Inspired by Violin Sonata in D Major, HWV 371: III. Larghetto, by George Frederic Handel

Chapter Two: After Jerome left the house, leaving the Rands’ door ajar, Suleimān began playing the third movement of Handel’s D major Violin Sonata, and he played the cello in a way Miss Floreen had never heard. The sonata had no words, yet tonight’s performance felt poignant, almost confessional. Christoph understood the hearts and moods of those who listened, and this evening’s lament, shaped by Jerome’s refusal to let Suleimān practice, carried an undercurrent of fear.