Chapter 2021

“I…I learned a new song as a birthday present for you. I hope…I hope that you’ll like it,” Frederick said nervously. He was too embarrassed to admit that he had no money and couldn’t afford to buy a gift for Jacqueline. Jacqueline was excited instead of showing disappointment. Frederick sat on the piano stool, took a deep breath, and placed his fingers on the piano keys. It was a difficult piece, and he had only heard the recording a few times. He could only find the music score online and play it accordingly as no one could teach him. He had secretly practiced for days for a perfect performance to make her happy. Jacqueline would like this piece as she had always liked challenging pieces. However, his performance had no emotions even though he could play each note correctly. There was always something lacking in his performance compared to Jacqueline’s. He had tried hard to convey his emotions through practice, but he had always failed. Frederick started to play the p