Welcome to Paris!

The first snow smelt of dust as they poured down without hurry. A few more days and they would have their icy features which boosted holiday spirits of little children who were desperately looking forward to building snowmen and throwing snowballs amongst themselves.

The sound of a rolling suitcase took my attention away from the window, "Is that the last one?" I asked the house staff who was dragging the luggage outside to shove it into the car trunk.

"Yes madam." She replied and then vanished outside.

"Mommy!" Darcy cried, running into the living room. She was dressed in a pair of denim jeans and a bright yellow top and a blue jacket, the same colour as her jeans.

"Zip up, sweetie. Outside is a bit cold." I said and squatted down to pull up her zipper.

I myself, was dressed for the cold, in a pair of blue denim (the same colour as Darcy), a light blue v-neck top and a black trench coat, wearing knee length boots the same colour as the coat. I let my hair fall down on my shoulders, curling up the tips for a smooth finish.

"All set?" Damien Jaeger asked, walking into the mansion from the main door. He looked breathtaking in his black button up shirt and pants, which he had topped off with a little lighter shade by wearing a grey trench coat. His hair was without grease letting his bangs dance on his forehead.

"Who knew not wearing suits will look so good on you?" I remarked as he stopped in front of me, "Maybe you can try exploring more colours."

"You could have just told me you wanted me to wear pink, Mélie." He said and I couldn't help but laugh.

He bent down and picked Darcy in his arms, "Shall we?"

A grin appeared on my face, "We shall."

"You look extraordinarily beautiful today!" Damien Jaeger remarked as we stepped out of the mansion.

"You say that everyday, Damien Jaeger."

"That's because you look extraordinarily beautiful everyday."
~

The atmosphere in Paris spelled enchanting. The city was a magical winter wonderland, with twinkling lights adorning the streets and festive decorations creating a cosy ambiance. The chilly air was filled with the aroma of delicious French pastries and warm beverages. The Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame Cathedral stood out against the winter sky, adding to the charm of the city.

"Damien, look, see!" I exclaimed as our car passed the Eiffel tower which I had seen only moments ago while we were on the plane. The 7 hour flight did nothing whatsoever to make me weary as I had already looked forward to being dazzled by the city of light.

"Wanna go have a closer look?" Damien Jaeger asked.

My head screamed 'Yes' however, "I think I can wait for a while." I replied. Darcy was already fast asleep in Damien Jaeger's arms and even though I didn't feel the need to, I had to recharge as well. Moreso, I hadn't really had any food on the plane and I was starving.

My stomach decided to speak for itself. Damien Jaeger chuckled, "Thank God we aren't far from Diana."

That was the name of his aunt, "I hope she will like me." I said, already feeling nervous.

Damien Jaeger's fingers intertwined with mine, "She will, trust me."

The driver made a turn away from cobblestone streets that smelt of pastries and mulled wine and houses and apartments started coming into sight. The houses had charming, elegant looks with wrought iron balconies, large windows, and colourful facades. Apartments were several stories high and had lovely balconies protruding just beside them.

"It's beautiful!" I remarked, unable to take my eyes off the window.

I heard Damien Jaeger chuckle beside me, "You like the apartments?"

"I do, I think they're charming!" I said with a wide grin on my face.

"You want one?"

My eyes bulged out with surprise, "I do!"

"Okay." He replied and his eyes moved from me to Darcy. He didn't look like he would say anything else but I already knew that I officially had a Parisian house starting today.

The car came to a halt in front of a large grotesque low fenced building, much different from the colourful ones that we had left behind. Large windows protruded at the several parts of the dark grey mansion and I gasped when my eyes caught something unexpected.

"What is that?!" I asked in alarm, pointing to a scary statue sitting on one of the mansion's pillars.

"The watcher." Damien Jaeger replied, "Diana isn't really a rainbow girly."

I saw. Her house had the aura of Dracula. This brought back the nervousness that I thought had disappeared into the colourful streets of Paris.

The driver opened the door and I stepped down from the car with Damien following suit, holding Darcy in his arms. The large black door of the mansion creaked open and an old crooked woman revealed herself. Her hair was plaited into a twist behind her head. Her black apron moved to and fro as she walked.

"Monsieur is here?" She asked in a voice that sounded stranded. Then her eyes suddenly lit up as her lips curled into a crooked smile.

"Ah, monsieur a l'air beau, comme toujours (Monsieur looks handsome, as always)!" She exclaimed.

I looked at her cluelessly, wondering what she had said. However, Damien Jaeger looked quite pleased.

"Hello." I greeted as she came to meet the driver who was struggling with the luggage.

She eyed me inquisitively, her crooked smile straightening into a thin line, "Mmselle (Madam)?"

I stared at her, lost once again. Suddenly, a grin was plastered on her face, "Welcome home!" She exclaimed and grabbed me into a hug.

"Come, come! Diana happy to see you!" She said, suddenly abandoning the luggage as she grabbed my hand and started dragging me to the door.

I turned back to look at Damien Jaeger with nervous eyes who couldn't hide the amusement on his face.

"Diana!" The old maid's voice echoed around the house, "La famille est là (Family's here)!"

Tap. Tap. Tap. I heard the tapping of heels against the staircase. My eyes moved swiftly to the descending figure.

"My boy is here!" A heavy, nearly masculine voice thundered around the room. I felt my hair rising on my skin.

She's nice, she's nice. She'll like me, she'll like me. I kept murmuring those words like a mantra inside my head.