Part of the Page 63 Challenge - number 1/7
'Turn to page 63 in any book, and use the first sentence as a prompt,' I'll be doing one a day for a week.
Sentence used is bolded.
Book Used: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Emilie Agreste was content to sit on the living room couch, reading quietly under the warm afternoon sun, which filtered through the windows and inched lazily across the floor with time. It was something she enjoyed on the daily basis, a simple pleasure that made her feel calm and ready for the rest of the day. Which, usually, consisted of her playful son.
He came barreling through the doors, stopping in front of her and bouncing impatiently on his toes for her to look up from her book. She hid her grin, gently lowering the novel and raising a questing brow.
Immediately, he let out a long groan. "Papa's making me take piano!" he blurted.
"No," answered his mother, with a placid expression in her face. "It was my idea."
Adrien whined some more, "But Maman! Piano's so… girly." Distraught, the blond boy flopped dramatically back onto the couch at her side. She laughed, a melodic resonance he thought sounded far better than any notes a piano could tap out.
"Don't be silly," she reprimanded her young son, "it's a beautiful art. When you're older, you'll be glad to have learned."
Not convinced, he grunted and crawled into a seated position, leaning against her arm. He squinted in the sunlight, staring across the room at his mother's favorite instrument. It, too, sat in the wake of the barren windows, glinting, taunting him – daring him to accept the dreaded lessons. He rolled his eyes, turning his gaze to the ferns on his left.
Emilie closed her book and set it on the side table, reaching over to ruffle his golden hair. "Here, I'll show you," she said, standing up and pulling him along with her. She led him to the piano, tugging him down to sit next to her on the bench. He watched, mildly intrigued, as she lifted the cover, revealing a neat row of ivory keys. "We'll start with 'C,'" she decided, lifting his right hand and settling it in the proper chord. "Go ahead."
Adrien pressed down, resulting in a sharp ring of the notes. Startled, he withdrew his hand, and the notes cut off suddenly. Emilie laughed freely, playing the chord herself, dribbling a light tune with her left hand at the same time.
"Come on, you've played with the piano before," she teased, causing him to pout.
Adrien prodded grumpily at one of the keys. "Yeah, a long time ago."
"Adrien, you're five."
He scoffed, poking harder so that the hammer struck the string, sounding off a note dissonant to those his mother was playing. "Yeah, so?" he mumbled. The sound of Emilie's song ceased, and Adrien felt her warm arms circle around him. Her white blouse was chill against his sun-soaked arms, and he shivered, trying to squirm out of her hold. "Stop," he lilted, giggling a little.
"Never," she mocked, squishing him closer against her chest. The more he struggled to escape, the closer she pulled him towards her. They were both outright laughing when suddenly Adrien was pulled from her grip.
"What's this?" Gabriel questioned, spinning his son around once and smiling at his amused wife.
"I'm running away," Adrien declared, "I don't want to play piano."
"Oh, is that so?" his father answered, setting him down so that he was standing on the bench. His son still only rose to his chest like this, but he stared up at him, undaunted. Gabriel couldn't help but grin, admiring his son and all his strong qualities. He reminded him so much of the beautiful woman beside him.
Adrien nodded, bangs bobbing against his forehead. "Uh huh, and you can't stop me." With that, he hopped down off the bench, sprinting away. Emilie gasped, leaping up and chasing after him.
"Oh no, get back here young man!" The boy squealed, wheeling around a corner, dodging the grasping hands of his mother.
Gabriel stood there, in the sun's silhouette, a soft smile settled across his mouth. He watched as the two people he loved most in this world ran around the living room, against all rules of propriety. Their laughs bounced off the walls, filling the room with more light than the daytime ever could.