Curnen smiled at the slip, though otherwise didn't react or remark. There was love in his playing, both for the playing and for this song, and she heard that more clearly than any mistake. As Caden's voice joined hers, she slipped up into a descant, her voice dancing above his.

She wasn't sure when her eyes became wet. There was no stab of pain, not a gaping wound, but there was a dull ache somewhere in her chest. Her voice never faltered, the notes clear and true to the end.

Somewhere along the way, she'd started singing to Brushy, and the realization that it wasn't killing her was both bewildering and a relief.