Broken String

CLXXIX

She seems to take the biggest breath as Brett starts and Ian comes in. Eddy's next, but his eyes are on Anita. Will she even enter? Her eyes cross with his as she takes another big breath, like her bow is suddenly made of lead. But then she starts on her line. And of course she's great. A grin spreads on his face as he watches her handle the lovely, light quavers and semiquavers like the pro she never completely got to be. Her sound is good. Bright, and warm. His cheeks are glowing by the time they make it through the first movement. His eyes meet hers. Large. Feverish almost. And Eddy knows.
This was just the right thing.
They play through the whole piece with Anita on cello before Todd looks pointedly at the clock and then at him. Eddy nods. It must be bed time for the kids.
"We should head off." he says quietly. Anita looks up and wait. Is that regret, flitting over her face? But whatever it was she hides it like a pro, and starts getting up, handing the cello back to Todd with a small nod.
"Girls. Bedtime, I'm afraid. Concert's over."

Soon the group are packing up their instruments. Todd is joking around with the eldest girl, seeing if she can carry the cello on her small back. She can't, of course, and Eddy grins and wonders if he should help her out, tell her that if she did play the cello she'd get a 1/8 version and would in fact be able to carry it just fine. But she's squealing in glee, clinging to Todd's leg like she wants him to stay here forever.
Yeah, she's alright. Of course she is, this is Todd, after all. 
So Eddy simply looks around the tastefully decorated living room on more time and smiles.

He did okay, right? She liked it, right? The family is happy? He closes his clasps and swings his case on his back. Just then Anita tugs on his sleeve quietly and pulls him into the corner, just by the cream coloured curtain.
"Um. Can I have a moment?"
"Of course! Anita, thanks so much, this..."
She interrupts him with a glance. "That was awesome, Eddy." she says in a weird tone. "I... I just wanted to thank you. Maybe I should play again."
"You're really good." he tells her before he can apply a filter. Not that it ever came back from Alaska, so who is he kidding? "You could easily get chamber music work."
"I have work."
"And you're good at that, too. But who knows?"
She eyes him then, kindly, for the longest time, like a mother does. It's what she seems to do, not just for her own kids who are there by the couch, noisily trying to get Todd to stay over. No, it's what she does for him too, and who knows, maybe others too, at the con? Her cheeks are long since back to normal now. Then she nods.
"Yeah. Maybe. Who knows. Hey. You take care of yourself, yeah? It's fantastic to see you playing again. You're gonna make sure that you can keep that up?"
Eddy blinks and nods. How could he tell her what it has meant to him to do this again this evening? Go out to dinner and just play a quartet, for a laugh, like it's nothing?
But he knows that she understands like nobody else does what it's like when your mind is fine but your body is not. When you're locked, unable to move, unable to live like you always thought was standard until it wasn't.
If anyone gets it it's her. She's been there, and she too has made her way back.
Maybe she can get even further back now.
"I will, Anita. I've learned my lesson."
She smiles and puts her arms around him, just for a moment, closing him in a gentle hug. She smells of amber, or musk or something. It's soothing.
"Good. Now. You come back soon and eat more pasta. Deal?"
He grins and starts making his way back to where his friends are starting to put on shoes.
"Absolutely. I can run again, soon. I'll be able to burn off all the cheesy calories easily."
She laughs heartily and opens the green wooden door for them.

*A/N Twoset played this quartet in their sight reading quartet video with Hyung and Angie, do check it out if you haven't seen it <3