9
I focused on Peter. Three months later, he won the International Youth Piano Competition,
Asian division. He was an internet sensation. I beamed, hugging my “son” fiercely. He blushed,
a shy rose. “Next stop, the Van Cliburn!” I
declared. “A win there would cement your place
<
in the music world.” The Van Cliburn was the
Olympics of piano competitions. It had been my
dream in college, before Mark…
Peter paused. “Lily, you should enter. You’re
better than me. You could win the adult
division.”
His words struck a chord. Why hadn’t I
considered it? Eighteen years of repression had
buried my ambition. I’d subconsciously believed
I wasn’t worthy of dreams.
“You’re right,” I said, a surge of excitement
rising within me. “I’m going to take on the
world.” I doubled down on practice, cutting
back on everything: food, sleep, even male
escorts. My focus was absolute.
By the end of the year, I was on a plane to
Texas. Three days later, I placed second in the
Van Cliburn’s adult division. Not first, but it felt
like a victory. Tears streamed down my face as
く
12:04
584
1000
I accepted the award. I’d waited so long for this
moment. My childhood dream, resurrected after
eighteen years buried under the weight of a
toxic marriage.
Back home, a small group of fans greeted me at the airport. Peter was among them. He hugged me, his eyes shining. Back at the house, he pointed to a pile of luggage in the backyard. “Lily, the day after you left, Mark and Ethan dumped all your stuff here. They said you weren’t welcome back.”
The day I’d left for Texas, Mark had texted: Lily, how long are you planning to stay away? I don’t care, but as Mrs. Morris, your behavior reflects
poorly on me. Taking in some random kid, gallivanting off to competitions… don’t you
have any shame?
My dreams were “gallivanting.” I’d replied:
Everything I do is more important than you or
Ethan.
く
He’d threatened me: come home tomorrow, or
don’t bother coming back at all.
