Beautiful Symphony

Chapter 31

I stood alone, my heart thumping in my chest.

  "And now, we will hear a performance from the university's own, Ariette Willingham."

Applause filled the room. I walked out onto the stage, smiling down at the unfamiliar faces of strangers.

My heart pounded, but I kept myself steady. My long navy blue gown fluttered behind me as I made my way to the piano.

I tucked my dress underneath myself and sat on the bench. I took a deep breath.

You can do this. Just play like you do at home. There's nobody here, it's just you and him. Play.

  I thought about Mom, and how proud she would be to see me here today. I could almost imagine her sitting in the front row, smiling at me.

  My hands took off without me even realizing it. I recalled each note I had learned, playing it just like I had practiced.

I let the music take me, like always. I got lost in the song, forgetting everything else. It felt like home.

And before I knew it, the song was over and applause filled the room. I looked out to the crowd, where I saw nods of approval and smiles of gold.

They liked it. I did it.

I broke into a toothy grin, standing up and taking a bow. My eyes scanned the crowd, and found exactly what they were looking for.

*****

"You did great, Ariette! You were on fire up there!" Gen gave me a tight squeeze. Gen, or Genevieve, was my roommate. We lived in a two bedroom apartment downtown.

We were actually great friends. Gen was going to school to be an arts professor, so we shared similar interests. Dad wouldn't let me live alone, so I asked Gen to move in with me.

"Thanks." I blushed. "Have you seen Elliot?"

"Already looking for Romeo, huh?" She laughed. "He's over by the doorway."

"Thank you!" I shouted as I ran over to the crowded doorway. There were people everywhere, all wearing formal attire.

The university was having a charity event, and I was asked to perform. It was kind of a big deal, so Gen wouldn't let me say no. I was glad I didn't.

My eyes darted back and forth. Where is he?

"Boo!" Two hands grabbed my waist, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Oh! Oh gosh- don't do that!" I turned to see Elliot grinning at me. I smacked his arm.

"Sorry, sorry!" He laughed. "I wanted to surprise you."

I hugged him, laying my face on his fancy coat. Crystal bought it for him, so he would have something fancy to wear to college. He smelled like his usual cologne, a scent I had grown to love.

"I thought you couldn't come today." I mumbled into the fabric.

"I may have told my boss that I had a very contagious illness that was a threat to my coworkers."

"Are you kidding? You're gonna get fired."

"Not if I don't get caught." he snickered, placing a kiss on top of my head. "You were great up there. I'm glad I got to see it."

  "Me too." I smiled.

  After many Skype calls and road trips to meet each other our entire senior year of high school, we decided that we just couldn't be apart any longer.

  But, I was in Virginia, and he was in Maine.

  So we met in the middle. Pennsylvania, to be more specific. We found a good college that we both could attend, with our different interests in mind.

  Dad was okay with me going to school out of state with Elliot, but he made one hundred percent sure that I would not be living with him. And that's how I met Gen.

  Elliot lives only a few blocks away, so we still see one another pretty often. He decided to study History, so he could teach it.

  I really didn't know what I wanted to do until recently. I knew that I wanted to keep doing music, but I didn't necessarily want to be a performer.

  I ended up discovering that the school had a Music Therapy program, which sounded pretty amazing to me. The thought of healing people like me with the power of music filled my heart with joy.

  I think it's what I'm meant to do, for some reason.

  "Hey you two," Gen shouts over a few heads, pushing her way through. "I'm starving. Let's go get something to eat."

  "Sounds good to me." Elliot chirped.

  The three of us walked downtown to our usual spot, a small café that had the best sandwiches. We went there on weekends, and talked about school, life, everything.

  As we rounded the corner I looped his hand into mine. He looked over at me, studying my expression. "You okay?"

  "Mm. Just thinking." I replied.

  We kept walking, with Gen babbling on about some guy in her art class.

  I looked around, at the people, the city, at us. There we were, all dressed up, heading to our sweet spot. Laughing and talking all the way.

  I had never imagined, never in a million years, that I would be there. That I could be that happy.

  But I was. And it wasn't a dream, it was my life. I had gone from expecting nothing from the world but sorrow and pain, to receiving everything but.

  I had a wonderful family, a wonderful school, wonderful friends, a wonderful man, and a beautiful life.

  Maybe that proves that sometimes, things do get better. So, don't think that they won't. Everybody has different ways of healing, and some ways take longer than others, but we all heal.

   I healed, from the help of everyone who loved me, and from my music. And things turned out pretty darn good.

  So please, don't give up.

  Please, just find a way.

  A way to heal, something to hold onto, someone to love.

  Because there is hope in this world.

  Even when it seems like your world is falling apart, things can get better.

  I know it sounds dumb, and I know it sounds cliche, but I choose to believe that it's true.

  So if you learn anything from this story, learn that.

   I wish a very happy life to you.