Arranged Love

The Guilt of the Piano

Mika's POV

Week 2

I look at Bose immediately once Phoenix mentioned her son Atticus wanted to take piano lessons. Bose's grandmother taught him how to play when we were young, she would have taught me too but...the timing, unfortunately, didn't work out.

"Phoenix...do you mind refilling my water bottle for me please?" I ask.

"Of course, Ms.Macklin."

Phoenix takes my water bottle without hesitation, then she leaves the room giving me a chance to talk to Bose in private. I look at him and he's already looking at me...I guess he already knows what I'm about to say.

"Bose...come on."

"No." He says.

I can see the topic of teaching Atticus is extremely touchy for him.

"Phoenix could use our help. We could easily watch him, you teach him piano, and she teaches us how to fight! It would be an easy deal and would take a lot of pressure and stress off Phoenix-"

"I'M NOT DOING IT! I haven't touched a piano since my grandma's passing...and I'm not gonna start now!" He says.

He knows how I feel about people raising their voices at me...especially him. I could feel my eyes start to feel up with hot tears but I suck it up and managed to say...

"Maybe doing something you used to do with Gam Gam, would help...Bose, I know you are still mourning over your grandparents. Especially since you never got a real goodbye...but they would want you to do this. Atticus doesn't have a wonderful grandmother like you had to teach him...you should for him, for Phoenix, for your grandparents, and yourself."

Bose didn't answer me and I wasn't forcing him to...at the end of the day, it will be up to him. I decided to say one more thing just to get it off my chest.

"I-I miss them too Bose but if using something they taught you can help out Phoenix...I know that Gam Gam would want you to do it."

I look at Bose to gauge his reaction but he wasn't giving me anything to analyze...his face was blank, his arms were crossed, and his eyes were glued to the ground. Phoenix comes back in, hands me my water bottle, and sits back down on the floor noticing the change in the atmosphere.

"Did...something happen when I was gone?" Phoenix asks.

"No." Bose says.

He answered before I could even say anything without even looking up...I hope I didn't hurt his feelings by putting too much pressure on him.

"Yeah...nothing happened." I say.

Phoenix's face was struggling to believe us but decided not to intrude on whatever conversation she missed out on. After a couple more mins we got back into training...I was continuing training with Phoenix while Bose trained separately using the punching bag. It was hard to concentrate on dodging when every two seconds I would hear him hit the bag....harder and harder. It made my guilt pile on top of me and it kept getting heavier and heavier. It was like every time I blocked Phoenix's punches I was blocking Bose's guilt that was burying me up to the neck. After a while, my reaction time got slower, and ended up with Phoenix tripping me and my back flat on the ground.

"You ok?" Phoenix asks.

Physically? Yes. Mentally? Kinda. But Morally...Absolutely not.

"I'm fine."

Phoenix helps me get back up and we continue to fight with her not knowing my focus is completely stolen by the man fighting the punching bag...so I have a feeling my back is gonna be hitting the floor a couple more times.

2 more hours later...

I was laid out on the ground trying to catch my breath...we had just finished training for the day. After training one on one with Phoenix, Bose and I switched places. Instead of using the punching bag, I decided to jump rope since it's a great way to improve balance and coordination. Doing that was great work out but...it exhausted me even more than before. Bose was laid out as well since he was training very intensely with Phoenix, dodging most of her attacks. Phoenix on the other hand was still up while packing her bag.

Bose's POV

"The fact that you are not dead tired....makes you a beast Phoenix!" Mika says impressed with Phoenix's energy.

Phoenix laughs at her comment.

"No...I'm not a beast haha." Phoenix says.

One thing I'm already liking about Phoenix is her humbleness.

"You are." I say.

Phoenix smiles at my simple yet correct statement.

"Thank you, Mr.O'Brien."

I could tell my praise meant a lot to her...as I don't give compliments or praises lightly. I look over at Mika who's looking at me but once our eyes meet Mika sets her eyes on Phoenix instead of me. It was obvious she was ignoring me, most likely because I snapped at her earlier.

"Well...I got to go...I can't afford to pay the babysitter overtime haha." Phoenix said.

Just like Mika...even when she struggles she does it with a smile.

"How do you do that?" I ask.

"Do...what?"

"You got a lot going on right now yet you still can laugh and smile...how?"

"I always think of the people I have in my life that make it worthwhile. For you, it can be anyone but for me...it's my son. He's been the one person that could always make my days brighter...so even if life feels like crap, I know I'll always have him there to make life worth living." She replied.

I know exactly who that person is...and they aren't too happy with me right now.

"What if that person isn't having the brightest day themselves?" Mika asks.

Speaking of the Devil...or in her case Angel.

"Then make their day as they make yours...it will feel just as good."

Mika smiles at Phoenix's honest and positive answer.

"But anyways...I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." I say.

"Later Alligator." Mika says.

Phoenix grabs her bag...leaving the training room and the tension-filled silence came back consuming the room whole. Mika gets up grabs her water bottle and phone....leaving out the room while not making eye contact with me. I don't know what's worse getting flipped over by Crazy Carter our old trainer or getting ignored by Mika, both hurt immensely...but the pain Mika is giving me is way worse.