a sudden, I heard Gustave's voice.

"Mister Y?"

I paused and opened my eyes. What was he doing home? The child was supposed to be out and enjoying his girl's company. But instead, he was here? Oh, what was going on?

"Mister Y, are you in there?"

I wanted to die…I shouldn't have answered him. I should have continued the silence and cut into my flesh. But at the same time, I wanted to know what he wanted. He sounded as if he had something important to tell me.

"Yes, Gustave? What do you need? I'm working…"

"Mister Y, you have to come down to the hospital…"

The hospital? Why did Gustave want to go to the hospital?

"Gustave?" I put away the knife and approached the door, pulling it open to find the boy standing there with a smile stretching across his face.

"Gustave, what's wrong…"

"Melody had the baby…You have to come with me."

And without another moment to spare, Gustave grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the hospital.

Gustave's POV

Saving for a house wasn't easy, but every scent that I made working in Phantasma went towards Melody and the baby. I was going to be the owner of Phantasma soon, and I knew once that happened, I would be better off. My papa made lots of money and I would do the same once he handed over the title to his park. I swore to him that I would take great care of his park, and that was a promise that I would never break. Even though I was saving, I always took Melody out to dinner once a week. It was my way of letting her know that I loved her and that I appreciated what she does around the house while I'm at work. I knew that I wouldn't be moving us out of my papa's house until after our baby was born, but I did manage to purchase a few things for our room. Ever since Melody moved in, my room had become our room, and soon, the baby would be occupying space as well. Mister Y had been nice enough to hand carve a cradle for the baby…Oh, it was beautiful. Some days I wasn't sure where he went off to, but one evening, he returned with a wooden cradle that had music notes carves into its wood.

With that cradle and a few toys, our room was going to have to be good enough for the baby until we moved.

"Your father was away all day today," Melody said as she interlocked her arm with my own. The night was cold, but walking beside Melody made it bearable. "He left this morning and didn't come back. I swear, Gustave, I don't know where he goes when he goes out…"

"To his office most likely…" I said. "He does like to work on paper work in the winter. The cold never bothered him, it's the heat that gets on his nerves. That, Melody, is where he and I are different. I guess I get that from my mother. She loved the summer, and hated the winter. My papa loves the winter and loathes the summer."

"You know, when I look at his face, I see you," Melody said. "His face may be deformed, but I still see you. You look just like him. I guess you are what he would have looked like if he hadn't been born deformed. Wouldn't you say?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't really look at myself in the mirror."

"And neither does he…I walk into his rooms most mornings and find him standing in front of his wardrobe with his back turned towards the mirror."

"He hates looking at himself. He always has…"

We were about to enter the restaurant, when all of a sudden, Melody gripped her stomach.

"Melody, what's wrong…"

"It's the baby…" she cringed. "He's moving…"

She stiffened her body and took a deep breath, standing up straight again and sighing.

"I'm all right…Where were we?"

"We were about to go into eat…I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

"Yes," she assured. "I'm so hungry that I could eat an entire horse."

"Well then, I think we should get inside and start."

I was about to hold open the door, when once again, she cringed and gripped her stomach.

"Melody?" I went to her air, helping her up and sitting her down on a nearby bench.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," she replied. "My stomach is really bothering me tonight."

I wasn't sure what was wrong with her, but on the ground, a puddle of water formed. Melody immediately gasped and I helped her to her feet.

"Melody, what's wrong?"

"My water broke…" she cried.

"Your water broke?"

"It means that the baby is coming…"

I didn't hesitate a single second and scooped the girl up into my arms. The hospital wasn't far away, and therefore, I carried her there, bursting through the doors and yelling for the doctors. Once the doctor took her, I followed….I was going to be a father! I couldn't believe it was happening, but it was. They laid Melody out in a bed and had the doctor examine her. Turns out that she was in labor and that our child would be here soon enough. Melody was worried and nervous, but so was I…I was still a boy, and yet, I was going to be a father.

"I just want you to know, Melody…" I said. "I love you and don't regret meeting you. If I could go back and change anything, I wouldn't change a thing."

Melody smiled and cringed in pain, but I was there to hold her hand. For three hours I sat there with her while he pain came and went. After the third hour, the doctor came back in and ordered Melody to push. This was all strange and new to me, but I was mature about it and stayed by her side. I wasn't sure how many times she pushed, but a while later, I heard a small, yet beautiful cry. I gasped and turned towards the end of the bed, noticing that the doctor was wrapping our child in a blanket.

Strange, for I had never seen a newborn before. But this was my baby…This was our baby. It was small, pink and bloody. The crying stopped a few moments later, and the bundle was placed into my arms.

"Congratulations," the doctor replied. "It's a girl."

A girl? A daughter? I looked down at her beautiful features and smiled, for this child was perfect and she was mine.

"She's beautiful," I said, handing her to Melody. The moment Melody held our daughter in her arms she fell in love.

"Oh, Gustave, she's perfect…." She cooed.

I pressed a kiss to her lips and nodded. "I love you, Melody…"

"And I love you, Gustave."

"I have to go get my father," I said. "He has to come and meet his granddaughter…"

"Hurry back…"

"I will…"

And with that, I hurried out the hospital doors and to my house to find my papa. I was a father and my papa was a grandfather. My life was now complete…

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