The choices we made

Chapter 10.

*Christine

I listened and watched as if enchanted by the grace with which Erik's fingers moved on the organ.

I had the impression that Erik had become one with the instrument while playing.

When the last sounds of the organ faded away, Erik turned towards me.

"That was wonderful," I praised him.

Erik thanked me.

"I miss this," I confessed, sitting down right next to Erik, on the edge of the stool.

Erik's attentive gaze watched my every move.

"So... would you like to resume our singing lessons?" he asked with a hint of uncertainty, placing his hands on his thighs.

I opened my mouth, then closed it.

I could have expected such a question.

"I... I'm not ready," I finally confessed.

I couldn't sing.

Not at that moment.

My voice... My voice still didn't sound the same as before. I was starting to wonder if there was even a chance that I would regain it in full.

A few nights ago, I tried to warm up my voice to sing. I broke down then. I sounded terrible. I squeaked like an unoiled hinge.

"I understand..." I saw Erik's muscles tense up almost imperceptibly.

Was Erik angry with me? Did he really want to hear me sing?

"I can't sing because of the burn. Believe me, I really want to... but not now... this... this is too fast... my voice..." I touched my neck with my hand. "We both know I sound terrible when I speak, let alone if I would sing. I can't... I can not do this.." I looked down.

"Of course, I'm sorry, I should have thought that..." he stopped in mid-sentence.

I looked up at him slowly.

"Erik? Just because I can't sing doesn't have to change anything. We can lose ourselves in music in a different way. Maybe we could play a duet? You on the organ and I on the violin?"

Erik's face softened and his gaze sparkled.

"If that's what you want, then I'm all for it. Do you have a particular piece in mind?"

I thought for a moment.

"Chopin, Nocturne in E flat major, op. 9, no. 2?"*

Erik got up from the stool and went to the chest of drawers from which various scores were spilling out.

Handing me the appropriate sheet music so that I could arrange it on the organ, Erik went to get the violin.

Getting up from the stool, I felt excitement in my lower abdomen. It had been so long since I held a violin in my hands.

Taking the violin from Erik, I immediately placed it on my collarbone. Holding the bow in my other hand, I was about to extract the first sound from the violin when I heard Erik's voice.

"If I could say something..." I looked at him questioningly, "would you let me correct your pose?"

"Of course."

The man stood right behind me.

-You hold the violin correctly by the collarbone, while by the strings the violin should be held gently down.

I felt his warm breath by my ear. My back was almost touching Erik's torso.

I felt my cheeks turn red.