Wishing That You Would Be Here

Chapter 18- Night of memories

(Erik's POV)

I was with Christine each moment on the stage. She shined brighter than thousand diamonds and her voice was that of an angel. I watched the performance from above the stage, because some young vicomte has taken my box. After the final notes were sung, I threw Christine a red rose with a black ribbon, like I always do, and I went with her every step that she made through the backstage. She came to the chapel and she lit a candle for her father.

 "Brava, brava, bravissima!" I sang softly, announcing my presence to her. She immediately smiled and wanted to say something, but Meg suddenly walked into the chapel, so I remained quiet and let Christine spend some time with her friend. Then, Meg accompanied my angel on her way to the dressing room and I, as always followed them hidden behind the walls. 

When I was sure Christine got safely into her dressing room, I quickly ran to my lair to get one last thing. It was a rose bouquet tied together with a black ribbon and tiny white flowers surrounding it's edge. I double-checked every little thing: if there still weren't some scattered music sheets across the room, if there wasn't a single bit of dust on anything and if all of the candles were burning. I checked myself in the mirror. I was still quite surprised to see myself with the white porcelain mask on, but that was just a thing that I would soon get used to. "This is it." I sighed at my reflection. I put on my black hooded cloak and black leather gloves. This night I would finally do it. I would show myself to her.

(Christine's POV)

Meg led me to the dressing room and left me there alone. I still couldn't believe it, even tough it just happened. I plopped down, exhausted, on the sofa. I kicked away the heels I was wearing and I put my feet, which were a little bit sore, over the armrest. I suddenly heard a knock on my door and surprised by this knock, I accidentally fell off of the sofa, my skirt twisted around my legs, making me unable to move for a while. The visitor patiently waited for my response. When I finally got to stand up back again, fixing the overwhelmingly giant white skirt of the costume, I said: "Come in." I heard the door close behind me, for I was facing my back to the visitor. 

"It's been a long time, Little Lottie." said a somewhat familiar male voice. I turned around to look to my visitor face to face. In front of me stood Raoul, just as I saw him this afternoon during the dress rehearsals. 

"Raoul!" I came to him and hugged him. He returned the hug and kissed my hand. 

"Who would have thought that we would meet here." Raoul started off the conversation, alredy nearing the awkward type of conversation and that was just the beginning.

 "Yes, who would have thought." I sighed. An idea suddenly came to my quirky girly mind and I quickly walked over to the cabinet to get one thing. Raoul looked at me confused, but when he saw the old cookie jar I was holding in my hands he smiled, remembering. I still owned the one, that me and my papa used in the gypsy camp. 

"You remember, don't you?" I asked removing the lid of the jar, laying it on the nearby chair. I made a mental note to myself, to remember that it was there and for me not to accidentally sit on it.

"Yes, it was the day when we met after three months from our first meeting. You wanted to take the cookie jar from the highest shelf of the cabinet and your father caught you standing on the counter top." I giggled at the memory of that day. I pulled out four cookies from the jar. Two chocolate chip and two with dried fruit. One of each I gave to Raoul and the rest I had left for myself. We have once again bitten into the cookies, like the small children we were thirteen years ago, and we were talking about how we've been for the past years, just like any great friends would after a longer time of separation.