The girl shook her head.

“No. She didn’t.”

The entire hall went silent.

The man crouched beside her wheelchair.

“Where is she?”

The girl’s eyes filled with tears.

“She died last winter.”

His face collapsed.

“But before she died, she told me to find you.”

The girl reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a folded photograph.

Two children sat at the same piano.

One was the man.

The other was his sister.

On the back, in faded handwriting, were the words:

If anything happens to me, find my brother. He will know the song.

The man covered his mouth.

The girl looked frightened now.

“I didn’t know if you’d believe me.”

He stared at her.

“Why didn’t she come home?”

The girl lowered her eyes.

“She said someone in the family made her leave.”

His expression changed.

“Who?”

The girl slowly looked toward an older woman standing among the guests.

The woman’s face had gone white.

“She said that woman told everyone she was dead.”

The man turned toward her.

Then looked back at the girl.

Minutes earlier, he had joked that he would adopt her if she could play.

Now his eyes filled with tears.

He took her hand.

“You don’t need me to adopt you.”

The girl looked confused.

He squeezed her fingers.

“You’re already my family.”