A Path Through the Woods(A RiaEgg Story)

CHAPTER 16: "I Love You."

The minute MrEgg finally arrived back home, time seemed to speed back up. The first thing he did when he got in the door was contact his boss at The Piatto Nobile and update him on his condition.

"So you're saying yet another two weeks?"

"Maybe longer; even after I get my hand out of the cast, I doubt it will be quite so slick on the ivories at it was before; I'd have to warm it back up again...I might still be able to manage some slower pieces, though. I'll keep practicing with my good hand for the time being!"

"I hate to tell you this, MrEgg, but you've used up almost all of your yearly sick leave with this incident thus far. I'm usually not one to get impatient, especially when the circumstances of one's absence are beyond their control, but we need a regular pianist back here. And we've already hired countless guest performers over the past several weeks; it's getting harder to find substitutes. I'm not sure what-"

"Hang on, Mr. Williams."

"Hm?"

"I'm...not sure if she'd be willing to or not," MrEgg told him. "But I might know someone who plays the harp."

"Harp, you say...? Well...There have been a lot of instruments being played here recently, but we haven't had any harp players yet, I know that."

"I'll ask her about it. If she agrees, I'll send her down. Sound good, sir?"

"Well, I suppose we haven't anything to lose...See to it, would you?"

"I will. I will right now?"

"Excellent...Take care, MrEgg."

Click...

As soon as he'd hung up that call, he scrolled back up through his contact and pressed one of the first names on the list.

Come on, pick up the phone, pick up the phone...

To his good fortune, he was answered.

"...Hello?"

"Hello, Angel. It's MrEgg!"

She gasped loudly.

"Oh my goodness, it's really you!? A-are you okay? I was actually going to visit you at the hospital today!"

"No need, Angel; I just got back home a few minutes ago."

"I...I heard about what happened, but I haven't been able to visit until now, I had so much going on at home, and at school, and at work, and with my harp recital, and...Oh, I'm so sorry...!"

"Harp recital, did you say?"

"Yeah..." she confirmed. "Why...?"

"Have your skills improved a lot lately?"

"Oh, well, ah...They've gotten really good compared to what they were before I started practicing all the time, but why do you ask?"

"Angel...I want to ask you to do a favor for me. A big one. Do you think you could?"

"Whatever it is, I'll do it. It's the least I can do to make up for not being there for you."

He told her his predicament, and asked for her to play in his stead until he had sufficiently healed...Her reaction to the idea of playing before a live audience of patrons at a 5-star restaurant was absolutely priceless.

____________________________________________________________

...