All I Ask of You

Chapter 31

American Adventures:

When we stepped off the ship and made our way through customs, everything had seemed to fall into place. However, Erik and I had been getting into arguments pretty frequently. The whole voyage over we argued about how to build our new life. He wished to continue wearing his mask, and I tried to insist that he would be accepted into this society and he should abandon the mask. There was no compromise. I tried to further insist that we could even try make-up to reduce the redness, but he wouldn't here of it. So every time the conversation came up, he would storm off and I would throw my hands up in defeat.

Finally, when we had purchased our home in New York, we got into another fight regarding our new neighbors. George and Mary were their names. George was a very wealthy older man, and Mary was barely my age. Mary was seven months pregnant with what they hoped to be the male heir to George's fortune. I had met Mary when we moved in and immediately took a liking to her.

Erik was a creature of habit, and his habit was in isolating himself. One evening as we sat eating dinner, I broached the subject again, "How was your day?" I asked quietly.

"Another day of trying to find work here," he replied cooly.

"Erik... I think it might be nice if we made some friends... for Gisele's sake."

"Damn it, Caroline!" he slammed his fist into the table, "This rubbish again!"

"Erik," I tried to remain calm, "Gisele is a baby now, but she will need socialization so she can lead a normal life." I looked across the table, and I stared at his face. He was wearing his mask... his porcelain mask that he could barely eat with when wearing it. I realized he had been wearing his mask around me again so frequently that I hadn't noticed the change.

"As if we are normal," he hissed. With sarcasm dripping from his voice he spoke pointedly, "You, my dear, are from another century. And me? I'm a monster in man's clothes."

I dropped my eyes to my lap, "What has happened to my Erik?" I whispered.

"If you wish to speak, then do it!" he snapped at me.

I felt rage burn inside of me, "I said: What had happened to my Erik? The Erik that saved my life; the Erik that was once so vulnerable with me; the Erik that once shared all of himself with me; the Erik that helped me create our beautiful daughter: the Erik..." my voice broke and my last words came out through a sob, "that used to love me."

I hurriedly stood up from the table and ran to our bedroom. I heard things slamming downstairs, but I didn't care anymore.

Did he question his choice to stay with me rather than try to win Christine over again? Was he angry that we had to leave? I had no idea...

What I did know was that something had to change because I couldn't raise Gisele and the baby growing inside of me on my own.