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The grandest and greatest depths of jubilation permeated and danced into the air the moment music was restored to Gibberitia. Idiotic laws about only playing a C note and children forced to follow in the careers of their parents had been stripped away and dancing and music and joy flowed out like a river between all of the inhabitants. The strife within Ernest's family had eased into nothingness as love of the family overtook the supposed pride that they seemingly always had to uphold. One of the former judges kindly repaired Ernest's van and now Ernest and Celestine would just have to go into the gondola and cross the way to get inside the van and drive back home.
When Ernest and Celestine got into the gondola and slowly drew away from Gibberitia they shared a brief hug. The air was sharp and chilly and yet it was emotionally warm with music, these tunes that strained for so long to be free and now they were cascading like a waterfall into the merriment of sound. The green hills and snow-topped grand mountains echoed the melodies and the songs that burst forth in euphoric happiness of creation. It followed them as the gondola took them out of the town, the cheers and music of the townsfolk and Ernest's family gradually becoming fainter until they faded all together.
But as the gondola wheeled further and further away and brisk silence filled the air Celestine was waiting for something. They had not been able to talk, really talk, since that night in the prison when Ernest was resigned to his fate and treated her so coldly. Celestine did not know where they stood now, this worry clouding her memories and that he had given her an embrace not all that long ago.
Perhaps it was a good-bye, a final gift for her before he dropped her back off at the orphanage and she would hold onto the memories of him for comfort as she went back to scraping by for her life. Maybe even that paltry kindness would not be extended to her, that they would part ways as soon as the gondola ride was over. Or perhaps Ernest would drive them back and they would be nothing but mere strangers to each other when they were in the van, deadly silent just like now.
It was all too much. All of this worry coiled within Celestine's heart like a taut spring. It was why her heart jumped when Ernest said her name, seriousness in his eyes as he looked at her.
"I... I have to tell you you something," Ernest said, the words coming out awkward as he rubbed at the back of his neck. He exhaled and breathed through his nose, this great weight evident and Celestine braced herself for the worst case scenario that she knew was coming.
"Celestine, I'm sorry for what I did," Ernest said, his eyes heavy with remorse. "I shouldn't have shouted at you. It wasn't fair to you, and I should've taken you with me when I left."
Celestine's eyes widened. Her paws started to shake as she wrapped her arms around herself, something within her feeling like she was a violin string snap away from breaking down into sobs. A realization flooded her mind that this life they built together had seemingly not been destroyed by their painful parting on that night. She still didn't know, perhaps she was just waiting on more borrowed time and then he would say that she could no longer live with him. She stared up at Ernest's remorseful expression and he began to swim and blur in her vision. The coldness of that night washed over her and seemed prime to strike her down like a merciless tide. The violin string within her broke.
Celestine thought she was done with crying because she had cried until she had no more tears left at the prison but there was still a vast ocean within her waiting to spill out through her tears. She remembered the underlining meaning by him saying that she was free to go wherever she wanted: that he didn't want her to be around him around anymore, that he didn't consider her family.
Or least that's how it felt that night, that she made a grave mistake by inadvertently forcing him onto the path of following his father's footsteps to become a judge and that she had lost everything that made her feel like home. Ernest was her home and those moments that he was gone were some of the worst she had ever felt in her life. It felt like a repeat of when the bear and mice police of their respective hometowns had arrested them and kept them separated from each other. She couldn't stand it then and she couldn't stand it in that not so distant past, realizing that her loneliness was constructed by what she set off into motion.
"Celestine? Celestine, what's wrong?" Ernest asked, a frantic panic rising in his tone as he looked her over, making sure there were no scrapes or wounds from the musical revolutionary escapade he might have not seen. But this hurt was not one that bled.
Celestine curled in on herself. Her sobbing made her tremble violently, her small paws clenched into fists as she pressed them to her face. Through her tears she said, "I thought - I thought you would have wanted me to go away when I brought the violin back to you! I-I thought that you never wanted to see me again!"
"What?" Ernest asked, his voice carrying a deep heaviness as he realized the gravity of the situation. Through her blurred vision Celestine caught the look of horror that crossed Ernest's face. Deep shame showed on his face as he breathed in sharply, this great shame that he had made her feel that way and that he abandoned her as she was crying and calling out for him when his own mind had been swirling with the expectations put on his shoulders.
"No, no, no, oh, Celestine," Ernest said as he drew her close. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, I should never have left you alone. I would never want to send you away, I'm sorry."
She sobbed into his shirt, her paws gripping onto the fabric like a life preserver. "But I ruined everything. I made you a criminal when we first met and I broke your violin and you almost threw away your dreams because I made you go back to Gibberitia, and you'd be... you would've been better off if you never met me, Ernest!"
Her emotions were running high and as strong as merciless and storming waves right now. Maybe her words were complete nonsense but in the moment it made sense. She never knew what it was like to have a family until she met Ernest. They hadn't had much practice at being a family in comparison to other families that knew all their members for years and years and in the moment it Celestine felt like she was nothing more than a disappointment.
"No, no. Shhh, shhh, it's all right." Ernest wiped away her tears, his thumbs gently brushing them away from her dampened fur. "Celestine, if I never met you I wouldn't know what happiness is. We made everything go back onto the right path in Gibberitia. It was my fault for leaving the slipper on the stairs. And when the violin was broken I didn't care about it at all until I knew you weren't hurt."
Celestine sniffled. "But I still broke it and made a mess of everything."
"I would take that violin breaking a million times if it meant that you would always be safe," Ernest said, this conviction in his voice that made Celestine pause as she rubbed at her reddened eyes.
She remembered something: when she burst into the courthouse with his violin, with their salvation and the salvation of the residents of Gibberitia, Ernest said, "my Celestine," the same way that his father said to Mila, "my daughter." There was an underlining meaning to Ernest's words that she had not realized until now.
Ernest rubbed at her back soothingly. His large paws were warm against her back. They always made her feel safe.
"Remember, Celestine. You're precious to me. You are the music of my life."
Celestine giggled tearfully into his shirt. "You stole that from someone."
"Ah! No, I said it myself, right now! Is a musician not entitled to poetic language?"
He turned his head up and his arms went crossed against his chest, a picture perfect representation of petulance as irritated grumbles fell out of his mouth. She giggled behind her paws with her voice still a little wobbly and he relented in his grumpiness, easing his arms to fall to his sides and for one of his paws to reach up and ruffle the fur on her head. His paws were so big and heavy but he always treated her with great care.
"Whatever will I do with you, hmm?" Ernest asked with a chuckle. "You are always making fun of me."
It made her giggle again, this time without any tears marring the sound. Celestine reached out to hug Ernest again and as he enveloped her in his arms he held her gently. In the moment, Ernest's heartbeat was like the steady reverb of a mighty drum and it was the most comforting sound in the world to Celestine.
Ernest nuzzled his chin against the top of Celestine's head for a few seconds and then spoke softly like they were sharing a secret between them.
"Celestine, do you know what we will do when we go home?"
"What, Ernest?" Celestine answered back in that whispery tone.
"We will eat marshmallows," Ernest said, speaking normally now as a big smile spread across his face for what they would share together. "And I'll play the violin until you fall asleep and then I'll tuck you into bed."
"Why?" There wasn't any need for the question but Celestine grinned up at him when she said it because it was like a replay of her wanting to know everything about the mechanisms and way of life in Gibberitia.
"That's just how it is, Celestine," Ernest said warmly. "And because I love you."
Celestine snuggled against his chest, exhaling contentedly as she felt his warmth surround her like the warmest blanket in the world. "I love you too, Ernest."
In the moment she knew it was an unshakeable truth, as that love went in tandem with the thrum of her heartbeat and the melody of song. She would never fear being left behind again because she knew that they had taken up residence in each other's hearts.