Kapitel 454: Chapter 454
Pearl sat in the garden, watching the breeze blow through the roses, the larkspur and the foxglove. The smell of lavender filled the air and reminded her of her younger years. Years she lost to someone else's selfish desires.
She imagined what her life would have been like if she would have been raised by her own family. If she wouldn't have witnessed poverty, violence and abuse, sadness. Isolation.
"Nightingale." She heard from behind her.
She turned to see Erik there, holding a box in his hand. He came to her and sat down quietly, handing it to her.
"What's this?" She asked.
"Open it." He said. She lifted the lid.
"What is all this?"
"Things I've kept. I couldn't let go of them. And tonight, it's important for you to remember them as well. To remember who you are."
She lifted the first item out. It was a copy of her first CD with the band. She cried. She missed Dylan so much. The next was a Tiffany box. She opened it and found the charm bracelet Erik had bought her, and all the charms attached to with a few more added. A baby bottle. A queen's crown.
She looked over at Erik and smiled. "You added these after… after everything?" He nodded.
There was a photo of the two of them on their Vespas the day they rode around Tuscany. She smiled. A royal photo of she and the children the first year after Bash passed away. One of her song writing journals. The nightingale cuff links she bought him for Christmas. Several news clippings of her charity work. Her speeches.
All the tangible memories were there. He had kept a box of her life.
"This is who you are, my love. You aren't anyone's child. Your life wouldn't have been any different, regardless. YOU accomplished these things. Rock star. Company owner. Mother. Queen. Writer. Lover." He smiled and kissed her forehead. She wiped the tears falling from her eyes, and smiled.
"This is why I fell in love with you. This is why. Thank you, Erik. You may not believe it, but this life, this life YOU gave me. In all the ugly and corruption, you created a kingdom anyway. You were the architect, even if you were the anti-hero of the fairy tale, you still built it." She said.
"It's not complete yet, though. Almost." He said, rubbing her tummy. She laughed.
"Oh dear. Terribly sorry. I forgot to put this in the box." He said, handing her a velvet ring box.
She looked at him curiously.
"Before you open it, I know you're still mourning. I don't need you to say you'll marry me. Not yet anyway. And I know there's a lot of heaviness you're carrying with all of this. But I want you to know I'm not going anywhere. Not this time. This is a reminder of that." She opened the box and inside was the ruby ring he gave her when he first proposed.
"Oh my god, Erik. How did you keep this all these years?" She was shocked.
"Auggie." He said with a shrug.
"You're not serious. He hates you."
"I am serious. I told him I was going to give it back to you someday when I left for prison. I asked him to put it in a safe deposit box. It was our mother's anyway and he said that if I didn't give it back to you, he would want to keep it anyway. But I asked for it back a week ago and I thought he might murder me but he didn't. So here it is." They both laughed.
"Put it on." He said. She put in on her right hand. She wasn't ready to take off the wedding band from Dylan yet.
"I understand." Erik said without her needing to explain. He kissed her hand and then her.
"I love you, Pearl." He said.
"I love you, too." She said back, kissing him and looking at the gorgeous ruby ring she had loved so much from so long ago. It felt right wearing it again.
Several feet away, Christian stood back and watched, hearing the entire conversation.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein