Antoinette smiled slightly at that before taking a breath and confessing "I know that I have not really been close or there for you since I got married and had a family and I'm sorry for that. But I want you to know that you are like a son to me. I don't care what you have done in your past, I can see the man that you are becoming and I am proud of you and always will be. I am very glad that you were brought into my life, I wouldn't change that for anything in the world."
Erik smiled and answered "Thank you for telling me. After a while I started to see you as a mother figure instead of a friend, considering you were the one that practically raised me. There are not any words in any language that would describe to you how much that means to me to hear you say that or that you were the one to rescue me from that Gypsy Circus and I know I let you down in the past, but I promise that I will work hard to change from the person that I used to be, and I would be grateful and honored if you would stay with my family and I to help with that change and to also continue to be a part of our family."
She hugged him tightly and answered, "I would be happy to continue to be a part of your family."
Erik returned the hug before they turned back into Gustave's piano playing. They both smiled at Gustave played the piece almost effortlessly with hardly any errors. As he finished the last note Erik and Madame Giry started applauding and he smiled brightly as he turned to face them.
He asked, "Was it really that good?"
Madame Giry nodded and reassured "Of course dear. It was wonderful. Just as good as your father when he was your age."
Gustave's smiled grew even bigger at that as he turned to gauge Erik's reaction.
He smiled and said "It was wonderful bud. Almost perfect. You are definitely better than your average 10-year-old."
Gustave practically beamed at the praise and Erik smiled at his son.
Erik asked, "Do you want to go see some more of the grounds?"
Gustave nodded and answered, "That would be perfect."
Erik smiled as Gustave hopped off the piano bench and walked in between the two towards the grounds. After a while of walking Erik and Madame Giry smiled as Gustave took both of their hands in his own as they walked. Erik took Gustave through Phantasma showing him different attractions and explaining the different things to him.
As they were finishing the tour Gustave's stomach growled causing Erik to chuckle.
He asked "Getting hungry bud?"
Gustave blushed but nodded in answer. Madame Giry asked, "Would you two like to join me at my house for lunch?"
Erik smiled and answered "I would be delighted to. What do you think Gustave?"
Gustave nodded enthusiastically making the two adults chuckle at his exuberance. They took a short cut through the grounds and made it to Madame Giry and Meg's house quickly. They entered the house and went to the small kitchen that Madame Giry and Meg usually shared.
Erik asked, "Would you like some help with lunch Antoinette?"
She answered "Yes, but from Gustave….I feel like you would burn the food."
Erik smiled slightly as she winked at him and Gustave enthusiastically agreed to help. Erik set the table while Madame Giry and Gustave made a small lunch, he was glad to see that his son was so happy despite everything he went through with his father and more recently. He finished setting the table as Madame Giry and Gustave finished lunch. Erik and Madame Giry shared a smile as Gustave babbled about stories of his time with Christine in France. They could soon tell that Gustave liked to share things with those that were close to him. They finished lunch and decided that they better head back to Christine to see if she was finished packing for the trip, it was getting to be time for her and Gustave to depart to the ship that would take them to France.
Madame Giry, Erik, and Gustave walked back to where Christine and he were staying and he asked "Father, what are you going to do while mother and I are away?"
Erik smiled at his son and answered: "Well to start with I am going to miss you guys immensely the whole while, and I will set up the shows here and also work on your room when you get it picked out before you leave."
Gustave looked at Erik with awe and asked "My room?"
Erik nodded and answered "Yeah bud. You get to pick your room when we take what you are not bringing on the journey to the house. While we are there you get to pick your room. Just tell me what you would like done with it and it will be done by the time you finish."
Gustave's smile stretched the whole length of his face causing Madame Giry and Erik to chuckle at the boy. They soon entered the place where Gustave and Christine had been staying to see Meg and her having tea in the small kitchen. They smiled at the trio and Gustave lets go of Madame Giry and Erik's hands to run over to give his mother a hug. She smiled and hugged him tight.
He said, "Father said I get to pick my room at his house and he will decorate just the way I want."
Christine smiled and answered "I am glad. I am very certain that he will do a very good job on it."
He leaned down in kissed her cheek in greeting as he sat down in the chair next to her. Madame Giry sat down in the empty chair between Meg and her pouring herself a cup of tea.
Christine asked "Gustave, why don't you tell Meg and I what you did today?" Gustave quickly relayed their adventures and Erik smiled as he watched his family. He thought that he was pretty lucky if he did say so himself. He had his close-knit family with him and also the other family he had found in his trusted employees. He wouldn't exchange any of it for the world.