Page 25

Story: Starlight Wishes

I smiled. I had seen the appreciation in her eyes as they took in their surroundings. I was so used to seeing the amazing craftsmanship of this house. The doors to this house had always been open to me throughout my life, and I took advantage any chance I had when growing up. It was enjoyable to see it through new eyes: the gleaming hardwoods, the large windows and French doors throughout the house, the crown molding—all original to the house. For the first time in a while, I took pride in my home.

“It was my grandparent’s house,” I finally replied. “It was built in the 1940’s. They took exceptional care of it, updating it as times changed.”

“What happened to your grandparents?” she asked softly.

“My grandfather died of a heart attack a few years ago, and my grandmother died in her sleep three months later. It’s not an acceptable medical diagnosis, but I think she died of a lonely heart. They were married for sixty-one years.”

“Sixty-one years. That’s inspiring.” She was quiet a few minutes. “So why did they leave it to you and not your parents?” Her hand slapped over her mouth. “Shit! I’m sorry, Tyler. You don’t need to answer that. I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately. My mouth is just running away. I mean, everyone knows I don’t have a large brain to mouth filter, but that was just plain nosy.”

I laughed out loud. It was refreshing not having to guess what was running through her mind. “It’s alright, Jen. I don’t mind you asking. How about this? If you want to know something, just ask, and I’ll answer if I can. No more assumptions. But I want the same courtesy in return. I’ll try not to pry, but I think we’ve already suffered enough misunderstandings. Agreed?” I saw a flash of uncertainty enter her eyes before she masked it.

“Okay,” she finally said. “You’re right. But I’ll tell you up-front, I don’t like talking about myself.”

“Noted. Just no more running every time you get annoyed or scared. It’s not my intention to hurt you.”

To my relief, she didn’t argue. “So, about your parents?”

I sighed. “My grandparents left it to me because my mom, their daughter, had already died, and they didn’t like my father. They knew how much I loved spending time here, and I think they hoped I’d raise my own family here someday. When I moved back to Charlotte for my residency, it seemed ridiculous not to live in it.”

“And your mom . . . she played the piano?”

“She was a concert pianist until she got married.”

Jen’s eyes widened. “Wow! My attempts at one of the few songs I remember how to play must have hurt your ears.” Her mock horror made me laugh. Amused, I shook my head.

“So,” she continued, “she must have taught you something, huh? Maybe ‘Heart and Soul?’” She started playing half of the duet. I stared at the keys, willing my hands to move, but they remained frozen at my side.

She nudged me with her elbow. “Come on, Doc! Play with me!” I wanted to. She had no way of knowing what she was asking of me. She laughed as she changed the chord sequence. Her enthusiasm eased my anxiety just enough that I moved my right hand slowly moved to the keys. When she reached the beginning of the chord repetition, I played the familiar melody, picking up speed as she did. She laughed, obviously having fun. To my surprise, instead of the dread I thought I’d feel, I began to enjoy myself as well. Soon, my left hand joined my right, and my fingers plucked out variations of the melody until I got lost in the music. Sometimes it took a jazz sound, other times the majesty of a grand concert piece, but my fingers were flying over the keys until I suddenly realized Jen was no longer playing. She had moved to stand beside the piano, and I had shifted to the center of the bench. Self-consciously, I drew the piece to a close and stared at the gold lettering that spelled ‘Steinway and Sons’ above the keyboard.

“Holy cow, Tyler! I thought you said you couldn’t play.”

“I said I don’t play, not that I can’t.” Bewildered blue eyes narrowed their gaze at me. I shrugged and snapped the lid closed over the keys. “I gave it up when I went to college. You know, busy schedule with classes, then med school. I don’t have much spare time.”

“That’s a shame. You’re a natural.”

“Yeah, well, that’s the way it is, I guess. Life has a way of taking over.” I moved away from the piano, hoping she’d take the hint and drop the topic.

Fortunately, she didn’t make any further comments as she followed me to an enclosed porch off of the living room.

“Tyler, this is beautiful! If I lived here, I don’t think I’d ever want to leave this room.” As she walked the length of the room a sudden vision of her lounging and drinking her morning coffee by my side made me catch my breath.

“You’re welcome here anytime, Jen,” I invited.

She stopped at the windows at the end of the room and watched as Aiden romped outside with Holly.

She turned and leaned against the windowsill. “Did you have other plans for your vacation? I mean, I know you love Aiden, but I’m sure you didn’t expect to spend your time babysitting.”

I grinned. “No, can’t say that I did. But I don’t mind. He’s a good kid. Chris invited me to come down and spend some time with him at the beach, so I’ll just take Aiden with me. Chris is getting the house ready to put on the market, so we’ll split the time working on some repairs around the house and going to the beach. Aiden is excited to go. I even have his parent’s permission.”

A shadow passed over her face when I mentioned Chris’s name. It disappeared quickly, but it was enough I was struck by a sudden thought—just how close was she to Kayla’s brother? Maybe she had feelings for him, and that was part of the issue between us.

“It’s nice that you’ve become good friends with Kayla’s brother. He’s a great guy, like a brother to me,” she said, dispelling my concern. Something suddenly registered and she looked closely at me. “Wait!” she exclaimed. “You’ve talked with Alex and Kayla? On their honeymoon?”

I laughed at her expression of surprise. “You didn’t think they’d go a whole week without talking to Aiden, did you?”

“I’m just jealous I didn’t get to talk to Kayla.” Her mouth puckered in a cute pout.

“I assure you they didn’t call to talk to me. I only spoke with them long enough to update them and get the lecture from Kayla about water safety. I had to assure her three times that I knew what I was doing and that I had been a lifeguard for several years.” I chuckled, remembering how the conversation ended. “Alex finally just took the phone away from her mid-sentence, said goodbye, and hung up.”