For three weeks, the same eight measures repeated through the Mercer house every evening.
Ryan learned them against his will.
Claire learned them after only two visits.
"You are playing the fourth measure too fast," she told Sophie one Sunday.
Sophie stopped. "Dad says it is fine."
Ryan, from the kitchen, called, "Dad values peace."
Claire pointed at the sheet music. "The tempo marking disagrees with peace."
Sophie looked toward Ryan. "She is bossy."
Ryan carried in three mugs of hot chocolate. "I have no relevant experience with that."
Claire gave him a look.
The concert took place on a Thursday evening. Claire had a board dinner scheduled for the same time.
A year earlier, the answer would have been obvious. Work outranked anything that could be labeled optional.
This time Claire called Evelyn Ross.
"I will attend the first hour and leave before dinner," she said.
Evelyn paused. "Do I want to know why?"
"School concert."
Another pause.
"Whose child?"
"Sophie's."
Evelyn's voice turned amused. "Leave after the audit report. I will survive dinner without you."
Claire arrived at the school auditorium with six minutes to spare and found Ryan holding an empty seat beside him with his coat.
"You made it," he said.
"Apparently board dinners continue even if the CEO leaves."
"Disturbing discovery."
Sophie spotted them from the risers and tried not to smile.
Her piano passage lasted less than a minute. She missed one note, recovered, and finished without stopping.
Claire applauded harder than anyone in their row.
Afterward, Sophie came running through the hallway. "Did you hear the mistake?"
Claire crouched slightly so they were closer to eye level. "I heard you keep playing after it."
Sophie looked at her for a moment. "Mrs. Lang says that is what musicians do."
"Mrs. Lang is right."