If I Could Fly
For your eyes only,
I'll show you my heart.
For when you're lonely,
And don't know who you are.
I'm missing half of me,
When we're apart.
Now you know me,
For your eyes only.
"No running in the corridor!"
Charlotte Daae just ran faster down the corridor, as the house maid/nanny chased after her.
"Your father is going to-"
"Her father is going to what, Naomi?"
Suddenly, a booming, all-too-familiar voice echoed from behind her. She gripped Charlotte's favorite doll between her fingers even tighter, as she slowly turned around on her heel, trying not to make her complete fear... completely evident.
"OH! SIR! I... I didn't even hear you walking... yet again... you're, uh, ridiculously light on your feet..." Naomi stuttered around her words, her sentence eventually trailing off into an inaudible mutter.
"Naomi."
The masked man stood with his arms folded across his chest, his stance widened and quite intimidating. Naomi gulped.
"Yes, yes s-sir?" Charlotte hid behind Naomi's legs, her arms wrapping around her left leg. "Did I forget to fold Char's laundry again?"
"Naomi, I want to discuss a pay raise. You've done so well with my daughter. I was hoping you'd be with us, full time." Naomi froze, her body tensing up - noticeably as Charlotte's big eyes looked up at her. "Naomi?"
"Look what you've done, Erik, you've frightened her." From behind the masked man, a softer voice spoke with a gentleness that seemed to calm the whole room. "Naomi, excuse him, he tends to come on a little... Or a lot... Strong."
"That's alright, Ms. Daae. I'm just happy to help you guys." Naomi shrugged her shoulders, placing her hand down on Charlotte's head.
"Erik, why don't you go make something to eat? I'll have a talk with Naomi." Christine smiled, moving her hand down to Erik's waist - her enormously new engagement ring, shining under the corridor's lights. "And take Charlotte with you, I'm sure she'd like a peanut butter and nutella sandwich, right about now." Charlotte came out from hiding, holding her tiny hand out to her father.
"Let's go, my love. These lovely ladies would like to be alone." Erik grabbed his daughter's hand and escorted them both out of the vicinity. Christine could hear Erik sigh. Sometimes, he could be such a curmudgeon. Christine walked beside Naomi, gesturing to her home office. Once inside, Naomi took a seat across the large oak desk.
"So... Did I do something wrong?" Naomi sighed, her hands twitching in nervousness, her knee bouncing up and down too. "I try my best, but sometimes school can get the best of me-"
"Naomi, please. Stop talking." Christine found that the more time she spent with Erik, the more she began to talk and act like him. She could never decide if it was a good or bad thing. She never thought about it long enough to make a judgment call either. "Now, Erik mentioned a raise, did he not?"
"He did, but seriously, it's not that big of a deal, I'm perfectly fine with my current salary of one hundred a week-"
"Stop talking." Christine leaned back in her seat. "We want to hire you full time. You can get your education here, private and prestigious, but we need you here full time to take care of Charlotte. Besides, she loves you, dearly."
"Oh..." She couldn't ponder up a proper response. "That's very... Generous... But..."
"Four thousand monthly, with extra for overtime, if needed." Christine grinned. "And by the way, this was all Erik's idea."
Naomi sighed, her eyes widened at the numerical value of her income raise. She could barely breathe, in fact. She felt like her head was about to explode.
"Well, thanks to... Erik..."
"Yes, I suppose."
Christine smiled, typing away at her computer, her glasses falling beneath the bridge of her nose. Emailing quickly, her banker to let them know of a salary change, she again, leaned back and sighed happily.
"My daughter loves you, Naomi. I hope you find it very welcoming here. We'll do anything to accommodate you." Christine fiddled with her engagement ring, her mind racing to the previous months. "Do you have any questions for us or for me?"
Naomi gripped the desk tightly, scooting her chair forwards. The screeching sent chills down her back. She couldn't think straight.
"No, that's all for now."
Erik stretched out his fingers, his mask sitting on the piano in front of him. He hadn't composed in a long time, but he found with his new way of living, that it could spark some sort of inspiration.
"Ah, dear friend, you have been missed."
Erik lightly pressed middle C, his fingers cold to touch. He could feel the air escape his lungs, his breathing become scattered.
And three hours later,
He exhaled all the air he had in his lungs and rubbed his eyes.
"Nothing, I have nothing." He groaned, only to be spooked by a familiar voice behind him.
"Maybe, you should take a break. You've been down here for hours and all I've heard are snippets of could be's, but never will be's." Christine sat beside Erik, taking her seat on the piano bench. "Or maybe, you need some food?"
"I haven't seen you down here in a long while, my dear." Erik smiled slightly, his mood affected by his inability to produce anything of value. "How is Charlotte?"
"She's at the park with Naomi. After I told her about her raise, she needed some fresh air." Christine smiled, making up for Erik's lack of. "Well, if you need anything, please let me know." Christine began to stand, only for her hand to be caught by her fiance"s.
"Stay. I like having you with me, here. It may inspire me, just enough for my brain to begin flowing."
"Just enough."
Christine woke up in the middle of the night, her side having some inexplicable pain. She covered her mouth, trying not to wake her fiance.
Too late.
"We're going to the emergency room. Naomi can take care of Charlotte. Let's go-"
"No, Erik, I'm fine." Her groans were telling Erik other wise. "I just want to stay here. Get me some water, it'll be okay."
It wasn't okay. No, it was never going to be okay. Not for anyone.