From the author:
Earlier in the book, Daniel complains that someone else has a habit of trying to talk to him about things he knows nothing about. Molly is trying to tease him about that here. Since I rarely listen to classical music, I had to do some research for the scene. I listened to several songs before I found one I wanted to use. The book was easier. It was what my husband was reading at the time.
From the book:
I thought about the music I’d listened to with my mom the previous night. “Daniel,” I said, “are you familiar with the Thunder and Lightning Polka?”
“No. Is that a song?”
“Yes,” I said. “It’s a polka. My mom had it on a loop last night.”
“Stuck in your head?” He offered a little sympathy in his tone.
“Exactly. There’s a part where the instruments sound happy and it’s like you can picture the storm letting up for a while. Am I right?”
“Uh…” I was looking at his profile and saw little creases by the side of his eye. Then he smiled as he realized what I was doing. “Absolutely,” he said. “I can tell just by the fact that you describe it as happy that it sounds like light rain.”
“Like a pitter-patter break in the thunder. That’s how you’d describe it?”
“Exactly. And the strings… there are stringed instruments in this song, right?”
“Yes.”
“I believe you’d agree with me that they…” Daniel took a moment to straighten his face. “You agree that they play some notes?”
“They totally do.”
“Right.” He nodded. “I’m glad we talked about it. Now I’ve been meaning to ask you… have you read Take Your Eye Off the Ball?”
“No,” I said. “That’s a book?”
“It is. Would you like to guess what it’s about?”
“Of course. That’s much better than having you tell me. Is it, um… sports related?”
“Yes.” Daniel nodded. “Football, which is a sport. I like the diagrams that the author uses. Don’t you think they’re helpful?”
“I can imagine diagrams being helpful.”
Daniel sent me a quick sideways look that made me give up on being serious.
Then Brooke piped up from the backseat, “You guys are so weird.”
“Thank you, honey,” Daniel said.
“Weird is not a compliment, Dad.”
Daniel flashed her a smile in the rearview mirror. I glanced back in time to see her roll her eyes at him. Then she turned to slap Piper’s waiting hands and finish the victory dance she had apparently interrupted to interrupt us.
“No. Is that a song?”
“Yes,” I said. “It’s a polka. My mom had it on a loop last night.”
“Stuck in your head?” He offered a little sympathy in his tone.
“Exactly. There’s a part where the instruments sound happy and it’s like you can picture the storm letting up for a while. Am I right?”
“Uh…” I was looking at his profile and saw little creases by the side of his eye. Then he smiled as he realized what I was doing. “Absolutely,” he said. “I can tell just by the fact that you describe it as happy that it sounds like light rain.”
“Like a pitter-patter break in the thunder. That’s how you’d describe it?”
“Exactly. And the strings… there are stringed instruments in this song, right?”
“Yes.”
“I believe you’d agree with me that they…” Daniel took a moment to straighten his face. “You agree that they play some notes?”
“They totally do.”
“Right.” He nodded. “I’m glad we talked about it. Now I’ve been meaning to ask you… have you read Take Your Eye Off the Ball?”
“No,” I said. “That’s a book?”
“It is. Would you like to guess what it’s about?”
“Of course. That’s much better than having you tell me. Is it, um… sports related?”
“Yes.” Daniel nodded. “Football, which is a sport. I like the diagrams that the author uses. Don’t you think they’re helpful?”
“I can imagine diagrams being helpful.”
Daniel sent me a quick sideways look that made me give up on being serious.
Then Brooke piped up from the backseat, “You guys are so weird.”
“Thank you, honey,” Daniel said.
“Weird is not a compliment, Dad.”
Daniel flashed her a smile in the rearview mirror. I glanced back in time to see her roll her eyes at him. Then she turned to slap Piper’s waiting hands and finish the victory dance she had apparently interrupted to interrupt us.
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