Page 19 of Mason
“Ready?”Mason asked, snapping another random picture, this one of his dad.The flash was on and it blinded him, causing Shane to curse and throw a balled-up piece of paper at his son, who dodged it easily enough.
I laughed at their antics, relaxing into my seat a little more at how naturally this family moved around one another.
Over the next two hours, Harper and Lucy both asked me questions for the interview while Mason captured it on his camera.Harper’s questions were for the article, and Lucy’s primarily out of curiosity since she wasn’t actually interviewing me, just directing it.I was so at ease with them all that it didn’t feel like anything heavier than telling them little snippets of my life.Mostly, we chatted about how I’d fallen in love with the cello, my mother’s obsession with 1970s-era rockers, and my time in high school.
We didn’t so much as skim over the fact that I was a supposed scholarship student, and I was glad because I didn’t know how I would respond if Harper asked me directly.I didn’t want to lie, yet I wasn’t sure I was ready to share my dynamic with my father.Maya told people I was a charity case, that I was on a scholarship.Correcting her only made things worse for me, so I’d learned to keep quiet.
“And now we come to the best part of the day!”Harper announced, hopping to her feet, her hair bouncing around her as she grabbed Mason’s arm.“We have a surprise for you.”
“Easy, Mom,” Mason cautioned with a hearty laugh, offering the camera to Lucy.Shane came over to join us, a smile teasing at his lips as he carried a straight-backed chair that I hadn’t noticed before.
“With your permission, I’m gonna film this part,” he said once he had the chair exactly where Lucy directed him to put it.
Nervous, I bit my lip but nodded.With all the pictures Mason had taken, I wasn’t sure why being recorded made me suddenly anxious.“O-okay.”
A new energy crackled in the room—Harper’s excitement and something else.My gaze found Mason’s and held.His eyes softened, his smile wrecking me.Holding out a hand, he waited for me to take it.As soon as I placed my palm against his, the world changed around me.Butterflies fluttered in my belly, my heart drumming in my chest.
He guided me over to the straight-backed chair.Brushing a kiss against my forehead, he urged me to sit, and then he was picking up the cello case.
“Mom and I got you a little something,” he said.
“Mason…”
“Open it,” he commanded.
Fingers trembling, I opened the case.Tears blurred my vision as I stared in awe at the beautiful piece of craftsmanship.The sweet, slightly smoky wood scent hit my nose.That woodsy smell was richer than the odor of glue or varnish that accompanied a newer instrument.I traced my fingers down the neck to the base, taking in its perfection.
“There’s a luthier here in LA.He repairs string instruments for a conductor friend of Emmie’s,” Harper explained, her tone a blend of excitement and nervousness.“Unfortunately, there was no way to repair your cello, given how severe the damage was.However, he had a few replacement options.Mason and I chose this one because it felt like it was completely you.”
“This is… This is mine?”I breathed.
“All yours, a gift from both Mason and me.”
“This is too much,” I choked out.
“It’s not nearly enough,” Mason said with conviction, pressing another kiss to my brow.“But it will do for now.”
“Mason.”
He tilted his head to the side, an unspoken promise in his eyes that caused my breath to catch.“Play for us.”
Mason
Taking the bow Mom offered,Sutton played a few notes, testing them before making adjustments.Once she was satisfied, she lifted her gaze to Mom.“Any requests?”
“Surprise us,” she said, her violet eyes alive with excitement as she retook her seat.Behind her, Lucy was snapping pictures, while Dad filmed with his phone.
Nervously, Sutton’s gaze landed on him.“Why is this more intimidating than an auditorium full of people?”
“Relax, sweetheart.Don’t let all my Grammys scare ya,” he teased.
“Fuck.Okay,” she whispered.Then, like the superstar I knew she was, she straightened her spine, took a deep breath, and started to play.
As soon as the music began to fill the room, everyone stilled.Lucy stopped taking pictures.Dad stood with his hand frozen in air, practically holding his breath as he listened.It wasn’t a Zeppelin song, like I’d anticipated, or even a classical masterpiece from another era.
When the last haunting notes of “The Sounds of Silence” floated through the room, I fell in love with her yet again.Like the night of the competition, I was helpless to look away from her.It wasn’t just the music she created, not even her utterly ethereal beauty.It was her passion, her focus, and how she became part of the music.
As if it lived inside her.
