A Woman's Devotion (Phantom Of The Opera x Reader)

18. God's Forsaken Place

Christine's POV:

In October, when summer's heat had subsided, our release from St. Clare's Mercy Hospital Convent was a joyous, yet tearful, day. At least, it was so for me. I was the most emotional by far, but first-time mother feelings were still running rampant. Lotte was only two months old when we had to say goodbye.

Pressing my hand between both of hers, Sister Maisie smiled at me, tears shimmering in her eyes.

 "It has been an absolute pleasure knowing you. Remember, if you ever need anything, I will always be right here." She said.

These words were my undoing, causing the tears to tumble past my cheeks.

 "You are too kind, sister. Thank you for everything."

My voice was so tremulous that I could say no more. Sister Maisie waved a hand dismissively at my grateful words.

 "It was nothing except God's wholesome work, so all your thanks should be to Him. Besides, you've been a help in your own way; my French has certainly improved since you've arrived." Smiling, she glanced down at the baby tucked into the crook of my free arm. "And you, little Miss Charlotte, have quite the adventure ahead of you. I hope things go well for all of you."

Despite smiling at her treatment of Lotte, I also sighed, the weariness of our upcoming travels sneaking over me once more.

 "As do I. Well, pray for us, I suppose."

The sister pressed my hand once more until, finally, I was handed up into the coach that would lead us to the nearest train station.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

Unfortunately, miles upon miles passed us by before we reached the train station. Arkansas was widely uncharted territory, and sometimes, not a single building obstructed the land as far as the eye could see. I also had the unlucky situation of being in a coach with Chief Mattis himself. I had not yet apologized to him for our last argument, nor did I intend to. Mike O'Malley had done valuable work that earned him a sincere apology. The sûreté chief, on the other hand, had done little except lie to me and complicate my life. Raoul, Monsieur O'Malley, and Gabriel accompanied Mattis and me in the coach. Two officers were up front, manning our coach. The others from our party traveled right behind.

Mattis and I had made a mutual agreement for silence around each other, and we both refused to be the one who broke it. This hardly created a lull in conversation, though, as everyone else, including Chief Mattis, maintained conversation.

I remained quiet, Lotte on my lap, head pressed against the window. Gabriel leaned on my side, half-asleep. Already, I missed the convent more than I dared to admit. In retrospect, it seemed like a paradise of respite in this far-from-home chaos. God, how I missed home. Now that Lotte was here, I craved it even more intensely. Adventure was the last thing I desired with a child to look after, yet here we were. Hopefully, this escapade could be over soon, and I'd be returning Lotte to the soil she should have been born upon.

Immediately, I slipped into daydreams about France, pleasant memories of the past, and fantasizing about what the future held. Before I realized it, the coach jolted to a stop, snapping me from my half hour of fantasy, which had been just the tonic to uplift my mood.

At the coach's sudden stop, Lotte perked up from her nap and began to fuss. In seconds, after I had pressed her closer against my chest, she settled down again.

 "Why've we stopped?" I murmured to Raoul.

 "You didn't hear us talking? Well, you did look asleep. Chief Mattis thinks we should stop to rest for a little while. It's getting late, and everyone will need it if we plan on keeping our energy up enough to reach the train station."