Maestro

by Auden Dar

The boy whose soft lips were the first to take mine. The boy I gave all my firsts to. The boy who not only captured my heart but also became a master at breaking it. The article quotes the Maestro: “I was thirteen when I met my one and only muse. All my compositions and all the music I perform are inspired by her. She’s in every note, melody, and phrase.”

I’m still learning how to navigate the internet. Mom has no interest, says it’s all too confusing. Five months ago, Uncle Jay convinced Mom to buy a few stocks in a computer company whose logo is an apple.

My heart hammers against my chest when I touch Chad’s cheek with my forefinger. “I’m so proud of you. You’ve become the maestro.” “But that’s not who I am,” he tells me. “I’m the boy who fell in love with you at thirteen, loves you at thirty-three, and who will love you until his last dying breath.”

Our hands clasp. As our foreheads touch, we both release a sigh. “They say I’ve captured the world’s heart,” Chad says. “I only wanted to capture yours.” The faraway expression he’s worn for months disappears. I smile, not only because of Chad’s words, but also because his speech is improving. “You captured it when we were thirteen.” I laugh lightly. “You’ve owned it ever since.”