January Entry to Cullen's Bullpen Challenge - Riviera41797
Music Box Dancer
Temperance Brennan laughed at her friend, Angela Montenegro as she slid her key into the lock of her apartment, and swung the door open.
The apartment was dark, as it was after 9pm, she flipped the lights on with the back of her hand as she turned to allow her friend in, and lock the door. Booth had been nagging her constantly to be more diligent in keeping her home more secure.
Suddenly, Angela let out a gasp, "Sweetie! Oh my God! Where did this come from?" she exclaimed in her patented shocked tone
The smile slid from Temperance's face as she turned to see what had made Angela cry out in the manner in which she did. No dead bodies, no blood, no broken glass or furniture. But in the center of her living room, stood a gleaming black baby grand piano.
There was a note affixed to the keyboard cover.
Not moving from her spot, she turned to her friend, "Ang…I…." she glanced at the piano and back at her friend, who stood eyebrows raised, waiting for an explanation
Cautiously, as if it were going to explode if she got to close, she approached the gleaming black piano. Tears welled in her eyes as she plucked the note from the instrument.
Temperance –
Russ told me you stopped playing piano after your mother and I disappeared. I know why you did it, but it would have broken your mother's heart to see you let it go. Please honey, start playing again.
Love,
Dad
The tears that had welled in her eyes spilled over and she let out a choked sob, her back turned to her friend.
Pain that she'd buried for so long threatened to overwhelm her, when she felt Angela's hands on her shoulders, turning her around and pulling her into a hug. The note had fluttered to the floor, forgotten.
"Hon…what is it? Come on, it's a piano right? It can't be that bad, can it?" Angela said to her friend, pulling back from their embrace, looking at her with question in her eyes.
Temperance said nothing, walked into the kitchen to get a tissue to wipe her eyes and blow her nose, and sat down on the couch. Angela watched her friend and followed suit, stopping only long enough to pick up the discarded note. Sitting beside her, waiting for her friend to calm down, she set the note down, unread on the coffee table. She took her friends hand into her own, and sat, looking into her eyes.
She sniffed, and let out a heavy sigh. "When I was young, I guess you could say I was a musical prodigy. Musical notes came easily to me, as did learning. By the time I was 6, I was learning some of Beethoven and Mozart's waltzes, sonatas and symphonies. My mother had played piano as a child, so we had a piano at home I played on. My mom would always watch me play, and it would make her so happy. She would smile, some times close her eyes, and just listen. Her favorite song I played was Music Box Dancer. It wasn't a hard piece, but she just loved it" she hesitated, recalling the look of pure happiness on her mothers face, sitting in the bay window bench overlooking their garden, listening to Temperance play.
Angela waited a moment, and said "I never knew you could play sweetie..." she trailed off, pulling her friend out of her reverie
Her friend sniffed again, and gave her friend a small smile. "No one knows Angela. I don't want anyone to know" she said softly, staring down at her hand that Angela held.
"Sweetie, I don't understand, why the big secret? I won't tell anyone, I can see it's important to you….but why?" she asked her friend carefully, confused
"The year I went into high school, I received an acceptance letter to Julliard on a full scholarship. That was what I was going to do….then Mom and Dad disappeared, and I just…" she paused as another tear rolled down her cheek "I just couldn't play anymore without my Mom there…I use to play for her, to make her happy. And with her gone, it just hurt too much. I let the scholarship go and haven't touched the piano since the day they disappeared" she hung her head and sobbed again. "Sometimes even hearing piano music hurts" she whispered, her voice barley audible
Angela pulled her friend into a hug again, and let her cry. After a few moments, she asked: "Hon….who is the piano from?" For a while, she didn't think Temperance was going to answer her; finally, she pulled back and wiped her eyes again.
She stood, and walked over to the piano, and trailed her fingers across the black edges.
She stopped and turned, and looked at Angela, and said simply "it's from my Father".
Angela's cell phone suddenly chirped from her purse, she fumbled through the voluminous bag, and withdrew her phone, and answered. After a brief conversation, Angela stood and approached her friend, "Hon….are you going to be okay? That was Jack…"
Temperance smiled through her tears. "Yes, I will be fine. I need some time alone anyway…" they embraced again and she followed her friend to the door
"Are you sure? I don't feel right about leaving you…" her friend trailed off worriedly, chewing her lower lip
"I'm fine. I will call you later, okay?" she forced a smile at Angela, and followed her to the door. She unlocked it and opened it for her friend.
"Okay….but if you don't, I'm coming back here with lots of fattening food" Angela threatened with a smile.
"See you later Ang…" she bid her friend goodbye, she softly shut her door, and locked it. She leaned on the door, and tilted her head back with her eyes closed.
When she opened her eyes and her gaze fell on the beautiful gleaming piano. Her fingers twitched, yearning to feel the keys beneath her fingers, hearing music pour forth. She recalled the smile on her mothers face as she played.
Long into the night, musical notes drifted through Temperance Brennan's apartment….the last song played before silence shrouded the home just after 3am was Music Box Dancer.
The end!