Tom was always proud of how hard his daughter Lily worked to learn the piano. Tom was so proud of her as she sat down to play for her grandparents. But what began as a happy time quickly turned into a sad one when Tom’s parents started to make fun of Lily’s performance.
The mean things they said and laughed about hurt Lily deeply, and Tom could see the pain and confusion in her eyes. He knew that look all too well because he had had it as a child. Tom’s pain and anger came back, but he tried hard to stay cool for Lily’s sake.
As the night went on, Tom’s parents kept making fun of Lily’s acting, and Tom finally lost it. He told them to leave, and as they did, Tom felt angry, sad, and relieved all at the same time.
As Tom tried to calm Lily, he realised he had to keep her safe from his parents’ bad behaviour. Like they had done to him, he couldn’t let them hurt her confidence and sense of self-worth.
Tom and Lily played the piano together again the next morning. Since they were the only ones there, Tom could see Lily’s eyes start to show less fear and doubt. When she began to play, Tom felt proud and hopeful. He promised himself that he would do everything he could to give Lily a safe and caring place to grow and thrive.
As the music filled the room, Tom felt like everything was okay. He spoke out against his folks’ bad behaviour and looked out for his daughter. Tom knew this was the start of a new part of their lives where love, kindness, and support would be the most important things.
