Bravissimo

Magic

I wake up and Erik has already gone, probably back home to work on his next pieces. Annabel wakes up shortly after I do and rubs her eyes. "Where's father gone?" she asks sitting up and I shake my head. "Home, he let us sleep. Come now, there's no Opera tonight and we get to stay home." I say and Annabel's eyes light up. I carry her through the mirror and down the horribly dark hallway to the Prima Donna room. When we get there Annabel already knows to be very quiet, so that no one knows we are in here. For they would ask questions I could not answer. When we're dressed I swiftly take Annabel out the back and call a carriage over to take us home.

Though she's not an obnoxious or loud child, she's usually not this quiet. "Annabel what troubles you dear?" I say lifting her face to mine. "I had a dream mother." 

"Yes?" I ask. "It was of horses and magic." "Oh, that's wonderful dear!" I say as the carriage stops. "Hold on just a moment." I tell her as we get out than walk up to the house. 

"If you had such a wonderful dream, what is possibly the matter? Hello darling!" I ask Annabel than yell to Erik who must be in the hidden room he's made his study at home. "Mother you and father read me books of Princesses, of Cinderella's magic slippers and Aurora's fairy god mothers. And the other children at the school say it's real but-" I raise my eyebrows and hold out my hand for her gloves and take them. Hanging up Erik's cape my heart sinks just a little as I hear her say, "Mommy I don't think it's real, but I've never told anyone." I hear the door to Erik's study open and I crouch down to her level and think to myself. 'What have I done so wrong that my five year old daughter doesn't believe in magic?' I believed in magic until I was no longer a child but a 16 year old girl, and even then I had my Angel I believed in. 

"Darling, magic can't be real unless you believe in it, that's how it works!" I say and take her hand to the table for brunch. "Really?" "Really." I say and make us all something to eat. 

"I haven't told the other children I do not believe." "And you shouldn't, and Annabel, there will never be a fairy God Mother who comes and turns the bad good, it's nothing like the stories. Magic is in a dog that makes you smile while on a walk, when you dance with a boy for the very first time, when you sing or dance and do everything perfectly. It's the feeling on the inside." I say poking her making her giggle. 

"That's the true magic." I say. "Well, maybe I need to see it for myself." she says and I shake my head. "You know you're father believes in magic?" I ask her and she shakes her head. 

"Really?" "Really, really." I say and grin. "Why don't you ask him?" I say and smirk at Erik who's finally come back out. "Erik, darling?" I ask. "Yes love?" he answers hugging me. 

"Annabel doesn't believe in magic." I say and Erik crosses his arms and raises his eyebrows. He looks to me and smiles mischievously and says, "darling there's no need to feel sad about that I'm sure she'll come around." he says. He offers me a red handkerchief but before I take it he winks at Annabel and right when I take the handkerchief it completely disappears and out pops a bouquet of flowers. Now I know he had heard our conversation already. Annabel gasps and hops up from the table and runs over to Erik who hands her a purple flower. She smells it with caution, still not entirely sure what to think but smiles nonetheless. 

"Thank you very much dear." I say as he kisses my hand and I walk to the faucet to put them in water. I smile at the flowers that are clearly from the kitchen table. Annabel squints at Erik who smiles at her, and then she looks to me and I shrug. "Don't ask me darling, I have no clue how he does it." I say.

Erik-

I look at Christine and wink at her. "Actually, it's magic, learned it as a boy. But I'm sure Annabel's not interested in all of that." I say and grin knowing full well she's sold on it.