Author's note: Second to the last one! And thebookhobbit was awesome and got this beta'd this afternoon, but I've been studying and so this is my first chance to post it.
Just a re-cap from a previous authors note (or have I said this at all) Simon Brown is John's father, and Teresa is his mom's first name. This is from his father's point of view (well, third person limited) so I refer to them both like that.
Hope you enjoy! Thanks, once again, to thebookhobbit!
Picture: John and Luke are at the piano (small upright, nothing fancy) laughing while they're playing a duet. (John is seventeen.)
"John, you're at least half a beat faster than I am!"
"I can't help it, my fingers remember it up tempo!"
"Well, forgive me, I haven't played this in years!" Luke shot back.
Simon Brown smiled a bit at the last comment, watching his two youngest boys from the rocking chair in the living room. Christmas this year was going to be interesting… his three oldest were married, and so finding room for everyone was going to be a game of it, but at least they weren't coming in for a few days now. John, Luke, and Rachel were all still in college though (Luke had surprised the whole family by making it into graduate school) and with no jobs among them, they'd been home for a week already.
It was a comforting feeling, having the three of them home, and the house wasn't quite as quiet. Not that he minded a little peace, but he'd come to the surprising conclusion that he did enjoy a bit of noise here and there. He could hear Rachel and Teresa in the kitchen, and John and Luke were back to playing the piano.
He didn't remember the name of it (music was Teresa's, and therefore the kids', forte, not his) but he knew, from the many, many, hours of practice years earlier, that it was difficult and it was quite an accomplishment to be able to play it. Seventeen and twenty four… and they were bickering like they were nine and seventeen again.
"John, for heavens sake, give me a minute!"
"Boys, be nice!" Teresa leaned her head out from the kitchen.
"Yes ma'am!" they called back simultaneously.
They played it slower, though both made a few mistakes; Luke because he didn't remember it as well as John (although no one seemed to remember anything nearly as well as John) and John because he was used to playing it lightening quick.
"Got it?"
"Got it!"
And they got faster, and faster, and pretty soon Simon didn't know if they were playing it completely correctly, but they didn't seem to care, laughing too hard and having too much fun with it.
Teresa crept out of the kitchen with her camera, and took a quick picture, catching them mid-laugh. Good, everyone would need to be reminded of this when the pandemonium started… and Simon had a feeling that it would be going on the mantle piece after they left the house again.