Page 15 of Staging Love
"Theresa," Aunt Vivian admonished, but there was a hint of amusement in her voice. "We're hardly teenagers anymore. Let's stick to more... mature entertainment, shall we?"
Camilla’s stomach churned. She knew Theresa was trying to trip them up, to catch them in a lie. And while Jade seemed to handle the pressure just fine, Camilla was struggling.
As if sensing her discomfort, Jade suddenly stood up. "You know what? I have a better idea," she said, making her way over to the grand piano that stood in the corner of the room. She ran her fingers lightly over the keys. "How about a little sing-along?"
The tension in the room immediately dissipated as the family perked up at the suggestion.
"Oh, that sounds lovely!" Aunt Lara exclaimed. "It's been ages since we've had live music in this house."
Jade grinned, settling herself onto the piano bench. "Any requests?"
As the family called out various song titles, Camilla watched as Jade's fingers danced across the keys, her face lit up with genuine joy as she played. It was yet another side of Jade that took her by surprise, and she was captivated.
After a few songs, Jade beckoned to Jack and Emma. "Hey, you two! Want to help me out with the next one?"
The children eagerly scrambled over to the piano, their faces alight with excitement.
"Okay, Jack, you sit here next to me," Jade instructed, scooting over on the bench. "And Emma, you can be my special helper on the other side."
Jade positioned Jack's hands over a few keys on the lower end of the piano. "Alright, Jack, when I nod at you, Iwant you to press these three keys, just like this." She demonstrated a simple chord. "Can you do that?"
Jack nodded, his tongue sticking out of his mouth with concentration while he practiced the chord a few times.
"Perfect!" Jade praised. She then turned her attention to Emma. "And you, my little songbird, are going to help me with the high notes. When I nod to you, press this key right here, okay?"
Emma giggled, poking at the key.
"Great job, both of you," Jade said. "Now, let's see if everyone recognizes this tune."
With a wink at the family, Jade began to play the opening notes of "Heart and Soul." It was a simple, recognizable melody that brought smiles to everyone's faces. As she played, she nodded to Jack, who dutifully pressed his chord, filling out the bass line. Every few measures, she'd point to Emma, who would hit her high note with glee.
The result was a slightly wobbly but utterly charming rendition of the classic tune, and Camilla was laughing along with the rest of the family, all thoughts of Theresa's interrogation forgotten.
As the song came to an end, the room erupted in applause. Jack and Emma beamed with pride, and Jade gave them both high fives.
"That was wonderful!" Uncle Robert boomed. "Jade, you're full of surprises. Where did you learn to play like that?"
Jade shrugged modestly. "Oh, I took lessons as a kid. It's just something I've always enjoyed and it comes in handy when I’m doing theater."
Jade launched into another song, encouraging the whole family to sing along, She effortlessly charmedthem, bringing a whole new level of joy and togetherness to the room.
As the evening wore on, the family gradually began to disperse, heading off to bed, some a little tipsy from the wine and still humming melodies. Soon, only Camilla and Jade were left in the great room.
"Well, that was fun," Jade said. "Your family seems to really enjoy music."
Camilla nodded, suddenly feeling strangely shy now that they were alone. "They do. We used to have nights like this all the time when I was younger, before…” She paused. “Well, Mom used to play."
Jade nodded and patted the piano seat for Camilla to sit next to her. “You must miss them a lot.”
“I do.” Camilla shot her a sad smile. “But this has been lovely. Mum would have liked you.” She frowned and shook her head when it dawned on her how ridiculous that sounded. “I mean, this isn’t real of course,” she added, “but if it were real… Dad would have liked you too.”
“Oh yeah? Are you sure they would be okay with you being engaged to a woman?” Jade teased in an attempt to lighten the mood.
“You know what? I think they would have been fine with that,” Camilla said with a chuckle. “They just wanted me to be happy.”
“And? Are you happy?”
The question hung in the air between them, and Camilla needed a moment to answer. “I think so. I have a wonderful life on paper. I have a great job, I’m wealthy and healthy…” She met Jade’s eyes. “Are you happy?”
