25. Cafe Du Monde

The following morning Levi took Elise to get breakfast out. It was early Saturday morning, yet Café Du Monde was already packed. “How are we going to get a table?” Elise wondered.

Levi gave her a smile. “I know people.”

He went right up to the hostess and a moment later they were shown to a table outside and seated. Elise smiled. “Do you know what you want?” Levi asked.

“Do you even have to ask? Beignets and coffee, obviously.” He nodded in agreement.

“I still can’t believe that this place has been around for one hundred forty-eight years. Most human places rise and die out so quickly.”

“Yeah, I remember when this place was just a small stand. It seems like it has been here for most of my life.” she said.

The waiter came and Levi placed their order. Then he looked back at Elise. “So, what is the plan for Michael?”

“I don’t really have a plan. For now, I just want to stay clear of him. I know today he will be trying to find me doing good works. It is Saturday, and that is what he expects me to do on Saturdays. I am not there though, am I? So, he won't know where to find me.”

“But still, he could find you.”

“I guess your right I did tell him I was going to stay with you." Levi raised his eyebrows, and Elise realized that she had misspoken. “What I meant to say is that I told him I was going over to your place. I didn’t mean to assume that I could just stay with you.”

Levi cut in. “Oh, I'm not worried about that. Of course, you can stay with me for as long as you want. Hell, stay forever. I wouldn’t mind.” Elise's face turned bright pink as she turned her head.

“No, I am just surprised that you told him about me.”

“Well, unlike him. I tell the truth.”

“And that is the only reason you told him?”

“Well, no. I knew if he knew about you, he would feel some sort of betrayal. I wanted him to feel that way, because he made me feel betrayed.”

“So, I am some sort of payback for you then.” he asked. He knew she was not using him, but he wanted to gauge what her feelings where towards him.

“No, of course you are not payback.” She reached her hand across the table. “You are a wonderful surprise.” She wanted to say more but was too shy. Honestly, she felt very comfortable around him. With him she didn’t need to try to be a good angel all the time. It was freeing. She could just be herself and that was good enough for him.

The beignets and coffee came out and they dug into the food. Before long her mouth was coated in powdered sugar. Before she got the chance to wipe it off however, Levi pulled her close and used his moth to remove it. Elise let out a slight giggle as she felt him licking the sugar from her lips.

Once they had finished, they decide to spend the day in the quarter. They spent a lot of it strolling and watching people. They talked about how things had changed. When the day was winding down, they came back to Café Du Monde. Elise looked sadly out across the street.

“What’s the matter?” Levi asked.

Elise hesitated before she answered. “The Ursaline convent. It is a bittersweet place for me.”

“Go on.”

“Well, I met Margret there, so it holds some good memories. I was also born there. I don’t know anything about my mother after she was in that place.”

“I remember you said you didn’t know what happened to her.”

“I don’t. I used to ask Michael, but he would always say it isn’t for discussion. I also asked my father the other day when we first talked, but he was tight lipped as well. The one thing he said is that I reminded him of her.”

“And you never thought to look into her?”

‘Michael said no.”

Levi began walking toward the Saint Louis Cathedral. Elise followed him.

“Waight. Where are we going?”

“To the Cathedral. The convent may be closed now but the church will have kept records, or at the very least be able to point us in the right direction. We are going to find out what exactly happened to your mother.” Elise didn’t know what to say. She could feel the determination in his voice. So she followed him.

No one had ever fought to get her what she wanted. The opposite in fact. Michael had raised her to put aside her wants and needs for the benefit of all others. She was not supposed to think of herself. Michael taught her to follow his instructions and do nothing that he had not directed. Now here was Levi telling he it was okay to want to know things. He was making her wants his priorities. Was this realy alright she wondered.

She grabbed his arm and pulled him back from the entrance to the Cathedral. Falling back into her routine of being selfless she said, “Levi, you don’t have to help me. Really, I get it if you don’t want to. We can do something else.”

“No, Elise you have it wrong. I want to help you. Besides, I am a bit curious to find out about your mother.” Elise smiled as he reassured her.

To lighten the mood, she said jokingly, “Oh, almighty dark prince of hell, Leviathan. If you cross the threshold of a holy place, you will be sent back to hell where you belong.”

Levi boomed with laughter. “Only an angel would make up something so up surd.” Elise laughed. Truthfully, it didn’t matter. Demon's, whether they were powerful princes of hell or the lowest of demons, could enter sacred ground. It was really more a question of whether they had any desire to be there.

Levi took Elises hand, and they walked together into Saint Louis Cathedral.