Trembling With the Strings

“Gracie! Do you know anything about the Civil War?” Marcus called, and the sound of a door slamming filled the quiet house.

I jumped out of Robbie’s bed, and I checked my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were no longer bloodshot, but my hair was a mess. I ran my fingers through it, wincing as I ripped knots out. The door opened quickly, and I smiled when Marcus grinned at me. But his smile faltered a bit.

“Where’s Kai?”

“I had a visitor,” I told him, turning back to the mirror and rubbing my eyes. “He’s with Darius.”

“Are you okay?” he asked softly, stepping farther into the room.

I nodded. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked defensively.

“Because you love him.”

I let out a heavy breath. “What do you need to know about the Civil War? All I know is that it was about racists or something. You’re better off asking your brother, or maybe Robbie.”

“But Gracie—”

I whipped my head around to look at him, a tired look on my face. “Go ask your brother. I’m fine, okay? Don’t I look fine?”

“No, you don’t,” he muttered, closing the door behind me.

I sighed, sitting down on the bed and throwing my face into my hands. How was I supposed to let go of Darius if I didn’t want to at all? Then I thought of something. What if he started fucking random girls? What if I meant nothing to him?

I shook my head furiously. If that was the case, then why was he wearing my ring around his neck? Surely he still liked me at least a little. But that didn’t mean it’d keep him from trying to get laid. I knew how much he liked that. I nearly let out a sigh of frustration, but the door opened. I was about to yell at Marcus when I saw Robbie peering into the room.

“Can we talk?” he asked quietly, a sad look on his face.

“That depends. Is Marcus behind this?”

Robbie smiled apologetically, stepping into the bedroom anyway. I sighed softly, clasping my hands together and watching them as they lay silently in my lap. My finger looked so bare, and I didn’t like it.

“You’re going to be seeing him more often, I take it?” he asked me gently, sitting down beside me and throwing his arm around my shoulder.

“I guess so, but I don’t want to force Kai to miss out on having an amazing father,” I admitted painfully, leaning against Robbie. “It wouldn’t be right.”

“Grace, I don’t know how long it’s going to take you to let him go, but I do know that it will get better with time. And I promise you have me, just like always. If you realize that you can’t let him go, well,” he paused to kiss my cheek softly. “I guess that’s your choice to make. And you’ll have to think pretty hard about it.”

“I know.”

“Come on,” he told me, his voice suddenly cheerful. “You’ve got some time to yourself without a crying baby attached to your leg. What do you want to do?”

“Get a job,” I muttered, taking the hand that he offered. He helped me up, a funny look on his face.

“A job. You want a job?”

I nodded. “I feel like a freeloader. And I need to get more money. That’s what makes the world spin, isn’t it?”

He rolled his eyes. “I think I can get you a job. I have connections. Just where did you have in mind?”

I thought for a moment. The one thing I could clearly remember was the fresh air in Oregon, and the dust on the antiques…

“Pianos,” I murmured, a smile breaking onto my face.

“Pianos? Sure, I can do that, I suppose. Now?”

I nodded my head furiously. “Right now.”

The last Fazoili I had touch was with Darius, but I couldn’t let him take that passion away from me. Besides, you’re supposed to love your job. What could be better than being around gorgeous pianos and piano enthusiasts all day? Call me a nerd if you will, but it sounded like a good thing to help keep my mind off of my first heartbreak.

I nearly choked on that. My first heartbreak.