My choice

Chapter twelve - The past shapes the future

June 13 1882

Christine

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Getting off the boat was not an easy task. Many people stood in crowds on the docks waiting for others to get off the ship, along with journalists and camera men. Questions were being yelled, cameras were going off all around, and people were pushing to get closer to us, though I would have stopped to answer a few Raoul kept pushing us through the crowds.

"Enough!" Raoul shouted, "my wife will not answer any of you idiotic questions do you understand me! Get out of here!"

You could tell people were shocked with Raoul's sudden outburst but backed off anyways. We continued to move away from the docks onto actual land. A man walked over to us greeting us politely,

"Excuse me sir, ma'am, I was sent by Mister Y, to take you to your hotel."

"Yes, yes thank you." Raoul said, following the man to a carriage. One we get inside Raoul slams the door and the carriage pulls away. The man who picked us up doesn't seem very happy with Raoul's attitude, but managed to get all our luggage onto the carriage in a short amount of time.

As we drove to the hotel I now understand why Ava was so excited to come here. It is rather beautiful. It was nearing nine in the evening by the time we arrived. Getting into the hotel was just as difficult as getting off the boat. People were swarming to get photos and answers to their questions. We managed to get into the hotel lobby which was less crowded then outside. There was a record player in the room which allowed music to be played, I didn't recognize it so it must have been an original piece. It sounded so familiar, yet so new like nothing I've ever heard before.

The man at the front desk told us which room we were in and handed over two keys, we were booked to stay for two weeks even though the performance was in two days. We were shown to the lifts and taken to our room of the fifth floor. I was grateful when we got to the room because I was getting tired. Ava looked in complete shock when she saw the grand piano sitting by the balcony. She immanently went over to it and ran her fingertips along the keys.

"You can look at it once you put your things away." I told her and she ran off to her room with her suite case. Laughing I turned back to Raoul who was bringing his bag into our room. I looked out the balcony window towards the sea. I missed looking out at the water. The last time I actually went to a beach was when I lived in Sweden with my father.

Ava ran back out and sat at the piano looking at the leather bound book on the stand. She carefully opened it and looked over the music before starting to play it. Looking back at her to see what she was playing I realized it was the aria I am to sing. Then something else popped into my mind, "Ava dear?"

"Yes mother?" She asked not missing a note

"Where did you learn how to play piano? You never had any lessons."

She shrugged, "I don't know I just taught myself I guess, after you said I couldn't have any."

I smiled at her when Raoul came out of the bedroom with a distasteful look on his face.

"Stop with that awful sound it hurts my head." He said sternly causing Ava to stop playing immediately

He fell into the chair and rubbed his temple, he hasn't had a drink almost all day and tends to become tense when he doesn't have a drink. I rubbed Ava's back and told her she could play later, though I didn't know if she would be able too.

She moved from the piano bench and onto the floor, she started picking at the paint on the leg of the chair out of boredom, Raoul looked at her with a sense of pity and sadness in his eyes something he does quite a lot to the both of us. There was a knock on the door and Raoul got up to answer it. Grabbing a letter off the worker he came back inside and read it with a smirk on his face.

"What is it darling?" I ask

"This Mister Y would like to meet me in the hotel bar for a chat, and I must say there is no better spot." He said pulling his jacket on I stopped him before he could leave.

"Raoul please-"

"Please what?" He snapped

"Nothing, nothing just come back soon please." I ask

He rolls his eyes and slams the door on his way out, I went and sat on the couch exhausted. Ava came and sat next to me leaning her head on my shoulder, I placed a hand on top of her head in a comforting way.

"Mother, does father love us?"

"Of course he does dear, why would you ask that?" I asked, though I was lying to myself with my answer. I just wasn't sure anymore.

"I don't know, he just never wants to spend time with us and - I don't know it was a silly thing to ask." I wrapped her in a tight hug for a few seconds

"I love you mother." she said quietly and I noticed a tear run down her cheek

"I love you too dear now go get ready for bed I'll be in shortly." she goes to her room to get changed

I sit in the quite for a moment before I hear the front door opening behind me. I doubt it was Raoul since he just left so I got up to inspect it.

"Hello?" I asked to see if any one was there

When I'm about three feet away the door swings open and the last person I ever expected to see was standing there right in front of me. The person I assumed was dead for the past ten years.

"How?" Was the only thing that escaped my lips before my world went black

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Erik

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Here she was. I'm standing right in front of my angel, my Christine. She was beautiful, just as perfect as I remember.

She took a step back and fell to the ground. I went to her picking her up carefully and set her on the arm chair. I didn't know what to do, Eyes wide and mouth open she sat up straighter in the chair and did the last thing I expected her to do she lifted her hand and slapped me on my unmasked cheek.

"I guess I deserved that."

"I thought you were dead, h-how could you, y-you left me, ten years without one word now this!," she stood up and walked outside onto the balcony to get some air and I followed closing the door, "how, how could you expect to walk back into my life after what you did to me, this was all a some twisted plan to get me here."

"I'm sorry Christine but I had to leave you know that-"

"No you said you had to leave so I would be happy that you couldn't give me what I need, how could you know what I need, I came back to you for a reason Erik!" she basically screamed causing me to step back, I didn't know she had that in her, "If you thought sending me back to a life I didn't want was going to make me happy then mission accomplished!" she quieted herself

I walked towards her and she towards me. Without a second thought I placed my hands on her waist and our lips met in a slow, passionate kiss. This shouldn't be happening I know but I couldn't help myself. Her small arms wrapped around my neck as my tightened around her waist . We stayed like that for I don't know how long but when we finally parted both breathless she just looked at me shocked. We just stare at each other until I hear the piano being played.