When we stop at the crosswalk, he shakes his head on a laugh. “Lied about your name. I should have known to expect a little chaos when dealing with you.” He squeezes my hand. “But I must admit, it makes for a goodstory.”
We havecoffee in a tiny pub a few blocks over, then wander through the congested streets of London, past Piccadilly and through TrafalgarSquare.
Red, double-decker buses line the streets, and tourists take pictures by the pigeon-covered lions at Nelson’s Column. Oddly, the area reminds me of New York, but with a less hurriedatmosphere.
The closer we get to the fountain, the soothing sound of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” floats above the rumble of the buses and the chatter of the crowd. Pigeons take flight as a group of school children part, revealing the source of the melody. A white-haired man sits behind a cello, eyes closed as heplays.
Elijah stops. I notice the deep breaths he drags in, how his gaze hones in on the bow, the way his jaw tics. I lean my head against his shoulder to subtly let him know I’mhere.
Once the song has ended, Elijah approaches the man, I assume to give him money. And hand him cash he does, but not before he leans down by the man’sear.
Nodding, the man glances at me, hands his bow over, then steps to theside.
Elijah takes a seat on the concrete ledge of the fountain. His fingers pluck at the strings before he slowly drags the bow across them. He closes his eyes, and I cover my mouth with my hand the second I realize he’s playing “Take Me toChurch.”
My heart pounds like the wings of a caged bird, as the sad melody of the cello carries across thesquare.
I move to sit beside him, watching every movement and relishing in each note. By the end of the song, he’s lost in the music, his body swaying with each sweep of hisarm.
Once he’s finished, he hands the bow back to the man, and then thanks him before turning tome.
I grab his face, pulling him toward me and tenderly kissing his lips. “Thank you,” Iwhisper.
He sweeps my hair behind my shoulder. “Thank you for existing and giving me a new reason toplay.”
