The Piano Teacher

"I'll be home on breaks," he said, "and I'll need some refresher lessons."

Dolores laughed, "When you come back from Julliard and see what a phony I am you'll want nothing to do with me."

Arturo spanked her, "Don't say that, even joking. You're always going to be the best piano teacher I'll ever have. There will be second and third best but you'll always be first in my mind."

"You're just saying that because I let you fuck me," she smiled.

"That factors in, sure but my playing took a huge leap over the last year all because of you." He stroked her face, "I did like the lessons in caressing the keys...a lot," he smiled. He took in the perfect naked woman lying next to him wondering if this would be their last time. He couldn't complain as this was the best summer a kid could have. He heard kids yelling after the sound of a bat hitting a ball and thought, 1958, a great year to be a kid.

When Arturo came back on break after six months, Dolores was pregnant. He never asked if she and Daryl finally decided to have kids or...he wondered. He wanted to ask, but when he dropped by Daryl answered the door with a huge grin. He was so excited to have a baby finally.

Then as he started touring he missed his favorite teacher until he was playing Tchaikovsky's piano concerto in b minor at Severance Hall. They'd exchanged letters, but as he was flying around the world they were never in the same city. He'd thought of her often as he played, reliving their many special moments.

He was 18 years older and when he came to the front to take his bows he saw her. She was in the front row beaming up at him and next to her was a tall lanky young man with large hands and long slender fingers. She was even more beautiful than he remembered.

They got together for coffee and Dolores explained that Daryl had died of lung cancer a few years back and she was doing great, still teaching. He wanted to ask but didn't as he knew the answer. She explained that Daryl Jr. was going to OSU though he really wanted Harvard, "but unless he gets a scholarship..." she shrugged. "He wants to be an electrical engineer, not sure what he'll do with that, something to do with computers," she sighed. "He could be a great musician but it's just a hobby for him."

"I'll make sure to schedule more concerts in Cleveland," he said as they held each other outside the coffee shop, "Blossom is beautiful in the summer," he smiled.

"And I'll get tickets if I can," she smiled. "You've gotten really expensive, you know. And tickets sell out quickly. Thank you for the ticket this evening," she said. "We both love the Cleveland Orchestra but it's not in our budget. Hearing you play was special."

"Which is why I had my manager send a pair to you," he said, "You will never pay a penny if you want to come to see me play, any city, any time," he said. He held the one woman he'd ever fallen in love with tightly as people walked around them.

A few weeks later, Dolores opened the mail and there was a cashier's check for $1,000,000. No return address, no note inside. Then a few days later an acceptance letter from Harvard came to their door even though her son never bothered applying. Why would he? All scholarship attempts had failed.

* * *

Arturo hugged the woman again and whispered, "I still love you."

Dolores kissed him on the cheek and said, "I love you too, always have."

They turned and bowed to the clapping audience and with tears exited stage right arm in arm.