Our Love is Evergreen

Chapter 19: New Friends

The family had been hiding out in the catacombs for three years now.
Three months ago, the Opera Populaire put on an opera that required young children. Gustave had a part in the opera. So did a young man named Lucas and a young lady named Celeste. Gustave became good friends with the siblings.
Lucas and Celeste lived in the dormitories of the opera house. Both of their parents had died in a fire. Lucas was fourteen, almost two inches taller than Gustave, and had light brown hair and dark green eyes. Celeste was thirteen, an inch shorter than Gustave, and had dark blonde hair and emerald green eyes.
The siblings knew the tale of the Opera Ghost that had haunted the theatre so many years ago. Until they met Gustave, they thought that was just a legend. Gustave told Lucas and Celeste of how his parents ended up together, of how Erik was Christine's Angel of Music, and of their life in London. At first they didn't believe him. He took them to meet his parents and showed them the labyrinth underneath the opera house. After that, the siblings began to believe Gustave. They couldn't believe that they were friends with the son of the famous Opera Ghost.
Gustave spent time with Lucas and Celeste frequently. The three were very close. Gustave liked Celeste especially.
One day, Lucas was rehearsing for a part in an opera and Gustave and Celeste were alone. They were acting on the front steps outside the opera house. Unfortunately, the steps were icy and Celeste fell and twisted her ankle. Gustave carried her all the way back to her room. Celeste remembered that fondly.
Gustave knew that he would eventually have to move back to London. When he first arrived in Paris, all Gustave wanted to do was go back home. Now, all he wanted to do was stay. Couldn't they just live in the catacombs forever?
Gustave hadn't any friends back in London. Meg, Lucas, and Celeste were his only friends and they all lived in Paris.

"Mother, do we have to go back to London?" Gustave asked.

"I suppose we don't have to. It's just that, your father and I have work in London and a house and friends. We have nothing here, Gustave. As for now, the authorities in London are still searching for your father, so we will need to remain here for a while longer. Now, go. Play with your friends," Christine replied. Her mind was focused on other things.
When the family first arrived in Paris, Erik and Christine made the decision to not have any more children. Christine was never fully happy about this decision. She had always dreamed of having many children, but Erik was too worried that at least one of the children would inherit his deformity, so Christine put aside her lifelong desires. She would do anything to keep her husband happy.
She had Gustave and Erik and that was all she needed. Christine even began to think that maybe they would be able to make a life for themselves living in this labyrinth. "That's ridiculous," she thought. "The minute Erik's name is cleared, we are returning to London."
Christine went up to see Meg. She had been left alone with her thoughts for too long and needed someone to talk to.

"Oh Meg. I don't know what to do. I want another child so badly, but I know how Erik would respond. He would say no at first but then he would give in when he saw how badly I wanted one, because that's the kind of man that he is. If the child ended being deformed, I would never forgive myself," Christine confided.

"I think that you need to talk about this with Erik," Meg suggested.

"But he would give in to having another child for me. I don't want to have another if he truly doesn't want to. I don't want to push him past the point of no return," Christine explained.

Meg admired her friend for being so selfless. She indeed knew how badly Christine wanted many children. "I still think that you need to discuss it with Erik. He is your husband. He loves you very much. Keeping secrets is never a good idea," Meg suggested again.

Christine realized that her friend was correct. She planned to talk to Erik that evening.
Gustave played with his two friends for hours. They would often sing songs from old operas and act out certain scenes.
Lucas could sense that there was a spark between his sister and Gustave. He didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit.