Acceptance

Acceptance(Part 3)

Acceptance(Part III)

7 years later...

Christine and Erik were hand and hand in the park that day. It was nice, really, and she found that each and every step they took had purpose. The day was rather beautiful, and Erik was happy to stroll across Paris streets with the woman he loved.

"Mhm, Erik, what do you find you wish to do today? Perhaps we could stop delaying a marriage?" Christine jested, "Though this walk is pleasant my feet can't take too much of this."

Erik chuckled and swept Christine off of her tired feet, the giggling that filled the whole park crept to a couple who looked curiously at the masked man and his woman.

"Erik!" Christine said jovially in his arms, the very fact that he loved holding her made her smile.

"Better, my darling?"

Christine nodded and placed her nose against the masked-man's. He clung on nicely to her tiny waist, and his hands were sprawled on her back nearly enveloping the whole of it. Her dress was sprawled out above him, and Erik was trying to place a kiss to Christine's lips as she teased him. Finally, the man caught her lips and kissed her gently so everyone could see the way he loved the soprano.

People hardly sneered when they found that Christine Daaé was on the arm of Erik Destler. They were both the most amiable people one could come across, and they looked so in love. Despite their ceasing to wish to be married, the couple looked to be the happiest ever. Christine Daaé certainly was happy in her suitor's arms, she just wished she could take the man's last name.

He'd denied her that simple wish for no apparent reason other than he didn't want to tie her down to him just in case she ever changed her mind. Christine had protested profusely that she would, in fact, never change her mind. Yet, that still never swayed Erik from keeping down a proposal.

"My love, let's go home," Erik sighed as the sky seemed to darken.

"If we must, I shall oblige."

Erik kissed her nose, but before he could stand up after Christine had brushed herself from him, he felt a small hand reach out and touch his shoulder. With quick awareness, Erik spun around, and he found something rather alarming. Well, someone.

"Elaine."

"Erik, it is you," she replied and retracted herself a few steps, soon fiddling her fingers together.

Looking nervously to the floor, Elaine couldn't help but stand speechless in front of the man who was once her husband. He'd seen the worst and best of her, each and every nook and cranny that no one else had uncovered except a select person or two. They'd slept together and not a few times, but a fair amount all considering.

But there he stood, Christine looking at her strangely as she cuddled into his side and smiled like nothing at all could ruin her perfect day out with her husband. At least, that's what Elaine assumed.

"Uh, Christine, this is-"

"I'm Elaine, Erik's friend," she filled in for him.

Christine smiled and lightly tapped her suitor's chest, "You never told me you had friends."

"Well, I wasn't used to having them until she came along." Erik wasn't too sure of his answer as she stood before him.

That's when he took the time to look at his beautiful ex-wife. She still had blonde shimmering hair, and her eyes were still that crystal gray, not blue like most blondes. Her face looked a little skinnier than when they had been together, yet her abdomen area withheld a little extra weight than he remembered. She was still dreadfully skinny, and looked even more so then before, but he assumed it was because he left. He felt awful, but she decided that it was the right thing to do if he still loved Christine. He did, he really did love Christine, it's just...