Melody's Muse ✓

18. Schubert - Waltz No. 6 in b minor, Op. 18.

Melody

"Oh sorry, hang on." Cole stops playing to take his ringing phone out of his pocket. He furrows his brows at whatever is on his screen.

I pause the metronome.

"Hey Mom, what's up?" His lips pull into a tight line as he listens. "Really?" He mouths sorry to me before quickly stepping out of the room to continue his call.

I wonder what that's all about. I shut the piano lid and plop myself onto the sofa. We were just about finished for today anyways. I turn on the TV and begin absentmindedly scrolling through movies to watch.

Cole slowly walks back in, seeming completely absorbed in his own thoughts. He wordlessly sits down next to me and stares blankly into space.

I tilt my head curiously. "Everything ok?"

"My parents and sisters are visiting this week," he mumbles. "It's so like them to just spring last minute plans on me." 

I wait quietly for the bad news, until I realize that's all it is. It's much smaller of an ordeal than I had expected. Based on the vexed look on his face, you'd think his mom just told him something catastrophic.

"Why are they visiting?" 

"They want to have a celebration dinner for my younger sister." I look at him expectantly, but it doesn't look like he wants to talk about them. He slowly blinks a couple times before turning to me. "I don't know if I want to go."

I feel a slight twinge of jealousy and irritation. I bite my tongue to stop myself from scolding him. What I wouldn't do to have a big family to spend time together with. Cole does, and he's considering just blowing them off?

I give his arm a gentle squeeze. "I think you should. They're your family."

He lazily tips his head back and leans against the sofa's headrest. "I don't know, Mel," he mutters, staring blankly at the ceiling. He slowly turns towards me. "Would you want to come?"

I resist the urge to immediately decline - as I've always done with invitations. I swallow back the painful lump in my throat. "Why?"

"I would feel a lot better with you there." He smiles but there's a clear sense of discomfort in his tone.

I fidget with the throw pillow sitting on my lap. "Why? Is there something up with your family?"

He sighs and runs his hand through his hair, keeping his hand resting on the back of his neck. "We just... don't really get along sometimes."

I can't imagine someone like Cole not getting along with his family. If they're anything like him, how bad could they be?

"Plus my older sister is a huge fan of yours," he adds.

My stomach sinks and I pull my legs up onto the sofa to tuck them against my chest. I hug my knees, trying to squeeze myself into a smaller ball - wanting to disappear. The connection between my personal and professional life is becoming stronger and stronger every day. I don't exactly know how I feel about that, but I do know it's sending terrified trembles through my body. 

"I'm not comfortable with that," I mumble.

"Ah, right." Cole rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "I can talk to her ahead of time, make her promise to not...interrogate you about your work," he says and gives me a soft charming smile.

"When will you realize that look isn't going to get you anywhere?" I scoff, playfully nudging him.

His face turns red. "Sorry, habit," he murmurs. "Please Mel?" He rests his warm hand over mine.