Chapter Text
"He said what?"
"Shhh! Be quiet, Chris! Mama hasn't told anyone yet and if she hears us God knows what she will do. But that's it. He doesn't want anybody here for the festivities. I believe his exact words were 'go home to your families'."
Oh. Now she understood why Meg was so excited.
Their boss was a wealthy man, very strict and demanding too. He had only a few employees, and since they were expected to attend his wishes at pretty much any given hour - except, of course, during resting hours and when they took a day off - they all lived in the mansion, and were paid handsomely to spend even their holidays there. No one ever saw him, except for Madame Giry, Meg's mother, but they all thought him a good man.
Mr. Sarneme seemed to have a preference for lonely or abandoned people. People who had nowhere to go, people no one would miss. People who were running. People whose family was far away. That certainly made things easier when you needed employees available full time.
Madame Giry herself was a good example. She had become a widow shortly after moving with her husband to America. She didn't have enough money to afford the trip back, and once in Paris her and Meg would have to stay at their family's house for some time at least. Having known Erik for years, she got the job as governess and never looked back.
There was the girl who had been kicked out of her religious parents' home because of an unwanted pregnancy, and the man who had served jail time and was later found innocent, but still couldn't get a job.
People always thought their boss's methods were curious at the very least. They failed to understand that, by giving these people a job and a home, he had given them a family of sorts as well.
Seeking to escape from the house in which she had lived with her father and the memories that haunted the place, Christine had accepted the job offer without even blinking. She could have taken other positions that suited her Music degree better, but at the end of the day she would still be alone in a house full of happy memories.
With that in mind, she moved to the mansion. She didn't have to buy groceries nor pay for health insurance - Mr. Sarneme did, for all of them -, so her income paid for her father's hospital bills and kept her former home in proper conditions in case she ever gathered the courage to go back there.
It appeared that, after three years, Christine would have no choice. She had nowhere else to be and the orders they received had been crystal clear: her boss didn't want to be bothered on Christmas. That Christine could understand, but how was she supposed to go back to the place where she had been so happy when the reason for her happiness was long gone?
Maybe Meg and Madame Giry would let her tag along.
"And have you guys thought about how you're spending these days?"
"Well, Mama hasn't said anything yet, it was all very sudden, but I know she's been wanting to go see Papa's family in Paris for years and this is the perfect opportunity!"
Shit. Christine didn't have enough time to get a visa. Why didn't she go through with her Swedish citizenship requirement? Heck, she wasn't even sure her passport was still valid!
"Have you spoken to Raoul lately?", Meg tried, sensing her friend's distress.
"No, I... He joined the Marines shortly after Papa died, remember, and we've texted a few times but that's all. Last I heard of him he was like, in Africa or something. But he had no plans of coming back anytime soon either", Christine shrugged.
"Look, I'll stay with you", Meg offered after a few moments. "We can lounge on the couch and binge watch old TV shows and have ice cream for all the meals."
"Of course you won't! Your family must miss you so bad. Also, how long has it been since your last trip to Europe? Work doesn't count!", Christine quickly added as Meg opened her mouth to point out she had traveled to Europe during her company's last spring tour.
Meg was a ballerina, a soloist at a famous dance company, currently licensed from work due to an injury. Whenever she had time off she would come over and help them at the house, mostly so she could spend the day with Christine.
The girls had been friends since childhood, art allowing them to bond quite quickly. At first, Meg wanted to be a singer, like Christine, but that was instantly forgotten when the blonde wore her pointe shoes for the first time. Christine made her attempts with dancing and was even called "a promising talent", but in singing she found her soul. She dedicated her life and her studies to her singing career, and was even allowed to perform as a special guest along with her father at a few theatres… Until it all came crashing down upon her.
There was one thing Christine could take comfort from: Gustave hadn't suffered much. His illness, though strong, took him rather quickly, which spared them both from endless nights in a hospital room.
Months later, she finished college with honors - Christine couldn't afford the luxury of loosing her scholarship, but grief, as it turns out, was an unexpected source of inspiration. Both Meg and Madame Giry had been at the graduation ceremony, but were not allowed to speak of it. That night had marked Christine's departure from music and art.
Working at Mr. Sarneme's house had granted her the financial security she needed, allowed her to escape from painful memories and gave her a small, caring family - people who knew how much it hurt to be lonely and looked after each other in every way they could.
For the last three years, these people had been her safe haven during this emotional season.
What would she do now?