Moon River and Other Promises - Chapter 38: When Forever Was a Sound

The apartment was quiet.

Sam had fallen asleep in the car, too tired from daycare to fight bedtime. Now, only the sound of rain tapping on the glass filled the room.

Jaimie stood in the darkened living area, her hand grazing the polished keys of her upright piano.

She hadn't played in a while.

Not since before Sam was born.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdXKhqv8x4
Not since her world cracked open and rebuilt itself into survival.

But tonight...

Something called her back.

She sat.

Gently.

As if touching the past would hurt.

She let her fingers fall on the keys—lightly at first, hesitant.

Then they moved, almost on their own.

"Moon River."

Her signature piece. The one she always returned to.

The one Tedd loved hearing the most.

She closed her eyes.

And just like that...

She was back in the hospital music room.

Hair short from stress. Arms still bruised from IVs.

Tedd by her side—nervous but curious—watching her like she was a miracle made flesh.

"You play like you're telling secrets," he had said, that first time.

She remembered smiling, coy.

"And you listen like they matter."

He sat beside her then, not touching the keys—just listening. Until she offered to teach him the melody with one hand.

She played the left.

He, the right.

And somehow, it worked.

Out of sync. Imperfect. Clumsy.

But real.

Together.

Like forever wasn't just an illusion people sold in fairy tales.

A single tear slipped from her cheek now, falling silently onto middle C.

She opened her eyes.

She didn't know how to forgive him yet.

But that memory?

It still made her heart ache the way only love once did.

Maybe... it wasn't dead.

Maybe it was just buried.

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