Chapter 18

Aspen

It was really happening. Bryson was leaving. I knew he couldn't stay forever, but I didn't realize a week could go by so fast. "I'll call you when I get home to make sure you're taking breaks." He chuckled as he squeezed my hand.

"You know I don't take breaks until I get it right." I smiled up at him. We'd been standing here on the sidewalk for the last ten minutes saying goodbye.

"You know you could come with me?" he tried again. He'd asked me at least five times since last night to come with him.

"I don't have anything there," I murmured. All of my things and my life were here.

"We could find you something though. You'd have a fresh start." His head dropped and his chin rested on top of my head.

"Please don't make this harder." I sighed. I'd been back and forth all night with this decision. I hadn't heard anything from the New York Symphony, and I didn't want to go all the way there just to be let down.

"I know. I'm sorry." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "I gotta go. I'll call you tonight." He took a few steps back, and then rushed forward to give me one last hug before climbing into his car. He rolled down the window to wave, and then pulled away from the curb, leaving me there.

I watched until he turned the corner heading to the interstate. It was a warm summer day, and I should be happy. The sun was out and my life was normal again, if I could ever have considered it normal. All I could feel was sadness. Bryson had come in and ripped the bandage off my wounds and healed them in the process, but now I was here alone again and trying to decide where I wanted my life to go. Was I ready to be a concert pianist with performances nightly? Did I want that life in New York? Was it as golden of a future as Bryson was painting it to be?

As promised, he called when he got home, and every night after that. Sometimes it was late because he'd have a gig somewhere. He looked so tired when we Facetimed that I wondered if he ever slept. He gave a me tour of his apartment, and a few times he took walks around the city. The days melted into weeks, and the longer we did this, the more I asked myself why?

One day in the fall, I got a letter inviting me to audition for a role as an alternate. It wasn't full time work, but they wanted to see what I had. I spent days practicing and getting myself back into playing shape. It was hard work, and there were many nights that I thought my hands would fall off. I took a leave of absence from my job and packed a bag to take a train to New York.

When I stepped on the train I had the weird sense of déjà vu. I remembered riding with my dad when I went to audition for summer camp. I had that same nervous energy, only this time there was no one there to calm me.

I watched out the window as buildings, and countryside blurred by. I tried to close my eyes, but my brain just wasn't allowing it. When we came to a stop, I grabbed my music bag and stood. Patrons rushed off in different directions creating quite a commotion. I stepped onto the platform and just watched. There were a few buskers in the station playing various instruments. I dropped a few bills in their cases as I passed.

When I stepped out onto the sidewalks of the city, I watched in amazement. I hadn't been here since high school, and I'd all but forgotten the pure massiveness of New York City. Boston was nothing to sneeze at, but I grew up there so as large as it was, it seemed small. This was just breathtaking.

I hailed a cab and rattled off the address where I was supposed to meet the team for my audition. It was in a little theater in the Broadway section. I watched the marquees as we made our way down the streets and imagined that one day I might be up there. My dad was once, and I have a picture of the sign at home from when he sent it to me. I was eight at the time, and it was one of my most prized possessions.

"Here ya go, miss." The cabbie stopped. I was lost in thought and didn't even realize we were there. I handed him some bills and climbed out. I swallowed as I looked up at the illuminated signs. This was it. The moment when my life could change. At one time this was all I thought about. I swallowed the lump in my throat before heaving the giant door open.

It was dark inside, but I could hear voices in the distance. I lifted my music bag higher on my shoulder as I followed the sound. When I rounded the corner, there was a small stage with a row of chairs nearby. One man dressed in all black stood and faced me. "Aspen Vaughn?" He nodded.

"That's me." I smiled as I held my hand out to shake his.

"Do you remember me?" He smiled softly. He looked to be in his late seventies, white hair perfectly combed, small wire frame glasses perched on his nose. I thought for a moment. Should I remember him? "Does this help?" He moved closer and his face went blank, then he narrowed his eyes. "You have to sit up straighter if you want to have the control you need."

The wheels in my head started turning. Those words… I knew those words. "Mr. Caldwell?"

"One in the same. It's good to see you again." He sat back down with the other two gentlemen.

"Same." I smiled. Mr. Caldwell was one of the top instructors at the Julliard Consortium. I'd worked with him my high school years. He only took the top students, and after all the time I've wasted over the years, I felt guilty now playing in front of him.

"What have you brought for us today?" He crossed his legs and sat back.

"I have a few pieces prepared. The first is a piece I played for my senior solo at Berklee." I sat down at the piano and spread the music out in front of me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, making sure that I sat up straight. I held my hands over the keys, released my breath and began.

At first, I was so nervous that I thought I'd make a complete fool of myself, but then I heard Bryson's words in the back of my head, "You were made for this." He was right. I was made for this.

I played with all my heart, letting all the pain from the past five years flow into the notes. Passion was what made great musicians. I played as if I'd never have another chance. I played for my dad. I played for Bryson, but most importantly… I played for myself.

I put it all out there. Every last piece of me was left on that stage when I sounded the last chord. I pressed my lips together to hold back the tears as I turned to face my judges.

All three of them clapped before turning to whisper among each other. I wasn't sure what it meant, but I hoped it was good. "Miss Vaughn," Mr. Caldwell spoke first. "First I'd like to say that we're all really sorry about your dad. We all know how much he was part of your life, and I don't think you'd be playing like this if it wasn't for him."

"Thank you." I nodded.

"Second." He smiled as he stood. "We'd like to welcome you to a spot in the New York Symphony. Your audition was better than our current pianist plays on most nights, so we're going to work something out to offer you more than a fill in spot." He held his hand out.

My mouth opened and closed. I'm sure I looked like a fish out of water. "I don't know what to say." I gasped.

"Say yes." He chuckled and the men behind him joined in.

"Yes." I shook his hand. "I need to relocate first. I need two weeks." I blurted it out. I wasn't even sure if I could make demands yet.

"We can make that happen." He smiled. "We'll see you in two weeks."

"Thank you." I stood there for a few moments just taking it in as they left one by one. I gathered my music and started to text Bryson but decided not to. This news was too big to tell him through a text. Instead, I just asked… you home? He responded that he'd be home all night. His gig had been cancelled.

I quickly grabbed my things and rushed outside. I hailed a cab and gave them Bryson's address. I was so excited and nervous about my news that I wasn't even watching where we were going, and when the cab stopped just a few blocks away, I paid and rushed out. How did I not know he lived this close to Broadway? I guess I never asked.

I rang the buzzer for his flat and waited.

Bryson

"Yo?" I figured this was someone with the wrong address; it happened all the time.

"Can you let me up?" Penny's voice came through the speaker.

"What are you doing here?" I was completely surprised to hear her.

"I'll tell you when you let me up." She giggled. I hit the buzzer to unlock the door, and then rushed over to open my door. My place was a mess, and I kicked things out of the way to make a path for her.

Right as I opened my door, she was rushing down the hallway, music bag flopping against her side in the process. "I did it!" she squealed.

"Did what?" I was so confused. The last time we talked, she was lamenting about how no one was getting back to her.

"I got the job. I'm going to play full time with the symphony." She grinned. "We can be neighbors." She jumped into my arms, wrapping her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist.

I turned and kicked the door closed. "You're coming here?" I looked in her eyes. This sounded like a trick. She nodded and then kissed me. I turned us and began walking toward my couch, careful not to trip over anything. She put her feet down and I broke the kiss. "Tell me again." I laughed.

"I tried out today and they said yes. I have to move. I have two weeks to find a place and move my stuff here." She grinned as she dropped her bag to the floor.

"What do you mean ‘find a place'? You can move in with me." I waved my arms around.

"This is a studio." She looked around. "There's not enough space for two people, let alone my baby grand." She sighed.

"There are bigger spaces for rent upstairs. We can get a bigger one. This building is perfect for where you're going to be going. Why do you think I moved here?" I flopped down on the couch.

"Really?" She sat beside me.

"Really." I placed my feet on the table in front of us. "It's a done deal. I'll take some time off to come help you pack. We can look upstairs tomorrow. My landlord owns the building. I'm sure he'd be happy to transfer my lease to something bigger. He'd be getting more money, after all. I'm starving. Wanna celebrate this with some pizza? You haven't had pizza until you try a slice of NY style." Her stomach growled as the words left my lips.

"Sounds like a plan." She giggled. "Hey, Bryson?" She turned to face me. "In case I haven't said this enough…thank you… for everything."

"It's what we do for those we love." I shrugged as I handed her a menu. "Pick something because I have big plans for what we can do while we wait for it." I pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.

"I bet you do." She shivered as I pulled up the website and started tapping out what we wanted.