*DISCLAIMER* I DO NOT own The Phantom of the Opera, its storyline, or its characters. Please R&R

It has been a couple of weeks since I have been released from the hospital. Erik has been staying with me at my apartment ever since I came home. He has been very wonderful helping me move around and taking care of me. As soon as I was released, Erik and I, and our families had a small funeral and burial for Isabela where we had her buried in her tiny casket. It was the hardest day of my life and I don't think that I have ever felt more pain than when I had to officially say goodbye to my little girl. The only thing that helped me throughout the entire thing, was knowing that my mother would take good care of her grand-baby in heaven.

After Isabela's burial, we all had dinner at my father's house where Erik finally introduced me to his aunt and uncle. I was in the kitchen, uncovering the slow cookers with hot food in them when Erik came up behind me. "Christine, will you come out for a second? There's someone that I'd like for you to meet, I didn't want to introduce you during Bella's funeral. I was afraid it would take attention and importance away from our baby girl," he said. I nodded grabbing his hand and following him out to the foyer. Standing there was a middle-aged, middle eastern couple that looked just like Nadir. "Christine, this is my Aunt Beyza and my Uncle Farhad. They are my godparents and they raised me after my parents passed away," he said.

His aunt stepped out in front of me and embraced me. "Hello, Christine. It's a pleasure to meet you, Erik is like a son to me and Farhad," she said. I hugged her back and smiled, "Thank you, it is a pleasure to meet you two as well," I replied. I shook Farhad's hand and smiled at him. From behind me I heard a voice say, "Oh, yeah. Let's not mention your son, who you both also love just as much, but definitely not more." I turned around to see Nadir behind us. I laughed, "So you guys are Nadir's parents. I can see that the apple does fall a bit far from the tree." Nadir laughs sarcastically and pinches my cheek as he walks over to his parents. "Now that you've met Erik's girlfriend, I have someone that I want to introduce you to you two as well," he said motioning for them to follow him.

Most of my mom's family was able to make it to Isabela's funeral, but those who didn't made sure to show up for dinner. I have a very large family on my mom's side. She had four sisters, and five brothers. Almost all of them had children which gave my grandmother a total of twenty-seven grandchildren, and twenty great grandchildren. So to say that I have a large family is an understatement.

My oldest aunt Dorinda and my grandmother, showed up with my uncle Saverio and his wife Liliana. They all came over to me to say hello since they didn't get much of a chance to at Bella's funeral. My grandmother reached up to me and held my face in between her hands for a minute. I smiled at her despite the few tears that fell down my cheeks. She has always dreamed that I would find a nice, mature, well-educated, and hardworking man. I am more than delighted that I have found him and that I am able to introduce her to him. I see Erik with Nadir and his parents. "Erik!," I call out and motion for him to come over as he turns to look at me. He does a quick walk over. "Abuelita, le quiero presentar a alguien. El es Erik, mi novio,"(grandma, I want to introduce you to someone. This is Erik, my boyfriend) I say to her. She has a great big smile on her face as she looks him over. Smiling she says, "me da mucho gusto conocerlo. Siempre espere a que mi paloma me trajiera a un muchacho guapo y estudiado como usted." I laugh, my grandma has always had this urge to speak Spanish to people even though they know very little to no Spanish and don't look as though they do. I say to him, "she says that she is very happy to meet you and that she has always been waiting for me to introduce to a partner of mine that was handsome and well educated just like you." Erik nods and gives her a smile. "Mucho gusto," he says back to her with his best attempt at Spanish.

Erik sat with my grandma in our living room after dinner and everyone was just around talking. My uncles and some of my cousins, were outside at a bonfire drinking beers with my dad and Bradley. My aunts and some of my cousins were in our dinning room and kitchen playing Lotería which is like a form of Mexican bingo. Erik's aunt and uncle left when Meg and Nadir did, so it was just my family that was left. Erik and my grandma were talking for a while, their talking consisted of Erik trying to say things with his hands and the very little amount of Spanish that he knows, and my grandma would nod along and reply in Spanish. I'm not so sure how they were doing it, but they were actually holding a conversation without me being there."

I admired them from where I was standing, inbetween the dining room and living room. I began to clean up around me and began to wash any dishes that were dirty. It was almost midnight when my family started to gather things and head out. They all said goodbye to me, Erik, Dad, Addison, and Bradley. After everyone had gone home, Erik and I said goodbye to my dad. "Please take good care of her," he said to Erik. Erik nodded and shook his hand before leaving to turn on the car. My dad waited for Erik to get further away before saying, "Christine, I really like him. He's good for you. I never thought that I would want you to be with your boss, but I can tell that he really loves you. Your grandma likes him too, I could tell with the way she was lighting up when he'd talk to her." I laughed. "I love him, dad. I think he's the one," I say to him. He nods and gives me a hug. "Never forget how much I love you, sweetie," he said as he kissed me goodbye. He watched us drive away and then headed back inside when we backed out into the street. I don't think that I have ever felt more at peace than in this very moment, despite all of the bad things that have been happening to me lately.

Erik and Christine got home a while later. He helped her get out of the car and they walked over to her apartment. He opened the door and they walked inside. Christine made a B-line straight to the couch and sat down. He walked over to the kitchen and filled a glass of water for her. "You know, I was thinking that we could head away for the weekend. You know, to distract ourselves and do some Christmas shopping. I was thinking that we could go to Chicago and possibly Wisconsin too. You could show me around your hometown and stuff," says Erik. He doesn't hear a response back and looks to see if she is listening. To his surprise, he sees that Christine is silently sobbing from her seat on the couch. He puts the glass of water down and makes his way over to her. Sitting next to her and pulling her up onto his lap.

He holds her for a long time until she finally speaks. "Why did this happen to us? Why couldn't I just not get hit by that car?," she says through sobs. Erik kisses her on her forehead. "I don't know, my love. I am so very sorry that I wasn't here for you when you needed me the most," he says now sobbing as well. "Erik, I forgive you. There is no way that you would have known unless I told you. But I wanted to wait until I saw you in person to tell you. No one should hear that they are going to be a father through text or through a phone call," she says to him. He nods in understanding. They both sit there and hold each other until they fall asleep in each other's embrace.

The next morning, they both awaken snuggled up on the couch. They both got up and showered before coming back downstairs and making breakfast. They both help each other cook, being affectionate every chance they get. Finally, once it is ready they both seat themselves at the kitchen island and eat their breakfast. "So, what is the plan for today," asks Christine. In between bites Erik says, "I am going to tell you what happened to me when I was younger and what happened to my face." Christine gives him a shocked look. "Um, okay. But only if you're ready, I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything," she says. Erik nods at her.

After breakfast, they both take a seat on the couch. "Very well, let me begin. It happened during the night, and it was all so sudden. I was sleeping in my room which was on the other side of the house opposite from my parents bedroom. We had rather large to mid-size home and our floor plan was quite strange. My father was named Benjamin and his family traveled her from Germany many years ago. He was born here and was raised as American. My mother was named Seda, Seda Gizem and her family traveled her from Turkey many years ago as well. She is of Turkish and middle-eastern descent but was mostly raised as Turkish-American. She and my father met in college where she was studying to be a doctor and my father was studying to become an architect. They both fell in love and married after graduating and later had me and my younger brother, William Arthur, four years later. I was thirteen years old and I was asleep in my bedroom when I was woken up by the smell of smoke and the smoke detectors going off. I groggily got out of bed and fought hard to wake myself up as I was heavy sleeper back then. I could hear faintly hear my mother, father, and little brother screaming. My brother and I typically shared a room but he would walk to our parents room when he would have a nightmare. I made my way to my door and felt around it to see if it was hot. When I placed my hand on the door, it was very hot. I knew that the fire was closed than it appeared. My room began to engulf itself in smoke and before I could make it to the window, I passed out. I woke up in a hospital a couple of days later and I was told that I had inhaled a great amount of smoke. When I asked for my family, I was notified that they didn't make it. I was heartbroken, especially knowing that William would have probably made it out alive too if he hadn't had a nightmare. I asked to use the bathroom and was shocked when I looked in the mirror and saw me face completely wrapped in gauze and wound dressings. I asked what was wrong with me and I was warned by my doctor that I received serious burns to my face and that I was deformed underneath my dressings. When I finally saw my face uncovered, I almost threw up. I was not prepared for what lay beneath my mask, the doctor offered for me to meet up with a cosmetic surgeon that may be able to fix it. After a total of three failed surgeries, they decided to call it quits and although my face at least looked a slight degree better than before, I could never bring myself to subject others to my monstrous face. So I asked for a mask and facial glue to hide my face from the world. No one besides my aunt and uncle, Nadir, my doctors, and you have seen what's underneath it."

He finishes his story and I am in tears, I don't know what else to do but to hug him. "I am so sorry that you went through that, let alone at such a young age. I hope that you never feel that you have to hide yourself from me," I say. He gives me a passionate look and kisses me deeply. He pulls me up onto his lap and continues his story. "I lived with my godparents up until I went to college. As soon as I graduated high school, I moved to California to attend their business school. After graduating, I moved back to New York to obtain my master's from NYU which is where I met Professor Derwin. After graduating, Professor Derwin recommended me to the most top notch businesses for internships. I worked with Jaskolski Inc for a couple of years, ensuring to save up my money and paying close attention on how to run a business. Once I save up enough money and got myself a couple of sponsors, I built Destler LLC from the bottom up. Now, six years later, here we are. My first and only secretary got married and built a family with her husband, and resigned and left me with the most perfect, beautiful, and intelligent secretary that I could have ever asked for," he says placing a kiss on my forehead as he finishes his story.