Nia squirmed but made no effort to leave his lap.
He rubbed her chin.
The dog licked his hand.
Max smiled. “I’ll figure something out.”
The pluck of piano keys rose from the living room.
Nia rolled onto her belly and stood.
More keys were played, creating a simple chord.Anna, Max thought, getting to his feet. He paused, debating whether he should go back to reading or join her. But considering he’d botched things up this afternoon and he didn’t want her to go to bed worrying about her job, he brushed his clothes and turned toward the sound of Nia’s panting. “How about we join her?”
Nia left the room and scampered down the stairs.
Forgoing his cane, he glided his hand along the walls and banister to the living room. The floorboards creaked under his weight, and the piano chords stopped. “I thought you might have already gone to bed.”
“Nein,” Anna said, sitting at the piano. “It’s a little early to sleep.”
“Is Norbie in his workshop?”
“Ja,” she said, patting Nia. “He’s putting together more timepieces to barter.”
Max’s chest tightened.
“Is my tapping on the keyboard disturbing your reading?” she asked.
“Not at all,” he said. “May I join you?”
“Sure.”
He extended his arm and searched for the sofa.
“Could you sit beside me?” she asked. “I have a few questions about chords.”
Max shuffled toward the sound of her voice and sat beside her at the piano bench. He placed his hands on his lap.
“I’ve forgotten some of the chords,” she said, playing a lower octave C major chord.
“Which ones would you like to learn?”
“All of them,” she said.
“So that you can learn to play pieces?”
“Maybe someday.” She struck the chord again. “Until then, I’d like to listen to mymutter’s piano while it remains in tune.”
“Okay,” Max said. “Try a D major—D, F-sharp, A.”
Anna located the keys and—using her thumb, middle, and pinkie fingers—played the chord.
“Nice,” Max said. “How about E-flat major—E-flat, G, B-flat?”
She played the chord.
“You’re a natural.”
Anna chuckled. “I’m only pressing the keys that you tell me.”
