Piano Man

34~ Saffron

Adeline

I never expected Adrian to get me a puppy after I told him that the little girl I once was wanted one. Hold the soft little baby in my hands was the most precious moment of my life. The soft red fur collides with the skin on my fingertips as I gently stroke the tiny creature. Adrian had told me it was a female and that we were going to go buy the rest of her things. I'm surprised Adrian was able to find the right pet food with the small knowledge he has of pets. 

"Okay I think I'll choose two of my favourite colours for her collar and leash. I want her to decide which colour she wants." I said placing a lavender leash set on the floor. 

I then picked out a teal leash set putting it beside the lavender set. I put the little girl, who has not been named yet, on the floor in front of the two sets. I then crouched on the other end and called her over. Whichever one she shows interest in will be the one she gets. She was timid at first as people walked by in the isle of the pet store. It took a little encouragement to get her to come towards me. She immediately trotted her way over to the teal set, sniffing and pawing at it before walking into my arms. I grabbed the teal set and put the other back as I marked with a 'yes' and rewarded her with a small treat and pets. 

Her little tail wagged as we walked up and down the isles looking for dog toys, puppy pads, dog bowls, and other training treats. I found one of those dog tag engraving machines and decided to give her a name. I picked out the basic dog bone tag and spent sometime thinking of a name. I chose the name Saffron as her lush fur reminds me of saffron threads.  I followed the instructions on the screen of the machine and with the push of a button the engraving began. I made sure to put my phone number on the back side in case she gets lost and can be easily returned. The curious little pup tilted her head from side to side as she watched her dog tag get engraved. 

Once Adrian has bought all of Saffron's things I put the new collar on her to see if she was comfortable with it. She didn't struggle with the collar and I was heavily impressed with her collar training. She seemed pretty well trained with a collar and it looks and fits perfectly on her. The collar contrasts nicely with her red fur giving it that pop of colour. I wanted to see how confident she was with playing so I opened up one of her new puppy toys in the car. She seemed intrigued by the squeaky sounds it made whenever I gave it a gentle squeeze. The toy I picked out was a little squirrel squeaky plush toy. I think it will be good for her now until she decides to destroy it. 

We spent most of the day doing things with Saffron and making sure she was comfortable at home. We even introduced her to all the staff that she will constantly be around. That way she knows what's going on. Everyone loved her as I walk around letting them pet her. 

I was just chilling on the couch in the family room watching as Saffron played with the new squeaky toy I got her. She was becoming more comfortable with her new home and it was adorable to watch her let her personality roam free. I thought that no harm could be done by allowing her on the couch. She immediately snuggled up against my leg into a ball. I stroked her red fur sitting back thinking of what I could be doing right now. If I still had a job I wouldn't be bored in this house. I realize that my mother knew this was going to happen way before I came to know about the arrangement. She tried to hide it from me, she knew. 

I got tired of thinking the worst of this situation and laid down on the couch. I pulled Saffron close so I could cuddle her as I slept. I fell into a light slumber, listening carefully to all the small sounds. I didn't want to end up drifting into a dream because who knows what mood I'll be in when I wake up. As I listened to every floorboard creak, I heard the heavy footsteps of Adrian.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" He asked coming around the couch to crouch in front of me. 

He took his palm and felt my forehead for any sort of fever. Then he gave my face a once-over to see if I was sick. He found nothing unusual but still held a concerned look. 

"I'm fine. I just overthought about some things. Did you get any work done?" I wanted to drop the subject, I didn't want to doubt our relationship. 

"I would've if you were napping on my lap again as I hold you tight." He frowned. 

"Maybe next time. What time is it anyways?" I asked sitting up with Saffron sleeping in my lap. 

"Around 4 p.m. I left the library unlocked for you in case you wanted to go grab another book. I trust you enough not to destroy that room." Adrian chuckled knowing I would never destroy it. 

"I was thinking of those piano lessons. Want to continue them? We kind of stopped since the whole thing with Astrid." 

"Yeah, are you wanting to start again now? I'm free from work and bored." 

I took Saffron off my lap waking her in doing so. I jumped off the couch and grabbed Adrian's hand dragging him to the piano. I laughed and smiled watching him try to find his footing. I sat down on one side of the bench and he sat beside me. The piano was left open and untouched, but it was dusted every now and then. The music books we pulled out from his sister's closet were still on the stand where we had left them. I wanted to play some Tchaikovsky, so I opened the book and found Swan Lake. 

I still had a lot to learn about the music sheets and sight reading. I needed to know the scales and what not. From what I've learned so far, I began to play. Adrian was more interested in staring at my concentrated face rather than giving me pointers. I took it note by note. I was terrible, but it didn't sound half as bad on the second try. 

"Okay, let me fix your hands here." Adrian chuckled grabbing my hands and fixing my fingers so they were properly placed on the right notes. "You should see an improvement now." 

I played and I did see an improvement. I was still struggling with some of the harder parts, but I tried. 

"How would I play this part?" I asked pointing to a section I struggled with. 

"Let's start with its chords. I'll give you a demo then you'll have to try it on your own. Ready?" Adrian played the chords after I nodded my head. I watched how his fingers danced across the keys and I paid attention to how he played. 

I gave it a go after him and made a few mistakes. I didn't back down and tried again and again until I finally got it. I was so proud of myself and relieved that my emotional breakdown of frustration didn't kick in. I beamed brightly at Adrian and he nodded back in approval. 

"Amazing, Sweetheart! Now we will try the melody. Same thing as the chords where I give a demo." 

We continued like this for a couple more parts and I was just rocking. Adrian called me his superstar and I've never felt so much pride. I was able to go through half of act one scene one on my own until dinner was ready. The smell of freshly made food wafted its way throughout the house. Adrian and I got up and went straight to the dinner table to eat. 

Sheila, Adrian's chef, came over to the table with our food. "Tonight is peppercorn roast beef with mashed garlic potatoes!" She smiled. 

We thanked her for the delicious meal and ate in a comfortable silence. 

———

This is crazy!! Where did y'all come from?! Thank you all for reading❤️ 

Quick question, would anyone want a Christmas special? (It will be like a bonus chapter and won't have ties to the plot) 

-Evil 🖤