Sorry the last chapter was so short I got cut short while writing because I had a list of things to do one of which involved buying tap shoes. And now I'm finding less and less time to write. Alright well here you go. Hope you like it. Read & Review.

The sun softly grazed my skin. It was warm and soft and yet a cold breeze fell in the sky. I laid on a white blanket below a large black umbrella. I had on a large floppy hat that shaded my eyes from the sun's light so I was able to witness every detail of Gustavé's swim lesson. Erik was using a soft and comforting voice. He held Gustave in his arms proudly and watched him paddle around in the water. His words of encouragement were often disrupted by Gustavé's sudden bursts of laughter. Their faces beamed brighter than the sun's own rays. Erik was laughed in now time. It surprised me how even underwater his mask held to his face so tightly. Their happiness was infectious and I could resist the laughter for too long myself.

Seeing both of my boys happy felt like a beautiful dream that I refused to wake up from. For so many years I watched Erik hide in the shadows swallowed up by doubt, anger, and self-hatred. Gustave had been shy to be himself. He was quiet and shy all the time back home in Paris. And here both of them were playing on the beach in the sunlight laughing and joking and staring at one another with such love. After a while Erik got out of the water and walked up the beach towards me. Gustave stayed in the water and filled buckets of water.

"It is such a nice day out huh?" I looked up at Erik. It was such a weird thing to hear come out of Erik's mouth. Had he even known what sunlight was before coming to America?

"It sure is darling. I am glad that both of you seem to be enjoying yourselves." He smiled and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on my lips.

"I wish you could join us."

"I'm happy to watch." Gustave came tottering over to us with two small buckets in each of his hands. He set them on the ground in front of us and smiled up at me. "Ah! I see. Well I think that is a lovely idea, but I do not think that Erik knows how. Perhaps you would like to teach him." Gustavé's grin grew wider and he shook his head violently.

"But of course mother!" Erik looked up and me curious and slightly worried as to what I had just signed him up for.

"Erik, Gustave wants to teach you how to make a sand castle."

"I have indeed never made one, Gustave." He placed his hand on Gustavé's head and tossed his hair.

"Well first you have to mix some sand and water together. That's what makes it stick together…" Gustave poured the buckets on to the water and he and Erik created the solution. I got up and walked the beach looking for interesting sea glass, feathers, stones, and shells to decorate the castle. When I walked back to where they sat the sand castle was halfway built. I poured my findings into one of the buckets and started to help form a little moat around the building. Gustave found a pair of sticks and put them in the moat to create alligators while Erik filled the moat with water. I placed a large goose feather in each tower to give them the look of flags. Gustave used a rock to make a door and Erik made windows out the sea shells. Erik pulled out his old pocket watch from my small purse.

"It is three thirty Gustave. You must be ready for your lessons at four."

"You right father!" Gustave rose from his place in the sand and began to brush the sand from his legs. I stood and helped his brush away the sand.

"What is this lesson for?"

"Gustave is going to help Skunk run the cotton candy stand. Skunk is going to teach him how to make cotton candy today." Gustave licked his lips. Erik and I both laughed at his response. Erik rose from his place in the sand last.

"Alright well then we must go then huh?" Erik found my hand quickly and entwined his fingers around mine. Gustave gathered up his pails and shovel while Erik bent down to grab my blanket. Gustave ran ahead of us as we made our way back up to Phantasma, very carefully avoiding the dock. The walk was short and you could smell the fair food a few steps up the small sand dune the divided the ocean shore from Phantasma. When we reached our home Gustave quickly ran up the stairs to his room to get dressed for his work at the cotton candy stand today. We took a few steps up the stairs when there was cough behind us. I turned to see Squelch behind us.

"When will young Gustave be ready, Sir?"

"He will be down in only a few moments." Squelch bowed his head and stood waiting for Gustave who came running down the stairs moments later, fully clothed and almost completely dry. Erik and I walked up the stair and down the hallway. But before we could find our way the bedroom I took a detour into the room with the light brown door with hidden music notes in its grain. Erik followed behind me, his hands circled around my waist. His mouth rested on the nape of my neck. "So I see you went exploring."

"Well did you really expect me to sit around alone in our room do you?" A moan fell from his lips.

"Our room." He sounded so peaceful and so full of joy. I slipped out of his grasp before my legs could give out from beneath me.

"So what have you been working on darling." I slid onto the organ's bench. Erik followed right behind his fingers slid onto the smooth keys and began to move intricately up and down the organ.

"Oh just a few things. I haven't had much time to write you the opera you so do deserve though Christine and I ask for your forgiveness. Before you came my inspiration was lacking and now that you're here my time has been, well, lacking." I felt the blush move up my neck and into my cheeks. I knew very well that he was referring to my constant need to hold him in my arms. I couldn't stand the thought of him being out of my grasp again. My thoughts were quickly pushed away as my ears began to fill with his melodies. It was so delicate and detailed, like fine lace. I couldn't keep from humming to the music. Not long after words began to flow from my mouth. I wasn't really paying too much attention to what I was saying but Erik was. He suddenly stopped and picked up his pen writing fiercely below each staff. "Brilliant Christine! Those were the words that I had been lacking. They seemed to flow from me and out of you! It's brilliant, just brilliant." He pulled my lips to mine and before I could catch a breath he pulled away and was playing once more.

The music was coming to its soft end when there was a soft knock at the door followed by the entrance of little Gustave. He ran to where we sat and jumped into my lap. "Oh mother, today was fantastic! I had so much fun running the food stand. I got to count money and make cotton candy. It is so fascinating, like little cobwebs!"

"You weren't working for very long." Erik leaned over to me placing his beautiful pocket watch in my hand. The short time we spent playing music had actually been hours. It was already seven thirty. Gustave was to be sent to bed in a half hours' time. I set him down and stood up. "Well I suppose it wasn't after all. But you need food in your belly before bed darling."

"Dinner should be ready by now dear." Erik held my hand and pulled me towards the dining room. The clean and perfectly set table was now covered in thousands of platters of different food. They included all of my favorite dishes and every one of Gustavé's. Gustave sat at the head of the table while Erik pulled a chair out beside him for me. Erik sat beside me. I was a strange change, before with Raoul we would sit as far away from one another as possible. Raoul thought that it was the classy way to dine with one's family. And I had recently taken my meals in Erik's bed. I could sit for no more than five minutes without making some physical contact with Erik and he must have noticed. After we finished eating Erik cleared the table, to help with the servants, a thing Raoul thought himself too important to do, and I went to go tuck my darling Gustave into a deep night's sleep.

"I've missed this mother." Gustave was lying under the covers of his bed. I kissed his forehead as I kneeled at his bedside.

"So have I darling. Did you have a good day today?" He nodded his head quickly. "Well good a few more trips to the beach and you'll be swimming like a champion." He smiled brightly I could see his tongue wiggle one of his front teeth. "Gustave, open your mouth." I put my finger on his tooth and wiggled it. "Gustave you have your first loose tooth!" Gustave had always been a late bloomer when it came to growing up. When most children had only half of their mouths full of teeth Gustave had not lost a single tooth.

"Gangle was telling me about the tooth fairy. Does she really pull your baby tooth out while you're sleeping?"

"Of course not! What exactly did he tell you Gustave?" Gustave smiled and chuckled.

"I'm only joking. Some of the boys from my old school told me stories. I can't wait to lose this bad boy." I giggled and kissed his head once more.

"I'm sure. Now goodnight Gustave. Sleep tight!" I rose from my place on the floor and walked through the door. As I went to leave I left the door cracked so the hallway would give his room some light, Gustave was still afraid of the dark.

"You can close it mother."

"Are you sure?"

"Have you seen my father? Do you think anything is dumb enough to mess with him?" I chuckled and closed the door tight behind me. Two big strong hands grabbed my waist tight and turned me around. Erik's mouth found mine instantly. He bent down far enough so my tiptoes were not necessary. His force held me against the wall behind my back. My hands grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him closer to me. He chuckled and pulled back.

"I've been fighting the urge to do that all day." I slipped out from under his arms and ran down the hall. He caught me quickly and threw me down on the bed effortlessly. My fingers instinctively found the bottom edge of his mask and pulled it off. I threw it at the wall on the other side of the room. Erik didn't even flinch instead his fingers wove around my bathing suit and began to tug at it.