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“Come on, Kate,” said Tom. “Both of us. That’s how we always do it.”
Phil, Stokey, and her dad joined the chorus, insisting she join Tom at the piano.
“It works best when you guys do it together,” said Simon. “You just bounce off each other.”
Ethan glanced over at Simon and then Kate. “I wouldn’t mind hearing it myself.”
“You can harmonize with us at the chorus, Ethan,” said Phil.
Stokey got up from his chair and made his way over to Kate, grabbing her hand. “You should have a guitar, my girl, if you’re not going to sit at the piano. Where’s yours?”
Kate slid a glance to Ethan. “It was needed elsewhere.”
Ethan stood and started to hand it over. “It’s fine. I can use Tom’s. I just thought he would be playing it tonight. He said that you would be on piano.”
Kate looked daggers at Tom while she reluctantly allowed Stokey to pull her to her feet. “Tom shouldn’t make assumptions. It’s been a long time since I’ve sat at the piano or had a guitar in my hands, let alone played either.”
“It’s about time you did, then,” said Tom. “Get over here.”
She walked slowly across the room to the piano, the walnut floor creaking in its usual spot, just after the rug’s edge. She slid onto the piano bench next to her brother.
“You play,” said Kate. “I’ll sing along.”
He frowned at her, but turned to the piano and began the opening bars of the song. Phil, her dad, and Stokey began to pick out some back-up riffs, eventually joined by Ethan. She began the song, feeling her way into it, her voice a little uncertain, the vocal cords opening up from a long sleep. She could feel she was a little rusty, the harmonizing she’d done so far, however faintly, had helped, but she would have carried the main tune more strongly in the past. Tom was there beside her, playing the keys, softly supporting until they got the chorus. By then her confidence was there, at least enough that she could belt out the words she always sang with Tom that reflectedtheirhouse that had one dog in the yard, instead of two cats. She glanced over at her dad. His eyes were glittering with emotion. She forced a grin. This was a happy, cheery song. They must be happy, cheery. Every memory that made this painful for her must be banished in the face of this song.
Tom nudged her, and she sang the second verse with more gusto and found herself swaying side to side with Tom. By the time the chorus was reached this time, it was filled with outrageous harmonies and descants by the rest of them, Ethan offering the most extreme, and Kate found herself laughing. If Tamzin had added her voice to the group, the sound had been drowned out by the others. It didn’t matter, in the end, because much to Kate’s surprise, she’d had fun.
The song ended with a “whoo hoo” flourish by Tom, a hoot from Phil and an “all right,” from her father.
“I liked that version,” said Ethan.
“That was great,” said Simon. “Just like old times.”
Kate nodded her agreement. The old times that had been good.
“Kate,” said Phil, rising and moving over to pick up Tom’s guitar. “Play one of yours,” he said. He walked over and handed her Tom’s guitar.
“Hey,” said Ethan. He stood, unwound her guitar strap from around his neck and carried it to her. “Give me Tom’s, and you have yours.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but closed it after a moment. She didn’t have the strength to argue or protest. And besides, it was her dad’s night, and she didn’t want to spoil it.
“Play ‘Midnight,’” said Stokey. “Tom can do Missy’s part.”
She froze a moment, paling. She wouldn’t be doing that song.
“‘Midnight’?” asked Ethan.
“Yeah,” said Phil. “It’s a song she wrote years ago. She used to perform it with a friend of hers. It’s one of her best.”
She looked down the guitar, her hand still clutching it by the neck, and felt Ethan’s penetrating gaze on her.
Kate studied the keys of the practice room piano. She could hear Carter next door sawing away on the Bach partita. It had been the wrong time to come. There was something off with the chords, it just wasn’t working, and the noise next door wasn’t helping. She was just about to stand when the playing stopped, and she could hear the shuffling of Carter packing away his violin. Great.
A moment later, she started the song from the beginning, clearing her mind. She sang along this time, hoping that would help her pinpoint what she was missing.
I don’t know, I don’t know,
Why you touched me so,
