No instrument followed Elisebeth's dedication at first. She stood inside the single white light while laughter gave way to curious voices. Martin knew who she meant.
The first piano notes entered from the dark, and the crowd settled with her. There were no dancers, moving screens, or heavy rhythm. Her voice carried the song alone.
Martin had heard NukEncore test melodies while the party traveled, usually until someone noticed and made her pretend she was checking her microphone. Those fragments had never sounded like this. Every restrained note made the next rise feel larger.
The song followed two people who came to know each other out of order, recognizing a voice before a face and private fears before public names. Elisebeth never explained the distance between them. She let the audience find its own meaning. Martin kept thinking about the order in which he had met her.
