Kylie Cantrall's Arc

Chapter 13 of 78

Arianna set the covered dish on the kitchen counter and looked around. Her puppy sniffed Bella's water bowl. Kylie watched Arianna's eyes move past the fridge, past the hallway, toward the wide arch that opened onto the living room. The piano sat in there. On top of it, wrapped in red, was the necklace box. Beside it, the decorated songwriting board with the unfinished verses. Kylie had spent all week arranging that moment. Now she was afraid the arrangement itself would ruin it. "Grilled cheese first," Kylie said, too fast. She turned to the stove. She heard herself and hated it. She was steering Arianna away from the piano because she had rehearsed a speech about the gifts and could feel the speech sitting in her mouth like a script. Arianna stayed by the counter. "You okay?" "Yeah." Kylie put butter in the pan. She stopped. She set the knife down. "No. I planned how to show you something and I don't want to do it the way I planned." "Then don't." Kylie looked at her. Arianna's hand was resting on her puppy's head. She was not waiting for a performance. She was waiting for Kylie. "Come here," Kylie said. She walked into the living room without checking if Arianna followed. She could hear the puppy's nails behind her, then Arianna's steps. Kylie stopped at the piano. She did not pick up the box. She did not point at the songwriting board. She sat on the bench and patted the spot next to her. Arianna sat. "I wrote a song for you this week," Kylie said. "I couldn't finish it. I got to the last verse and I stopped, because the last verse is yours. I want you to write it with me." She reached over and slid the board in front of them. The top said Song for Arianna. Three verse lines were filled. The chorus was filled. The last block was blank. Arianna touched the wood frame. She did not speak. Kylie picked up the red box. She did not open it with a flourish. She just opened it and set it on Arianna's knee. "This was my grandmother's. I've had it in a safe for six years waiting for the right person. The note I wrote about it is under the lid. Read it later. Not now." Arianna closed the box. She put both hands over it. "Okay." "Okay," Kylie said. Arianna leaned into Kylie's shoulder. The puppy climbed onto the bench between them and dropped its chin on the board. Kylie pressed one key. A single note. Arianna pressed the one beside it. They sat like that until the butter in the pan started to brown in the kitchen. Kylie did not get up right away. The gifts were given. Nothing had been rehearsed out loud. Whatever came tomorrow with her mother, this part was done.