Chapter 24 - Lily’s Recital
Life quickly returned to its beautiful, mundane rhythm. The following week was entirely focused on Lily. She had been practicing the piano for months, and her first major recital was approaching.
Every evening, the house was filled with the halting, repetitive notes of Beethoven's Ode to Joy. Sometimes she would get frustrated, slamming her small hands against the keys when she missed a tempo.
"I can't do it!" she cried one night, burying her face in her hands.
I sat down on the piano bench beside her. "Do you know what the secret to a beautiful song is?" I asked.
She shook her head, tears shining on her eyelashes.
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"It’s not about playing perfectly," I explained, placing my large hands over hers on the keys. "It’s about continuing to play even after you make a mistake. The audience doesn't remember the wrong note. They remember the courage it took to finish the song."
On the night of the recital, she wore a pristine white dress. When she walked onto the stage, she looked terrified. But as she sat at the grand piano and found me in the front row, I gave her a slow, reassuring nod. She took a deep breath, and began to play. She missed two notes, but she didn't stop. She played with heart, and when she finished, the applause was deafening.
