Page 64 of A Forgotten Heart
Tillie slid her small hand into his, breaking the moment. “Please, Uncle Nick. Sing with us.”
Elsie’s words echoed in his head.Your family needs more than a warrior.Maybe, in this moment, swallowing his pride and singing was what they needed.
He heaved a sigh and swung Tillie up in his good arm. She squealed.
“Only if you promise to help me sing on pitch.”
He sat in a chair facing the window, Tillie in his lap, as Elsie broke into a rendition of “Angels We Have Heard on High.”
Elsie’s voice rang out above the others, her soprano floating effortlessly. It reached out and nearly choked Nick. So beautiful.
But when they arrived at the chorus, Tillie lifted her chin and shouted the gloria with such gusto that the three boys started to snicker.
She responded by closing her eyes and singing loud enough to burst Nick’s eardrum.
A laugh bubbled up from Nick’s gut. No sense in letting Tillie have all the fun. So he joined her.
Eli wrapped his arms around his torso, laughing until he fell over on the floor. “Uncle Nick, please stop.”
Nick glanced over at Elsie.
Another woman might have been annoyed at his silly antics, but not Elsie. She rolled her eyes at him, but she was smiling. The same way she had that night long ago.
The song ended with laughter bouncing around the room.
“Sing ‘God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,’” Jo said. “It’s Ma’s favorite.”
“It’s only Ma’s favorite if Uncle Nick doesn’t sing,” David declared.
Nick put his hand onto his chest. “Why wouldn’t you want me to sing?”
Ben leaned over the arm of Nick’s chair. “Because you really stink at it.”
Elsie pealed with laughter.
Nick pulled a face. “I happen to be a wonderful actor?—”
“Acting ain’t the same as singing,” Eli called out.
Jo doubled over with giggles.
Nick’s gaze found Elsie next to the tree, watching him. When his eyes met hers, she didn’t look away. Only stared at him with an openness that made his heart soar.
With a shy smile, she started to sing. “God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay…”
Oh, her voice sent a shiver up Nick’s spine. The others joined in the carol, but Nick couldn’t force his voice to work.
How did she fit in so perfectly with his family? Almost like she was the missing piece no one knew they needed.
Joy flushed her cheeks as she took Ben’s hands and began to dance around the room. Kaitlyn started clapping, and others followed suit.
“From God our heavenly Father a blessed angel came…”
The tempo picked up speed, his heart keeping the same rhythm. Elsie danced Ben around the room faster to keep up until she huffed between words. Her arms lifted into the air withan exuberant “Hey!” at the end before she plopped backward onto the settee.
Cheers echoed around the room.
“Again!” Tillie shouted.
