"As much as I would like to promise you that, I cannot, Erik...you should know by now that I am a very stubborn woman, there is little I can do to change that," Christine whispered. Erik said nothing for a moment, knowing she was right. That was like asking a bird not to fly, it was never going to happen, it was a part of who she was. They would have to find a way around this.
"I know very well that you are stubborn, Christine...and feisty. Those are some of the reasons I fell in love with you," he said with a soft smile. "But we have to find a way to compromise, Christine, there has to be a way to do that."
"I do not want to be the reason why you hurt so much...I do not want to bring you pain," she whispered softly.
"What hurt me was seeing you and our baby in trouble my love, that is what hurt me! Promise me that when it comes to something like that you will listen to me, you can be stubborn about everything else in the world if you so wish it, but please, not when it is you and our children at stake," he whispered, pleading. Erik was not a man to beg and she knew that if she could give him anything it would have to be this.
"That will not make up for what I did," she whispered desperately. Erik put a finger to her lips.
"There are many things I have done that I regret, like that night when I hit you...God, Christine if I could take that back-"
"None of that matters now! What matters is the fact that I put our baby at risk...I do not deserve to be a mother," she said softly.
"You deserve to be a mother, Christine...you made a hasty mistake...I-I believe that what happened in that cottage will show you that if you just think about what you are doing first there might not be such consequences," he said. What she saw in the cottage was punishment enough for her, she had to witness his face being cut with that dagger, and she had had the threat of almost losing their baby, that would make her realize that she had to listen to him when he told her something.
"I am sorry, Erik, I am so sorry..." she said, beginning to cry. Erik pulled her close without another thought. Who was he to believe that he would ever be able to separate himself from this woman? She was the very air that he breathed! She was pregnant with his child, he needed her, and that need allowed him to forgive her for everything she did that night.
"I love you, Christine, and love means accepting those mistakes that other people make and moving on. You have made me into a man, Christine, made me believe in love again, I could never hate you for anything that you do. You accepted me for who I was even with all of my faults and sins, who would I be not to do the same?"
"I love you, Erik..."
What would she do without this man? She promised herself that from here on out she would do everything that he told her when it came to her safety. She just wished that it had not taken such a situation to make her open her eyes.
"Just promise me one thing, Christine."
"Anything."
"Listen to me when I say 'stay out of danger'."
"I promise."
It seemed love was full of compromises.
"Have they come back yet?" Anthony asked Nadir. The Persian nodded with a sigh of relief.
"Yes, they went to their room, I can assume that it is safe to say not to bother them for the rest of the evening," Nadir replied. Anthony nodded and sat down. He had been worried about his sister and her relationship with her husband. They had something special and Anthony did not want to see that ruined for either of them. Nadir was studying him silently and Anthony decided that now probably was the best time to have a talk with this man about everything.
"How is it that I look nothing like you?" Anthony wondered softly. Nadir caught the younger mans eyes. He was glad Anthony was the first one to bring this up because he knew that if it had been left to him he might never have mentioned it.
"You should be thankful you turned out so handsome with me as a father," Nadir said dryly. Anthony could not keep in his smile at this mans dry humor. The Persian was a very attractive man, and he was sure that that was what had drawn his mother to him in the first place.
"You must know, Monsieur, that I denied what was told to me about you at first," Anthony said. Nadir nodded. He had not wanted to believe it himself. The fact that this man was his son still hurt deeply because Nadir had not been there to watch him grow up.
"I know, it is a little hard to believe," the Persian said. Anthony nodded.
"Are you...are you disappointed?" Anthony wondered softly. Nadir could not believe his ears! How could Anthony believe that he was disappointed about having a son? It was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to him in his entire life.
"Anthony, finding out that you were my son brought tears to my eyes. I cried, a grown man who had seen many hardships in his life, but nothing has ever made me as happy as I was when I found out...you are the kind of son any man would be proud to call his own, and it is an honor to be your father," Nadir said, with all of the sincerity in the world. Anthony smiled and stood up, Nadir did the same. The two embraced and the Persian had to keep his tears at bay. Emma had always been the reason that he believed in life, even after what he had thought she did to him he believed in everything. She had given him a precious gift in their son and he would always love her for that, always.
"You and Sienna are going to be married?" Nadir asked as they sat back down. Anthony nodded, a small smile coming to his lips as he thought about her. He hoped she was alright and not worrying about him to much, he did not want her to worry, especially since he was fine, there was nothing to worry about. He was sure that he was going to hear some sort of reprimand for sneaking away in the middle of the night but there was little that he could do to change that.
"Yes..."
"Do you love her?"
"More than anything," Anthony answered truthfully. Nadir smiled, hearing the sincerity in his son's voice.
"Do you plan on children?" Nadir asked. He was interested in all aspects of his son's life, and Sienna appeared to be the most important thing to Anthony. Anthony stared into the fire for several long moments. Children? He had never really thought about children. Although the idea was completely welcomed. He wondered how Sienna would feel about such a thing.
"Children would be wonderful," Anthony said after a moment.
"I hope that I might be able to be a part of their lives?" Nadir wondered softly. Anthony nodded without hesitation. This man had missed out on his own child's life and Anthony would try and give that back to him with his own children.
"Of course, I would not have it any other way."
Nadir, for the first time in a long time, was truly happy.