City Spies Oneshot Collection

Piano

Paris had thought that learning how to play the piano would be easy. There was an old upright that was only slightly out of tune where they were living now, so this was his chance to take one of the beginner piano lesson books left in the bench and try.

It wasn't nearly as easy as he'd hoped.

Paris wasn't trying to be a master; he just wanted to be able to play something for Mother, to follow in the legacy of Mother's mother and her piano teaching career. This limited when he could practice, because Paris wanted to keep it a surprise. So he fumbled along with the long-neglected piano whenever Mother wasn't home, trying to come up with something that didn't sound too far off from one of the songs in the lesson book.

It took a few months before Paris got something that sounded ok, and then a few more weeks before he had it as close to perfect as he could get it with the imperfections of the old instrument.

Paris didn't want to make performing for Mother on that piano in their living room too big of a deal, but it was anyway. It was bound to be with how big their family had become, even though Paris had really insisted that everyone watching wasn't necessary.

But regardless of his other family members being there, all Paris cared about was the opinion of his father.

And Mother, half moved to tears, said it was perfect.