Olivier stood in front of a white wooden door decorated with an autumn wreath. His heart beat thumped in his ears as he slowly raised a hand to knock. Everything was quiet around him, except for the leaves rustling with silent breezes. This was it. Everything either continued, or ended here- right at this moment. He swore he could hear laughter coming from the other side of the door. Maybe it was Alexis playing with his new father. His better father. Olivier took a deep breath and knocked on the door three times. He could hear voices, followed by footsteps. He heard the locks clicking open, and the door knob turn. His breath caught in his throat. He wanted to run, but he was already past the point of no return. The door opened, and he was greeted by that familiar voice. "Olivier?"
Claire stood in the doorway with the most shocked expression. Olivier hadn't told her he was coming. He had wanted his visit to be a surprise, a choice he wished he didn't make now looking at her face. His attention turned to Alexis playing in the living room down the hall with Claire's husband Maurice, then back to her. "Bonjour, Claire," he barely spoke. "What are you doing here?" she spat in their language. "I've come to make things right," Olivier began to say when she interfered. "Make things right? How? By flashing me your new girlfriend after missing almost half a year with your son?" Olivier's throat began to close as he fought back tears. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, and it had just become that much more difficult with her already angry. "Claire, please. Just hear me out," he pleaded. Claire looked at him with discontent before shrugging a shoulder. Olivier cleared his throat, and held on to the silver box as he began to speak. "Claire, I've missed so much time with Alexis. I've tried my best to be there for him, but the relationship is awkward. Not only for me, but it is more for him." Claire opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when Olivier raised a hand. "Please, I'm not done yet."
Claire sighed in annoyance, but let him continue. "Claire, I know you're going to hate me even more when I tell you what I have to truly say." Olivier couldn't keep the tears from falling. This was the hardest thing he had to do in his twenty years of living, but it had to be done. "Claire," he began. "I'm never going to come for Alexis again." He watched the fury that manifested in her body show on her face. "You stay away for five months and come back to say you're disappearing again forever!?" She didn't yell at him as to not startle Alexis and Maurice, but the way she hissed at him cut him deep. "Claire, please," Olivier strained to say. She cut him off again as her anger took control of her. "No! You come here with some woman, and tell me dead to my face that you're not coming back. How dare you? You're his father-", "No." Claire fell silent. "I'm not his father. That man in there is," Olivier said looking back over her shoulder at Alexis and Maurice playing.
Claire glanced over her shoulder, then back to Olivier. His face was streaked with tears, and the corners of his mouth kept twitching into a frown. He sniffled and turned his gaze back on her. "I can't spend enough time with Alexis to even cover how much Maurice has done for him. I apologized to you, but I can't take back the hurt I've caused you. I wish that I didn't leave you while you were pregnant, but I see now that it was the best thing I could have done for you, and for him." Claire's anger had faded, and sadness had taken its place. Seeing that his words were actually reaching her put Olivier at ease. He lifted the silver box and held it out to Claire. She stared at it for a moment before taking it in her hands. She looked up at Olivier, who motioned for her to open it. She removed the ribbon, and opened the top to see a purple and blue rosary. There was a bead in the middle of the cross that had the image of black hand prints with tiny white footprints inside of them. "This is my final gift to Alexis," Olivier said grabbing Claire's attention. "The beads are our birthstone colors. Those are my hand prints with Alexis' footprints in them."
Olivier reached inside of his shirt to pull out a matching rosary hanging around his neck. "I have one as well. This way, I can have Alexis always with me, and he can carry me with him as well." Claire covered her mouth with a shaky hand to silence a gasp. She looked down at the rosary, and caressed the cross. "You don't have to tell him it's from me when you give it to him, or you can just throw it away if you'd rather him not have it. But I'll take him with me everywhere till the day I die, and then hold on to him in my grave." Claire wiped her face as she looked back up at Olivier. "You've raised a beautiful boy," Olivier said pushing a strand of hair from her face. Claire shook her head and turned to grab the door. Olivier expected her to slam the door in his face, but was taken aback by her closing the door and hugging him. He wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed. Both of them were heavy with relief when they pulled back from each other.
Olivier said his final goodbye, and turned to walk back to Emma who held her hands clasped together under her chin. Olivier could see tears running down her face as he neared her. She waved a hand to Claire, who waved a hand of her own before turning to head back inside. Olivier opened the car door and took Emma's hand to help her inside. He plopped down in the seat beside her, sniffling and breathing out heavy sighs. She took his hand in hers and smiled brightly. "I'm so proud of you, Olivier," she followed with a weak laugh. She wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him to her placing a kiss on his cheek. Olivier was proud of himself too. He had finally done what was best for himself, for Alexis, and for Claire. As hard as it was to completely walk out of his son's life again, he knew this time, it truly was for the better. Emma, Lera, and Gilles were right. Everything had been okay.
K, soooooo, depending on how emotional you are- this was either very heart touching, or "there's so much CRYING. WTF" I'm sorry! Maybe if you guys read "he cried. she cried. we cried" enough then you would eventually cry too xD I'm thinking about making an epilogue chapter to this. I had started, but I felt like the climax of the chapter came in too soon so I just deleted it :c Let me know what you think! ^^ It means so much that you read this story to the end! Thanks to all who believe in me/ feel my words are worth your time c: