Page 42 of That Thing You Brew
“Can she sleep in my room? We can have a girls’ night!”
“No,myroom!”
“Girls!” Xavier’s mother shouted quietly over the din. “Penny is our guest. She’ll have her own room. And you’ll only go in if you’re invited.”
“Okay.”
“Fiiiine.”
I grinned and gave Xavier a nudge toward his parents so we could close the distance.
“Penny, these are my parents, Heinrich and Irina.”
I unclenched my other fist and held out my hand to his mother, who looked like she could be Daniella’s older sister. “Hi… great to meet you.”
She shook my hand and smiled. “Welcome to our home, Penny. Heinrich and I are happy to have you.”
I swallowed and said evenly, “Thank you.”
Heinrich Schwann narrowed his eyes at Xavier, but they turned friendly when he set them on me. I shook his hand firmly. I got the impression he was the one we’d have to convince.
We entered the room, and it wasn’t what I expected. The section of the tower that faced the front of the house was only a small piece. The rest of the view looked out over the bay, and I was surprised to see my harp and a stool set up in the arc of the windows overlooking the water. This would be a beautiful spot to play in.
Xavier had told his parents that I was shy, and so while they asked me questions over lunch, I wasn’t the focus the entire time. The little girls were chatty, and for the most part, I felt comfortable. When dessert was cleared, I poked Xavier and pointed to my harp. He nodded.
“Mom, Dad, would you like to hear Penny play?”
“More than anything!” Karina shouted. “Will you teach me? Opa was going to but…” She didn’t finish the sentence and turned her head sharply toward the window. “Harps are pretty.”
“They are,” I replied gently, “and they sound pretty, too.” My heart clenched. “I’d love to teach you.”
“After she plays for us,” Heinrich declared, then turned to me. “You play the little bird in the cinnamon tree song?”
I nodded, and Xavier and I exchanged a long, meaningful look.
This was a test.
He pressed his lips to my forehead, and I closed my eyes. The girls giggled. I couldn’t help smiling. They reminded me so much of myself and Tasha when we were young.
“What a … beautiful view,” I said, settling onto the plush velvet stool.
“We like it,” Daniella said.
I smiled at her and looked over my shoulder at Xavier. He gave me a thumbs-up and I turned back to my strings. Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath to ground myself in the moment, running my fingers along the strings to make sure the instrument was still in tune after its travels. It was, and I began to play Xavier’s grandfather’s favorite song.
When I finished, the room was silent. My heart pounded as I swiveled around to see their reactions. Tears streamed down Irina’s and Daniella’s cheeks. Karina stood next to Xavier, her head on his shoulder, wiping her eyes. His eyes were closed. Edyta was on her dad’s lap, using the end of her sleeve to wipehiseyes.
Daniella recovered first. “Just like Opa.” She sniffed. “Thank you.”
“Truly,” Henrich said, hugging Edyta close. “He was with us.Here.With my eyes closed, it could have been him playing. We—” He tipped his chin toward his family. “You,Penny, have brought us much joy today. I hope you will consider our home yours. Play anytime you wish. We are honored to welcome you to our family.”
Stunned, I swiped at my own eyes. “Th-thank you.”
Karina left Xavier’s side and tentatively approached me. “Can you teach me now? Please?”
“Of course.” I stood and gestured for her to sit. “The first thing to learn is proper posture … sit up straight. Shoulders back … feet on the floor.” I pointed as I named its parts. “This is the base … the backbone … the sound bar … See these levers?”
She nodded. “Do those change the sound?”
