A bell chimes over the speaker, letting us know that the concert is about to begin. Sage squeezes my shoulder once before letting her hand drop. “There’s our cue! I’m second, so I’ve got to go. But I’ll see you after, okay?”
I nod. “Okay.”
She leaves, and I head over to the practice piano to do some scales. For the first time in a long time, I feel a warmth in my heart that was missing.
Forty-five minutes later, about halfway through the concert, it’s my turn to play. I don’t really know how everything has gone so far, because I’m keeping myself busy with warmups.
“Lily?” Mr. Billings pokes his head into the room, calling over the voices and instruments. “You’re up in five.”
I inhale deeply, set my hands in my lap, and nod.
“Feeling ready?” he asks.
I turn to face him and smile. “Yeah. I’m ready.”
“Fantastic.”
I stand from the bench, grabbing Galileo from the music rack. Maybe it’s silly, but I intend to keep him with me during my performance. It’s the only way I can feel like Ryder is here with me as I play his favorite piece.
I follow Mr. Billings down the dark corridor toward the stage. Along the way, I pay attention to my surroundings and notice the exits. It’s a habit Ryder instilled in me, something I hold on to. We stop at the wings. A violinist is on the stage, playing with so much emotion that I can’t look away. I feel thetears well up in my eyes, and I grin, proud of him and this school I get to be a part of.
Soon enough, he finishes and takes a bow. Mr. Billings nods at me, and I step onto the stage.
The lights are bright, but I don’t look into them. In fact, I don’t look at the audience at all. Keeping my eyes on the ground, I take a small bow and then sit at the piano, needing to scoot in the bench a few inches because the last pianist must have been much taller than me.
My heart is thumping, but I take a few calming breaths and grip Galileo tightly in my palm. The corners press into my skin, but it helps me focus on something other than my nerves. I set him on the music rest, then place my hands on the keys.
And play.
As the music floats out of the piano and throughout the theater, everything fades away. I am the music, and the music is me. I’m sharing myself with the audience, and I won’t know their reaction until after I’m done, but my heart is soaring with the notes.
It’s everything I hoped for.
But I still wish Ryder were here.
I make a tiny mistake near the end, but I’m sure only Mr. Billings and a handful of other listeners would recognize it. Otherwise, I’m thrilled with my performance. The last notes ring through the theater, and I slowly lift my hands off the keys and place them in my lap.
There’s a moment of silence, and then the applause begins. I push back the bench and stand, feeling ready now to look at the people I shared my music with.
I hear a cheer, and I look down to find my family in the fifth row—my father, Adam, Isabelle, Henry, Luna, and…is that Peter? He wasn’t here this morning. I can’t believe heactually made the effort to come see me. A huge smile fills my face, and they give me a wave.
I look across the theater for anyone else I might recognize. Maybe Agatha will be here? But I know my father and brothers are angry with her and probably didn’t invite her to come. I can’t find her, but my eyes pause on a figure near the back. A tall man dressed in all black, standing in the aisle and applauding with so much enthusiasm, it looks like he’s trying to create thunder.
Ryder?
My heart feels like it stops, butterflies erupting in my stomach. It’s like I canfeelthat it’s him.
But there’s no way. I can’t see his face clearly enough to know for sure. A second later, I see his head turn to the opposite side of the theater, and he takes off, striding behind the back row to reach someone or something.
I guess it wasn’t him.
Still, I can’t blame my overactive imagination for wishing it was him. All those late-night imaginings are warping my perception of reality.
I take a quick bow, grab Galileo off the music rest, and head to the side of the stage where I came from. Mr. Billings pats me on the shoulder. “Fantastic job, Lily. You should be proud of yourself.”
I beam at him. “I am. Thank you.”
“Can you make it back on your own? I have to stay for the next performer.”
