They ended up sitting on the floor around the coffee table, using the mismatched cushions from the armchair. The formal dining table was still covered in a layer of dust Elara hadn't bothered to clean, but nobody seemed to mind.
Sarah served thick slices of spinach and feta quiche, while Julian handed out chocolate croissants and poured coffee from the thermos.
Elara sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, a warm mug in her hands. She listened to Sarah complain good-naturedly about the village zoning laws, watched Lily try to balance a croissant on her nose, and felt Julian's warm presence beside her.
"So," Julian said, bumping his shoulder gently against hers. "How does the throat feel today? Mouse-like?"
Elara picked up a napkin and a pen from the table. She wrote quickly: *Scratchy. But good.*
Julian read it and smiled. "That's the sound of the rust breaking off the hinges. It's a good kind of pain."
"Can you say my name?" Lily asked suddenly, leaning over the table, her green eyes wide. "Mom says you're resting your voice, but can you just whisper 'Lily'?"
Sarah quickly reached out. "Lily, honey, no pressure. Elara will talk when she's ready."
Elara looked at the little girl. She thought about trying to force the air up again, to form the syllables. But her throat tightened, the physical block still too heavy to move past just yet. She shook her head sadly, her eyes filled with apology.
Lily didn't look disappointed. Instead, she shrugged her small shoulders. "That's okay. You say my name with the piano anyway. The high, twinkly notes sound just like me."
The pure, innocent logic of the child caught Elara completely off guard. She looked at Lily, then at Sarah's fond eye-roll, and finally at Julian, who was watching her with a soft, affectionate expression.
And then, it happened.
The corners of Elara's mouth twitched. The twitch grew, pulling her lips upward, crinkling the corners of her eyes. It wasn't the fragile, sad smile she had offered over the past few days. It was a full, radiant, genuine smile that lit up her entire face and chased away the shadows that had haunted her for six months.
Julian stared at her, his breath catching slightly. He raised his coffee mug toward her in a silent toast.
Elara raised hers back. The music was returning, but more importantly, so was she.