Till I Hear You Sing(Final Book)

Chapter 17- The Music.

PLEASE READ: Alright. So, this is not how I expected to write the final installment of this book. But, alas, I find myself unable to put myself back in the mindset of these characters. I am so thankful for the people I have met and how this series has allowed me to develop into a better writer, but this will be the FINAL chapter in this series. It will be a LONG time jump, as this is the way I had always intended to end the book, and it is the way I will. Thank you all, enjoy.

Thirty years later
Third person POV
      
       "Christine, love, calm down," Erik said, holding her hand tightly as the tears fell down her face. They were sitting in the hospital, the same room Christine had been staying at since the sickness had started to overcome her.

    "You said they'd be here by now, Erik," she murmured, her voice weak and falling. It was times at this that Erik realized that Christine had officially lost her youthful look. She never really aged until she got sick. Then, you could see the few lines on her face, and you could see the strands of grey appearing all over her dark brown hair.

    "They'll be here soon. Do you want me to sing for you? Would you feel better if I did that?" He asked urgently, wishing nothing more than to take the cursed pain away from his angel.

    "I'm so thirsty," she sighed, holding her bony hand over her throat.

    "I know, love, I'm sorry." Erik had been told he couldn't give her water anymore. She wasn't allowed to drink anything at all for that matter.

    "I love you," she said, smiling with the most radiant smile she could pull together. For some reason, Erik knew he would always remember that one.

   "I love you more, my Christine," he replied sweetly, pushing the hair away from her face. He found himself choking up. He knew the minutes he would spend with her were only getting shorter and soon enough, she'd close her eyes and drift off to a better world.

   "What's wrong, Erik?" She asked.

    "I can't stand the idea of quitting you," he admitted, his voice breaking with the word quitting as if it was used as some form of giving up on her. He would never give up on her. Christine was why Erik fought so hard.

    "Don't think of it that way, Darling," she pleaded, placing her hand on his mangled cheek. After all these years, Christine had still never seen someone so utterly beautiful as Erik was. His eyes were filled with tears, struggling to put the right words together when it was a time where he needed them most. There was too much he wanted to tell her, too much he needed to tell her, but he couldn't think straight. The pain was excruciating, and it was only getting worse.

   "Christine, I-"

   "Hush, don't get upset now. Just..be here for now. There'll come a time when you can say your peace, but now isn't the time."

   Gustave and Presley pushed through the door, rushing to Christine's side. Christine smiled at her children, realizing just how much they had grown.

  "Gustave, where are my grandchildren?" Christine asked. Gustave smiled, relief washing over him.

   "Oh, mother, don't worry. Colette is bringing them soon. Just hold on a few minutes longer, will you?" He begged.

   "There's no need to hold on, Gustave, we have all the time in the world," she reassured him. Presley sat next to Erik, tears filling her eyes and rolling down her cheeks.

   "Mom, I love you," she cried, hugging Christine tightly.

   "I love you too. Don't cry, there's no need for that," Christine mumbled into her shoulder. Presley laughed half heartedly, knowing that even in the worst of times, Christine still couldn't stand to have anyone crying. They all sat together for awhile. They shared stories and memories of when Gustave and Presley were only kids. Erik and Christine reminisced over their first days spent together.