I pulled out my phone and started searching for contemporary violin pieces, scrolling through videos and listening to snippets while Rory watched her mobile with complete fascination. I liked several of them, but nothing felt right for this audition—either too demanding to master in three weeks or not impressive enough to stand out among the other candidates.
After about twenty minutes of searching, Rory started to get fussy. I set my phone aside and lifted her from the swing, cradling her against my chest.
“You’re not loving any of those either, huh?” I said, gently bouncing her. I let out a sigh. “We’ll figure something out.”
I began humming absently as I walked around the living room with her, a melody that had been floating in my head for days. It wasn’t classical—more of a folk-inspired tune with modern harmonies that I’d been playing around with on my guitar during practice breaks. It was just something that had come to me naturally.
Rory settled against me, her eyes growing heavy. I continued humming, adding variations to the melody as I paced, and before long, she was fast asleep.
I was on my fourth or fifth lap around Drew’s living room when the idea sparked in my head like a wildfire. What if I played my own composition for the contemporary piece? The idea was terrifying—I’d never performed my own music publicly—but it would certainly showcase a different side of my musicality. I’d been composing this one on my guitar, but I could make it work for violin.
The thought was both exhilarating and panic-inducing. I’d have to not only prepare a piece but fully compose and refine it. But maybe that was exactly the kind of risk I needed to take.
The more I considered it, the more the idea of composing my own piece appealed to me. I settled back into the couch with Rory still nestled against me, her tiny body warm and comforting. Her breathing was soft and steady against my chest as she slept.
I hummed the melody again, imagining how it would sound with different techniques. My thoughts drifted between musical phrases and arrangement possibilities as the quiet of the house and the rhythmic sound of Rory’s breathing lulled me into a state of calm. The weight of the sleeping baby against me was surprisingly soothing.
I closed my eyes, just to visualize the structure of the piece more clearly…
The sensation of being watched pulled me from sleep. I blinked my eyes open slowly to find Drew standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable as he looked at me. How long had he been standing there? Rory was still sleeping soundly against my chest so I couldn’t have been out that long.
“Hey,” I said softly, my voice rough with sleep. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to doze off.”
Drew didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he continued to look at me with that strange expression, and the moment stretched between us, charged with unspoken emotions I was too chicken to acknowledge.
“It’s okay,” he finally said, his voice slightly raspy and just above a whisper. “You looked peaceful.”
The way he said it made me feel suddenly vulnerable, as if he’d glimpsed something private. I carefully shifted Rory in my arms, trying to tame my hair with my free hand, aware of the warmth creeping into my cheeks.
“How was your lab?” I asked, desperate to break the strange tension.
Drew seemed to snap out of whatever trance he’d been in. “Great. I passed.”
“That’s awesome.” I gently transferred the sleeping Rory to Drew’s arms. “She was perfect. Got a little fussy at first, but then fell right to sleep.”
Drew cradled his daughter in his arms, looking down at her like she was pure magic in his world. “Thanks for coming over on such short notice. I know you probably have a lot going on with your audition coming up.”
I hesitated, surprised he remembered. “Actually, they just changed the requirements. Now I have to prepare a contemporary piece too, which is not my forte.”
“Seriously? This close to the audition date?” Drew frowned. “That’s rough.”
“Yeah, well…I think I might try something different.” I bent to pick up my bag. “I’m considering composing something myself.”
Drew’s eyebrows shot up. “You compose?”
“Sort of. Nothing formal, just ideas.” I shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. “It’s probably a terrible plan.”
“I don’t think so,” he said thoughtfully. “If anyone could pull it off, it’s you.”
The simple vote of confidence caught me off guard. “Thanks,” I said, unsure how to respond. I was still adjusting to his support instead of his derision.
I headed toward the door to leave. “I should go. Lots of work to do now.”
Drew stopped me just as I opened the door. “Harper?”
I paused, looking back at him. “Yeah?”
“If you want someone to listen to your piece when it’s ready—you know, before the audition—I’m available.”
