Empty Nest: Chapter 103

As Heather defends my honor just six feet away I sit with Mia on the sofa. After enjoying a long sip of the cold tart drink she made me I set down the glass and take her hands. After a moment her lithe body visibly relaxes and she shifts ever so subtly closer to me. It wasn’t hard to recognize the comfort I provided her as it was the same feeling I got when returning to Heather after an absence. I was flattered while at the same time struck by a sense of responsibility I’d never felt before. As Mia’s dominant dormant instincts were coming alive inside of me. Instincts to treasure, encourage, challenge and protect. This special woman had put a lot of trust of into me, trust that even I had to admit was unearned given how little we really knew of each other. But looking into her adoring green eyes I wasn’t at all afraid of the responsibility I felt toward her. I just wanted to prove myself worthy of her faith and obedience.

Glancing over at the others Mia says softly. “I’m sorry they’re talking about you like that, Sir.”

“It’s okay, Mia.” I pat her hand. “I knew it was coming. Besides, hearing them laugh and joke around is good for my soul. I just want my ladies to be happy.”

Her smile brightens. “Heather’s right. You are special.”

“You should know, Princess.” I wink.

She giggles.

“So, what’s this about a dream?” I pull her closer to my side and slip my arm around her shoulders. With a happy sigh she lays her head on my shoulder, the honey sweet smell of her subtle perfume tickles my senses.

“I think…you were in it.”

“Me?”

“An angel came to me.” She says. “I couldn’t see the face for it shone too brightly but…I think it was you, Sir.”

“Oh?”

“The dream started as they always do. Fear. Shouting. Then quiet, terrible quiet, and…the demon’s eyes watching from the shadows.” She trembles.

“It was just a dream.” I lightly kiss her head. “It’s okay.”

Laying a hand on my belly she lightly strokes her fingers up and down. “This time it really was okay. The angel came and suddenly…there were no shadows. No more darkness. The world was alive with colors and smells and…sounds. There was music. It was coming from the light. It was the light and the light was it. There is always music in my dreams but this time it was…different.”

“Different how?”

“It’s…hard to describe. It was like…joy made into sound.” She says. “When I woke up I wrote down as much as I could remember of it but…it’ll take some time to work out.”

“Hold on.” I say. “You wrote down the music you heard?”

“Mm.” She nods.

“Mia, that’s incredible!” I turn to face her. “You brought something from the dream world into ours? That’s like…I dunno, magical or something.”

“Oh! Um, it was just in my head and I didn’t want to lose it.”

“It takes someone very gifted to do that.” I say warmly. “I would love to hear it.”

Her eyes widen and her body tenses. “Oh, um, I haven’t worked out the details yet. It’s not ready. It’s still rough.”

“But it’s probably as close to the pure source as it will ever be.” I say. “Couldn’t I hear just a little?”

“Hear what?” Lily asks as she rounds the sofa.

“What are you two whispering about out here?” Julie says as she flops down into the chair beside the sofa. “I hope it’s nasty.”

“Julie.” I swat her knee. “Behave.”

“Ha!”

As Lily settles down cross-legged across from Mia and I Heather joins us by sliding in behind me opposite Mia.

“So what is Elliot wanting to hear?” Lily asks again.

Mia’s eyes dark about and her cheeks darken as all attention focuses on her. Not wanting to embarrass her I ready myself to step in if needed but first I give her a moment to decide on her own if she wanted to share the truth with the others.

“Um…” She says meekly. “He wanted to hear the music that I…wrote this morning.”

“You wrote something?” Heather says brightly. “Something of your own? That’s wonderful!”

“Kind of. It’s from my dream, actually. I think it was Elliot who inspired it.” Mia says with a bashful grin. “It’s not really ready to be heard but…Elliot wanted to hear it anyway.”

“And so do I!” Lily chirps.

“Me too.” Heather says. “It’s okay if it’s a bit rough.”

“Count me in.” Julie adds. “Lay it on us, Cuz.”

“Oh, um, well…” Mia looks at me for a long moment, her green eyes glimmering. I stare back and quietly express a ‘you can do it’ energy. My message is received loud and clear. “I suppose I could.”

As Mia hypes herself up for an impromptu performance I have Julie pass me her violin case and back pack. Mia retrieves some hand scrawled sheet music and lays it out on the coffee table. While she studies it a moment the rest of us are all smiles as we settle in for this debut performance. Pulling out her instrument Mia plucks a couple of strings to test the tuning then brings it to her shoulder and tucks it beneath her chin. The bow is laid across the strings. She closes her eyes. After a moment of silence…she plays.

The piece begins with a soft but steadily growing trill that transitions abruptly into a surreal melody that defied categorization. The notes continue to swell until, all at once, the bow begin to bounce and saw across the strings and her slender fingers fly up and down the fingerboard in an explosion of fury and passion! Mia’s once calm face twists and contorts with the soaring emotions of the music that flowed through her. It was uplifting, powerful and ethereal with an almost psychedelic undertone that spoke to it’s otherworldly origin. Harmonies were layered through the melody one on top of the other with such speed and skill it literally sounded as if two or even three instruments were being played at once! She’d said it was ‘rough’ but I would describe it as raw and it was that rawness that took a grip on your soul and never let go. The strings didn’t just sing, they snarled!

The rest of us look back and forth between each other and the impassioned virtuoso performance equally in awe of what we were experiencing. Mia, so enraptured by her playing, does not even notice as the front door quietly glides open. Stepping through comes Rebecca who stares at her daughter a most perplexed expression across her sharp features. As silently as she can she closes the door behind her and comes to stand beside her sister.

Mia plays for a few more seconds before the first true squelch of an off-note jars the flow of the tune. Her face flinches but she soldiers on until there is another and then another. The raging river of sound had hit rapids that even Mia could not recover from. With a sudden shrill squawk the sound stops. She pulls the bow away and opens her eyes.

“Like I said, I’m still working on…hah!” She gasps. “Mother!”

Rebecca peers down at her surprised daughter. “Mia. Where did you learn that piece?”

“Learn?” Quips Lily. “I don’t think that’s something you just learn. Mia! I think you might have just invented an whole new genre!”

“Whoooeeee!” Julie starts clapping. “I don’t know what it was, but I liked it! God damn, Cuz! God damn!”

“That was incredible!” I say.

“From our sweet little Mia comes that?” Heather marvels. “Will wonders never cease? Wow.”

Despite all of our cheers and praise Mia’s meek gaze never leaves her mother. Stepping up beside Lily Rebecca picks up the sheet music and begins to study it. “You wrote this, child?”

Mia shrinks in her seat as she nods. “Yes, Mother.”

All eyes turn to Rebecca who seems not to even notice us as she continues to inspect her daughter’s composition seemingly note by note. When at last she speaks it is to criticize. “Too busy. Too complicated. A duet crammed into a solo with nary a beat to let the notes breathe. You rely on your virtuosity at the expense of musicality.”

“Yes, Mother.” Mia nods. “I agree, Mother.”

Laying the sheets back down onto the table she pushes them back Mia’s way. “It needs works. But…a good start.”

“Hah!” Mia lights up at the faint praise. “Thank you, Mother. Thank you!”

Standing tall Rebecca's stern eyes shift from Mia to lock onto me. “Now, do tell me my dear sister, why is your arm around this common boy?”