Till I Hear You Sing(Final Book)

Chapter 14- Unimaginable.

Third Person POV

"I'm sorry, Madame Destler, but Harmony..." None of the family heard what the doctor said next, though they all knew the exact words.

Christine sobbed into Erik's arms, and he held her tightly, whispering words of comfort into her ear. The pain that cracked through Christine's body was worse than anything imaginable.

She would give anything, anything in the world, to have her child back, safe in her arms.

"It's all my fault," Gustave whispered, standing with Presley.

Christine and Erik, however, were in their own world, for this was something that wasn't expected, not in a million years.

Erik Destler

I held Christine as we made our way home. The funeral would be in a few days. We wanted it to be private. Christine couldn't handle that many people knowing her grief. It would send her over the edge. She's had enough pain already. We all have.

I still couldn't grasp this. My daughter, my sweet, beautiful girl, was gone forever. How would we properly explain this to the children?

Gustave knew already, but how could I bear to explain this to Presley? How would she understand this?

"I love you," I reminded her.

"She's gone," she croaked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Christine, it's going to be-"

"I don't want to hear you say that. It's never going to be okay now. Nothing will ever be the same as it was before." Her voice broke. Tears fell down her cheeks, but she didn't make a sound. I doubted she had anything left in her anymore.

"I'll always be there for you. We will see brighter days," I said, trying to sound confident, but the world truly did seem slightly darker without my third child.

"Erik, I've come to realize that there will be brighter days, but there will never be a brighter life. All the odds are always against us. It never changed. It never will." Her eyes were bloodshot. She looked a mess. For once, Christine's youthful, everlasting look had changed. You could see the years worth of pain on her face. She'd always be my Christine, glowing radiantly. Tonight, though, I'd have to settle for a dimmer glow.

We arrived home shortly after. Gustave went straight to his room, a rare thing for him. Christine went to her room. That I understood. She needed time alone. Presley sat on the couch, and I sat next to her.

"Daddy, why is Mommy crying? Where's Harmony? We always make Mommy laugh," she asked quietly. I froze. I still hadn't planned a way to explain this.

"Darling, Harmony is, well...She's gone to heaven. To play with the angels," I explained.

"Why is Mommy so sad?"

"Because when Harmony went to play, it meant that she can't be with us anymore," I said.

"Not even to visit?"

"Not even to visit."

"Well, that sucks," she sighed. I chuckled. Presley had a way of raising anyone's spirits, even in the darkest times.

"It's okay to be sad, Presley. Lots of people are sad when their loved ones leave."

"She's with the angels, Daddy. She is happy. That's not sad," Presley smiled softly.

"No, I guess it's not," I agreed, pushing the hair off her face.

For hours, we played what she asked to play. The best I could do for the remaining hours of the day was to keep her happy. The light in her eyes. It gave me hope. And that was something I was craving, no, needing.

"It's time to go to bed," I announced. I carried her into her room, helping her change into her night gown. My heart hurt being in the room originally made for two, but I tried my best to push past it.

"Will you sing me a song?" She asked as I tucked her in, but music seemed so wrong for the night. Something that shouldn't even be spoken about.

"Not tonight, Angel. Perhaps, I'll sing tomorrow. We shall see."

      As I shut the door, the feeling I had pushed away consumed me more and more. I knew it would only get worse once I saw Christine. I hadn't seen her at all since we had gotten home. She wanted to be alone.

      I slipped through the door, walking through the darkness. I lit a candle on the dresser and got ready for bed. Christine was lying still in bed, though I knew she was awake.

     I laid down next to her, staring at the ceiling. I wanted to hold her. I wanted to kiss her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. Christine was so closed off in these situations. I just wanted to be there for her. I wanted that more than anything.

     "Christine..." I whispered. No movement. No reply. "Christine, please."

     I turned to her, placing my hand on her shoulder. I could hear her uneven breaths. She had still been crying.

    "Christine, open your heart to me, will you? That's all I'm asking for. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. If I could..trade. If I could trade my life for hers, she'd be here with us. I'm so sorry. I love you. I'm so sorry." I started to cry too. I hadn't cried yet. I'd been too strong for her. It was very rare that Christine saw this side of me. But I couldn't hold back any longer.

     "I love you too," she replied, placing a hand on my mingled cheek. "I don't want you to trade yourself, Erik. Losing you would be just as painful as losing her, perhaps even more painful. Don't leave me," she whispered plaintively.

    "Never," I promised, pulling her into my arms. "Never."

Ahhhh this took forever I'm so so sorry ily all