The Pianist’s Wife

Chapter Nineteen

‘If you need me to stay—’

‘No, we’ll be fine. Thank you for bringing her home.’

‘If you need anything . . .’

Amira heard them talking, but she was so numb she couldn’t even tell if they were in the same room as her or not. She was sitting on a chair, shaking so violently she could feel her teeth chattering in her jaw, but she couldn’t bring herself to move.

‘Here, let’s warm you up,’ Fred said, his voice surprisingly close. She shut her eyes as he placed a blanket around her, holding it in place for a second before letting go. ‘I’ll be back in a moment with some soup.’

Amira forced herself to look up and watched him leave the room, wanting to tell him she didn’t want to eat now or ever again. But she couldn’t seem to make the words form in her throat, not then and not when he returned with a bowl and spoon and sat down in the chair beside her.

‘Open,’ he said, as if he were feeding a child.

Amira wanted to resist, but there was something about the way he was staring at her, his expression full of concern, that meant she did as he asked, letting him spoon the soup into her mouth. When they were done, he set the bowl down and took her by the hand, lifting her when she cried so hard she couldn’t walk and carrying her to bed.

He placed there her carefully and took off her shoes, before pulling the blanket up to her chin and tucking her in tightly. He even pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

‘Fred,’ she said, as he stood.

He looked down at her.

Amira wanted to ask him to stay with her, tried to say the words, but in the end she didn’t need to say a thing. Because he quietly took off his own shoes and climbed in beside her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her as she fought a fresh wave of tears.

‘You’re the only one who understands,’ she eventually whispered.

He didn’t reply, but his arms around her tightened, and she knew that he felt the same. They’d both lost the loves of their lives. They’d both endured heartache and feared persecution in a way that few could understand, and she needed Fred more than she’d ever needed anyone before.