Hearts Unfold (64 page)

“Since we're both so
single-minded, I expect we'll have to compromise quite a lot.
 
As long as we love each other enough, respect
each other, and maybe add a lot of prayer into the mix, we'll be okay.
 
My mother used to say that whenever she and
my father had a disagreement, they would go away and pray on their own about
it.
 
She said it helped them to see the
other's point, as if God had cleared the air for them.”

“I somehow imagined your
parents were always in complete harmony.”

“Oh, no.
 
Remember, they were both middle-aged when
they married.
 
In many ways, they were
opposites, and their opinions were very strong, especially Mother's.
 
My mother was passionate about everything,
while Pop was more of a debater.
 
He
could argue any side of an issue, but Mother tended to stand her ground to the
bitter end.
 
There were lots of lively
debates in our house, on everything from last spring's rainfall to the merits
of one variety of tomato over another, not to mention their very different
opinions on various writers and composers.
 
Politically, they were at opposite ends of the spectrum, and politics
was the one topic off limits.
 
I guess
that's why I have so little interest.
 
I
never heard any discussion at home about elections or policies.
 
They simply refused to discuss it.
 
Pop would very often quote the scripture
describing the nature of love, love that believes all things, hopes all things
and, he would say, most of all endures all things.
 
They loved each other beyond all their
differences.
 
No argument ever lasted
past sundown, and looking back at it, maybe the fact they had to make up so
often made for even greater passion.
 
Not
that I want to follow that pattern.”
 
She
took a last sip of her tea, stood and stretched her arms luxuriously over her
head.

“Corinthians, right?”

“What?”
 
Carefully, she settled herself on his knee.

“The nature of love, one of
the letters to the Corinthians, right?”

“Are you showing off?”
 
She pressed her lips to his cheek, running
her fingers into his hair.

“Just a little.
 
I've been doing my homework.
 
Pastor Mike would be proud.
 
I intend to be as familiar with these things
as you are by the time we stand up together in that little church.
 
And speaking of standing up, shouldn't we be
getting ready to go?
 
I'm sure I could be
persuaded to sit here like this all morning, but you did say you wanted to see
everything in the tour book in just six days.”

John drove them to the
museum.
 
As he watched them walk away
hand in hand, he wondered if Emily was prepared for the inevitable photographer
or autograph seeker.
 
Any time Stani
chose to walk the streets of New York, there was the likelihood he would be recognized.
 
John made a circle of the block, and when he
passed them again, they had made it to the museum's entrance before two women
had stopped Stani, and he was reaching for the pen in his coat pocket.
 
John could see Emily, standing at his elbow,
smiling patiently as she looked on.
 
It
would take more than that to upset her, he was glad to see.

When he met them two hours
later, they were walking arm in arm, laughing.
 
They were quite a pair, Stani in his customary black, his bright hair
gleaming in the sunlight, and Emily, ever so slightly taller, in her red coat,
a soft white beret covering her dark head.
 
He hardly recognized the boy, walking proudly with his girl on his arm,
all his attention focused on her.
 
Maybe
the photo hounds would have the same problem, accustomed as they were to seeing
him dash head down, alone.
 
Maybe.

Chapter Fifty-two

Jana had not been prepared for
the girl Stani had obviously fallen in love with.
 
She was young, but she was also very
self-assured.
 
This girl, who said she
lived alone in the country, the same girl it turned out who had found Stani in
that remote area after the accident, was the kind of girl he might have hoped
to meet if he’d had an ordinary life here in New York, a student, or even
another musician, with refined tastes and a good education.
 
Jana was amazed he had found her at all.
 
He hadn’t sought the company of women, as far
as she knew, since his recovery.
 
But now
he was so clearly in love, so totally engaged by this girl, it made her heart
ache a little.

The fact that he was loved in
return, so plain to see on the girl's face as she watched him talking, eased
the ache.
 
He would be cared for, loved
as he so deserved to be, by this unusual girl, and she would make his happiness
the most important thing in her life.
 
Jana had hoped against hope that someday Stani would finally be loved
for himself, not for what he could do.
 
She had tried, especially at first, but there had been so many
barriers.
 
Not only the fact that
somewhere he already had a mother, but the need to maintain her marriage, never
letting her love for the boy interfere with her dedication to Milo.
 
Now Stani would be loved unconditionally, and
with great passion she suspected.
 
While
she was reserved and soft-spoken, there was an intensity about Emily.
 
Behind her calm smile, Jana sensed a woman
capable of powerful emotion.
 
A perfect
match for Stani, who had always kept his emotions buried until he had a violin
in his hands.
 
She would teach him to
live, to get outside himself and experience so much more of the world.

Jana had brought a faded
manila envelope with her to the restaurant.
 
It seemed the perfect opportunity today, to pass it to Stani without
Milo there.
 
“These are the papers we got
from your mother when you came to live with us.
 
You should have them with you now that you’re out on your own.”
 
She handed him the slim envelope.
 
“I wish there were more, but this is all we
ever had.”

Stani took it hesitantly.
 
He hadn't known of its existence until
now.
 
Jana had never felt the time right,
and he had never asked.
 
It seemed sad
that there was so little of his early life, just the few fading snapshots and
his birth and baptismal records.

With Emily looking over his
shoulder, her hand resting on his arm as if in support, he opened it and peered
inside briefly.
 
“Thank you, Jana.
 
I would never have thought to ask.
 
I guess I assumed there wasn't anything.”
 
It struck her that he rarely mentioned his
mother, never asked questions about his father, or talked of the years before
he came to them.
 
Had he believed his
past lost forever, or had he simply wanted to forget?

Ever since she’d learned that
he was in love, just before Christmas, Jana had done a lot of thinking about
the past.
 
They had let him down, though
of course Milo would never see it that way.
 
They had taken him in, if they were truthful, with the intention of
molding him into the image of a performing genius, overlooking his other gifts,
his keen intelligence and sweet nature.
 
It was a tribute to Stani's character that he
had come through the months before the accident without completely losing his
moral balance.
 
And it was nothing short
of a miracle that he had recovered from his injuries, fought his way back, and
was now taking his life in such a different direction.
 
Milo seemed confused by this new Stani, but
Jana thought she could understand him better, having met this girl he loved.
 
She had prayed that he would have a chance at
a better existence after the horror of the accident and the months that
followed.
 
She often felt her prayers
were just so many random thoughts and desires, that God would never be able to
make sense of them.
 
But she could see,
when she looked at the faces of these two, that he had seen the need in Stani
and provided the answer in the form of this wonderful girl.

As they stood on the street
saying their goodbyes, Jana put her arms around Stani in a rare show of
affection.
 
“I'm so happy for you, for
both of you.
 
She's lovely, really
lovely,” she said in his ear.

“Thank you, Jana.
 
That means a lot to me.
 
I told you, I'm the most fortunate of
men.
 
Now you see why.”
 
He returned her embrace, wondering why it
seemed so natural now, when in the past he had often found it awkward.
 
“We'll see you on Thursday night.
 
I hope Milo can be on time.”
 
When he had invited them to dinner, along with
Peg and John, Milo had made comments to the effect that he had a very busy day
planned and would try his best to make it.
 
Jana would recognize the excuse.
 
Milo hated to be forced into scheduling anything that didn't involve
business in some way.
 
Purely social
occasions were often overlooked, or cut short.
 
But Stani hoped Jana would influence him this time.
 
It was important for Emily to get this
meeting behind her.

“I'll see to it, Stani, don't
worry.
 
I'll remind him that Peg will be
there.
 
He'll see that as an opportunity.”
 
Turning to Emily, Jana extended her
hand.
 
“My dear, I'm so happy to have met
you.
 
Now I understand much better why
Stani has this new lease on life.”

But Emily ignored the
outstretched hand and offered a hug, leaning over the much smaller woman.
 
“Thank you for making me feel so
welcome.
 
And for all you've done for
him.
 
He's turning out okay, wouldn't you
say?”
 
She turned to Stani and linked her
arm through his.
 
“Now, I want my
carriage ride through Central Park if you don't mind.
 
This day is too fine to waste inside a
museum.
 
I need some romance, Stani
Moss.”

Jana had to laugh.
 
What an amazing sight, one she had thought
never to see.
 
Stani in love, smiling and
happy, and blushing to the roots of his hair.

In the car, John passed a note
to Stani, along with a telling look in the rear view mirror.
 
“Sorry, lad, but you'd better have this.”

With a little groan, he tucked
the paper in his pocket after a quick glance.
 
“Tell him I'll be there, but later, four, I guess.”

“What is it, Stani?
 
Not a problem, I hope?”
 
Emily hugged his arm, watching the telltale
tightening of his jaw.

“No,
just business.
 
You won't miss me for an
hour or so, will you?”

“Of course I will.
 
But I'll survive.
 
I can't expect to have you drop everything
for me, not if I'm in training to be your sidekick.”

“Sidekick?
 
As if I ever dreamed of having such an adorable
sidekick.
 
John is my sidekick,
darling.
 
You are my girl.”
  
He kissed her, folding her in his arms and
tilting her head back against the seat.

“Are you two planning to get
up to that sort of thing every time the car starts to move?
 
Stani, I'm in no way accustomed to you in the
role of lover.”

“But he's perfect for the
part, John, you have to admit.”
 
Emily's
voice was slightly breathless, but her eyes were bright with laughter.
 
“I'm afraid you'll have to get used to us.
 
We've been spoiled by too much time alone in
the country.”

“I can only imagine what that
means.
 
Stani, lad, are you sure we
shouldn't just go back to the hotel?”

“No, she wants a romantic
carriage ride, and she's going to get one.”
 
John could only surmise what followed Emily's smothered laughter, as he
struggled to keep his eyes on the flow of traffic.

Emily had fallen asleep, her
head on Stani's shoulder, as the carriage made its slow turn through the
park.
 
They had been photographed when
the ride ended, caught just as Stani raised his arms to lift her to the
ground.
 
She was reaching down to him,
her hair cascading over one shoulder and a tender smile on her face.
 
The photographer had commented on the
perfection of the pose, thanking Stani with a grin for giving him the shot.