Page 33 of The Pianist's Wife
‘Amira,’ Fred called out as he entered their apartment. ‘Amira, are you home?’
She put down the wooden spoon she’d been holding, not bothering to take off her apron as she went to see why he wasn’t just coming to find her. In the days since finding out about Maxi, she’d done everything she could to keep busy, and this evening she’d thrown herself into making something nice for dinner, as best she could on the rations she had to work with, anyway.
‘I’m here. How was your day?’ she asked. Since finding out that Maxi was alive, he’d been slightly more talkative. After the concert, they’d both come through the door in silence, collapsing on to the sofa after the stress of what they’d experienced. Wordlessly, Fred had poured a large drink and handed her one too. Then Fred had told her that he’d understand if she needed to come clean to Maxi, despite the enormous risk that would involve for both of them, but Amira had assured him that their secret would remain safe. Because that would mean coming clean with Maxi about her past as well, and she still didn’t truly know whether he would accept her truth or not.
She stopped to put one of the cushions back on the chair as she passed, smiling to herself when she saw Otto sitting nearby. Hisfavourite trick was to throw the cushions off the moment she had them all straight, and she was forever bending to pick them up.
‘Amira,’ Fred said, more insistently this time.
She looked up, not used to him saying her name like that.
‘Amira, I found a young man downstairs looking up at our apartment.’
‘What sort of young man?’
He frowned. ‘I have the strangest feeling that it could beyourman.’
‘Maxi?’ She ran to the window and peered down, but the light was fading and it was impossible to see anything. ‘How would he know to come here?’
‘Amira, if it is him and he’s come to see you...’
She turned and touched Fred’s arm, noticing that her hand was shaking.
‘If it’s Maxi, I stick to what we’ve agreed,’ she said.
Fred looked unsure of himself but simply nodded and turned away, and Amira quickly grabbed her coat and hurried downstairs. She looked around, seeing a figure standing in the shadows near her door. Amira cleared her throat, waiting for him to show himself, waiting to see if she was crazy for thinking it could be him.
Maxi.
She couldn’t stop staring, her eyes travelling over every inch of the man who stepped towards her, dressed in his uniform and with his arm in a sling.
‘Maxi?’ Amira said, taking a tentative step forward as she tried to accept who she was seeing before her. ‘Maxi, I can’t believe it’s really you. All those months believing you were gone...’
All she wanted was to run across the pavement and throw her arms around him, to shower his face with kisses, but instead she stood and blinked at him, his face stoic as he cleared his throat and stared back at her.
‘I shouldn’t have come.’
‘I’m glad you did.’
He shook his head. ‘No, Amira, I shouldn’t have. But I needed to see you with my own eyes, to make sure you were alright. And I wanted to say goodbye to you.’
She blinked away tears, wishing he knew that it hurt her as much as it did him. ‘Can we go for a walk?’
He still just stared back at her.
‘Please?’
‘Amira, we can’t just go for a walk like nothing—’ he muttered.
‘Maxi, please,’ she said, firmly. ‘Just walk with me.’
He finally nodded and they began to walk, being careful to keep a distance between them and not to bump shoulders. It wasn’t until they were well down the street that they finally spoke again.
‘I can’t believe you’re married,’ he said.
‘I can’t believe you’re alive.’
She quickened her pace then, waiting until they were around the next corner before stopping and throwing her arms around him. Amira held him more tightly than she’d ever hugged anyone before, barely able to believe she was touching him. But she let go of him just as quickly, glancing around to make certain that no one was watching them.
