When the Music Ends (The Winter Rose Chronicles) (29 page)

            She
raised the instrument to her lips. This was unlike anything she had played
before. The tune was simple, but she played it passionately, lovingly, each
note recalling the emotions of their relationship. It was the song, he
realized, that had been playing the first time they danced at homecoming, the
night that they had kissed in the parking lot, and later gone to her house and
made love for the first time. So many years had passed since that night, but
for a moment, he was there again, holding a very young Erin in his arms,
kissing her soft lips, and knowing that his life would never be the same. It
was, without a doubt, the most meaningful gift anyone had ever given him, and
he was thankful to be here for it. As he listened, a few of the lyrics from the
chorus flitted across his memory. "For better or worse, till death do us
part, / I’ll love you with every beat of my heart, I swear."

            The
last plaintive notes died away. Erin lowered her oboe. The audience sat in
stunned silence for several moments, moved to disbelief by the beauty of what
they had just heard. In a very real sense, Erin had taken the love she had for
her husband and broadcast it through the whole room in such a way that everyone
not only knew how she felt, but felt it with her. Sean looked up at his
beautiful little wife, standing on that stage and felt certain he would burst
with pride for her accomplishments today. He brought his hands together loudly,
breaking the ice, and the room erupted into thunderous applause. Erin bowed, indicated her pianist, who stood and bowed, and then had her woodwind group
come onto the stage to be honored. After several moments of loud appreciation,
including a well deserved standing ovation, the house lights clicked on. At
last Erin could see the audience. Among the expected compliment of music
teachers, music majors, and students from the music appreciation classes trying
to get their concert attendance credits, there was a little pocket of people
off to one side. Her eyes went there directly, of course, because Sean was
there. He drew her gaze like no one else. Standing near him was Sheridan, beaming, lighting up the room with her high-voltage smile. But the surprise was
that those two were not alone. Roger and Ellen Murphy, their expressions
startled, stood with their children. And, as she looked, her mouth dropped open
in shock. Daniel James was with them. Her father, her careless disinterested
father, had left work on a Saturday afternoon, not to golf with his buddies,
not to work out at the gym, but to drive three hours so he could listen to his
daughter play a recital. It was unheard of. He stood and approached her
carrying a large bouquet of red roses. Because this was a recital hall and not
an auditorium, there was no orchestra pit, and so the distance between the
stage and the floor was not very great. He extended the roses up to her

            "Well
done pumpkin," he said, and his eyes were rather shiny, "I had no
idea you were that good."

            "Thank
you Daddy," Erin said softly, taking the bouquet and smelling it. She set
her oboe on a little stand and the flowers on the piano bench, and climbed down
the steps at the side of the stage to where her father was standing. He put his
arms around her and hugged her tight.

            "I’m
so proud of you Erin." That did it. Those simple, desperately longed for
words meant more to her than the applause, more than the ovation. Erin sniffled and tears began to flow down her cheeks. The overwrought emotions of the
concert, combined with the wild hormones of her pregnancy, broke apart her
composure and she wept noisily in her father’s embrace.

            "Erin?" It was Tory. She patted her friend on the arm, "that was amazing. Are
you all right?"

            "She’s
fine." Marisol had joined them, "I felt the same way after my
recital. It’s the adrenaline. Is this your dad, Erin?"

            Erin took a deep breath. "Yes, this is my dad, Daniel James." She squeezed him
tight once more and then stepped away. "Dad, there’s going to be a
little reception now in the band hall. I have to pack up my instrument and then
I’ll be over there."

            "Okay
pumpkin. I’ll see you there."

            A
few minutes later, Erin had put her oboe away; leaving it in Dr.
Johnson’s locked office. She would retrieve it Monday for rehearsal. The
roses she carried with her. She walked the few steps down the courtyard to the
band hall where a noisy crowd was munching cookies and sipping punch and
coffee. She went straight to her husband.

            He
didn’t say a word about her playing, but his gaze was intense. He had
understood the message of that last song. He slid his arm around her waist and
just held her while people approached, complimenting her performance.

            All
her woodwind ensemble friends hugged her, and several members of the music
faculty did as well. Last was Dr. Johnson. He actually scooped her away from
Sean and squeezed her.

            "Oh
Erin, you surpassed my wildest expectations. Bravo. You had better send me
lots and lots of double reed students from your hometown."

            "I’ll
do that," she told him seriously, visions of her future pupils flashing
across her mind.

            He
turned to Sean. "Hi, I’m Dr. Johnson. I teach oboe here. You must
be Erin’s husband."

            "I
am." He shook the man’s hand. "Sean Murphy."

            "You
must be very proud."

            "You
can’t imagine." Sean’s voice was rough with love and passion
as he looked at his wife with intense blue eyes.

            Dr.
Johnson looked at Sean for a moment and saw exactly why this man meant more to Erin than any playing job in any orchestra. At last he understood why she was willing to
give up such a promising career. She was gaining something much more
satisfying.

            After
the reception, as the audience drifted away, the James and Murphy families
walked to the courtyard. It had been rather stuffy in the band hall, but
outside the weather was chilly and felt very refreshing indeed. The Murphys had
held back during the reception, wanting Erin to receive all the professional
accolades she deserved but now it was their turn. Roger gave her one of his
signature bear hugs before handing her over to his wife, who kissed her cheek.

            "That
was amazing, Erin dear. You’re such an accomplished musician."

            "Thank
you. I’m overwhelmed that you both made it."

            "We
wouldn’t have missed it for anything."

            "How
did you know to be here?"

            "I
told them, of course," Sheridan said, "I know you hate to be a
bother to anyone, but really Erin, everyone wanted to come and see you. And you
sure didn’t disappoint. Wow. I really liked that last one. Did you say
you arranged it yourself?"

            "Yes."

            "How
did you choose it?"

            "It
was the song," Sean told her, "that was playing the first time we
danced together, at homecoming."

"You remembered!"

            "Of
course. That was a life changing moment for both of us."

            Erin nodded. "It was, in the best possible way."

            "Well,"
Daniel said, "I’m very glad to have been here for this Erin. Be sure and let me know when your graduation is. But I have a meeting this evening with
some clients who want some investment advice, and it’s a long drive
home."

            "Sure
Daddy. Thank you so much for coming." She hugged him once more and he
left.

            "Okay,
Mom, Dad, how about a tour of the University? I would love to show you around
the campus." She collected her parents, winked at her friend, and left.
Now it was just Erin and her husband. She took his hand and led him back to her
dorm room in silence. Once there, Sean tenderly undressed his wife, noting the
changes to her body, the swollen breasts, and the round little belly. This
time, she didn’t look so desperately thin. With Sheridan to look after
her, she was taking better care of herself. She glowed with joy over her
success. He pressed her to him for a long passionate kiss before lifting her
into the bed for a private celebration that quite took Erin’s breath
away.

            After
a moment as transcendent as that senior recital, the rest of the school year
was rather dull. The girls finished their classes well, especially now that Erin had more time and energy to devote to her studies. Her week at home for Spring break
had included a visit at the midwife clinic where an ultrasound revealed a
healthy and active baby boy. Erin was overjoyed. So was Sean. And then it was
back to school to finish the semester.

Then, on the second Saturday in May, Erin sat in the gym, robed in
black and wearing a square hat, to receive her diploma. Sheridan was sitting on
the stage. She was the top graduate that semester and would be introducing the
keynote speaker as a reward for her 4.0 Grade Point Average. Erin was less
academically inclined than her friend, but was still graduating Magna Cum
Laude, with high honors. In the end, she had received a fourth B, for her
political science class, which didn’t delight her, but was satisfactory.
She was content. Her years of hard work had been successful and she was
receiving her music degree. Tonight, she would leave the University forever and
go home to begin her life as Mrs. Erin Murphy, oboe player and music teacher.
She couldn’t wait. She was even going to play with the symphony in the
summer music series, at least the first part of it. Her baby was due in August,
but she would be the featured performer at a concert in June in honor of her
return.

            But
first, the graduation. Wonderfully, her father was sitting with the Murphys in
the bleachers, ready to cheer his daughter’s success again. His
willingness to take time for her went a long way towards curing Erin of the idea that she was unwanted. The Murphys of course, were great, so supportive
and kind. They clapped for her as loudly as they did their own daughter. Sean
cheered loudest, of course, as his wife crossed the stage to shake hands with
the president of the university and receive her diploma.

            It
was a very long ceremony, with hundreds of graduates being honored, but finally
it was over, and the two Murphy girls posed cheek to cheek, imitating the high
school photo they had taken together years ago, only this time it was Erin whose belly swelled her robes. Sheridan looked slim and happy. In a sense, graduation
was an ending for these two. Oh, they would be friends and sisters forever, but
their lives were pulling them apart, and the intense closeness that had helped
them both survive the last five years was over. It was wrenching for both of them,
and they had cried a little over it. The good part was that they would be able
to stay close a bit longer. Sean’s massive renovation project
wasn’t quite finished, but he had let his apartment lease expire to save
money for the work. The couple would be staying with the elder Murphys until
the house was completed, and Sheridan was coming home for the summer too,
before returning to State in the fall to begin work on her Master’s
Degree.

            After
the ceremony, Daniel went home to work. Erin no longer begrudged him his long
hours. It was what he wanted, and as long as he made a little time for her now
and again, it sufficed. The rest of the family went back to the girls’
dorm room and helped them pack up to move.

            "Ouch,"
Sheridan said.

            "What
happened?" Roger asked, concerned. He’d always been very protective
of his daughter.

            "Erin I swear, if I stick myself with one more piece of reed…can’t you put them
in the trash?"

            She
plucked the splinter out of her finger and tossed it in the garbage can.

            "Reed?"
Sean asked.

            "Get
used to it brother dear. Oboe players are obsessed with their reeds. They make
them themselves and in the process leave splinters everywhere."

            "I
try, but sometimes they get away from me. Sorry Danny."

            Sheridan rolled her eyes. Stuck fingers notwithstanding, it only took a short time to pack
everything up and load it into the vehicles for the three hour drive home. Sheridan took Erin’s car. Her friend was giving it to her to keep. Erin rode with
her husband, of course. Their long separation was over. Their new life together
was beginning.

******

Erin and Sean settled in quickly. It was a little strange living
above his parents, and their private moments had to be kept rather quiet, but
that was all right. And Erin began to play immediately with the symphony
orchestra. She had been well liked there in high school, but now that she had
earned her music degree, and achieved such an amazing level of ability, she had
become something of a celebrity in the small community. She rather liked being
a large frog in a small pond, especially since the special concert planned to
welcome her back to the group was coming together so well. One of the pieces
was the Albinoni Concerto for Two Oboes that she and her woodwind group had
performed for her senior recital.