21. Roselynn

A lot happened in the past year, I moved to Ireland and began my new life in Clarina. The Morris', the kind people who took me in upon my arrival were like the family I've missed. With the absence of my mother I had feared my impending labor. But Clara, the kind old woman helped me with everything. She taught me how to stitch baby clothes, make bottles, and put the little one to bed. I had plenty of practice, being that she had just had a little one shortly after I arrived. Day by day my baby grew stronger and bigger, the baby was a smart one too. Every time I even thought about his/her father they would kick my belly hard.

The third month was horrendous, I hadn't much trouble with morning sickness until my third month. I had to lay down on my bed frequently and often times Clara was left to herself in the bakery. She of coarse being the gentle soul that she was, told me that I needed to rest. Her husband Thomas took a while to warm up to me. He would go on about how sinful it was to have an unmarried mother in the house. His favorite pastime was asking me if I was going to baptize my child in the Catholic Church or not. I'd thought about it, growing up I never had any religious background. For the sake of keeping the peace I told him that most likely I would. That seemed to have calmed him down quite a bit. Their children were a bit mischievous, I enjoyed playing with them and gossiping with the older girls. Their oldest daughter was around the age of 13, she had a quick wit about her.

My first few months were easy; it was the coming months that would prove to be most difficult. When word broke through that the Opera house had been set on fire by a violent masked man, my world shattered. The papers could only assume that "the Phantom was dead; he either was burnt alive or he was thought to have killed himself. I cried all night, when I could somehow fall asleep my dreams were plagued with memories of him. Eventually, Clara had pulled me out of my depressive state by telling me that I had to think about my baby. My baby… that was the last piece of Erik that I had. Clara was right, my baby deserved a mother who loved them, not some depressed woman.

But the weeks only got harder, my due date was two weeks late and the doctor had ordered me to bed rest. It was incredibly boring, had it not been for the children who brought me stories to read them then I would have gone mad. My water did break eventually; it broke on the first of March. The doctor and midwife helped me as best as they could but I ended up passing out from the pain. I woke up two days after I gave birth, I saw Clara rocking a little white bundle in her lap whispering little coos to the baby. She smiled and handed my baby to me, she had my hair and my nose. But she had Erik's eyes and his smile. She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Almost immediately I began to cry.

I wish he had been here to see her at least, even if he wanted nothing to do with us. Starting out it wasn't easy to take care of her. I decided her name was Roselynn. Roselynn quickly became the center of every customer's attention. When she got to the age where she could have sweet cream they often snuck some to her.

"What a beautiful baby girl." Delphine O'Connor was a recurring customer along with her snobbish friends.

"Thank you Delphine." I had half a mind to turn around and hit her with the cookie sheet.

"Honestly Claudie, I don't know how you do it. Raising a baby on your own after the father runs out on you." I snapped my head in her direction.

"I manage just fine." I walked over to Roselynn and picked her up from her high chair.

"Now if you'll excuse me I need to change and feed my daughter it's almost time for her nap." Storming out of the front of the bakery shop I walked into the backroom to the stairs that led to the house.

"I'm sorry you had to endure that my love, having to listen to her voice." Roselynn made a noise that almost resembled a laugh.

"I'll assume that I am forgiven."

Erik's P.O.V

My nights since my precious opera house had been destroyed consisted of alcohol and pointless ramblings. I'd lost everything… my legacy, my love, my closest friend Claudine. Claudine… My mind often wandered to how she was doing and how our baby was. Had she given birth yet? Was it successful? Was she and the baby okay? Madame Giry had still refused to disclose Claude's address to me.

"You are in no state to write to her." Was often her answer.

"She is the mother of my child and I at least deserve to know if it's a boy or girl." I often retorted with that phrase. It wasn't until 6 months after the incident did she relent.

"It's a baby girl." She said it so suddenly one day.

"I- I have a daughter?" I take back. Claude had given birth to our daughter.

"Yes, her name is Roselynn." She handed me a small photograph, in the photograph Claude was smiling and proudly holding our daughter. She looked beautiful, just like her mother.

"Where are they?" I stood and walked towards her.

"I'm sorry but I can't disclose that information to you Erik. Claudine is fine and so is your daughter." I grit my teeth together and clenched my fist.

"I have the right to meet my daughter." Madame Giry stood in her normal manner.

"Do you think that acting like this will get you your way? You need to control your anger and alcoholism." Slowly I calmed myself down.

"Please… I need to meet her… even if I never see her again. I can't go through life knowing that I have a daughter and never meeting her." Begging was a new subject to me.

"Why are you wanting to be so involved suddenly? Just months ago you wanted nothing to do with my niece." She glared down at me.

"Because… I don't know… suddenly I just…" She held her hand up to me.

"I will give you her location but I will come with you. If my niece refuses to see you then she will not see you. If she doesn't want her daughter to have any further contact with you then that is how it will be." I nodded slowly.

"When do we leave?"

Hey guys! So heres chapter 21! I want to thank you guys for reading I know that my organizational skills need improvement. This story will be coming to end soon but not to worry there will be a sequel. I won't go too much in detail about it because I want it to be a surprise. Anyways, message me if you have any questions! Eventually I do plan on going through and editing this entire story. Thanks you guys!

-Kara