Sixty Beats Per Minute

Chapter 14

"Did you bring Adrien this time?" Tom asked.

Marinette shook her head, "He's teaching piano right now. He said he'll stop by later, though"

"That's great!" Sabine exclaimed, "Tell him to stay for dinner!"

"By the way," Tom placed his massive hand on Marinette's petite shoulder, "How are things going with him?"

Tom gave his daughter a wink. Marinette's cheeks clouded with a light shade of rosy pink at his question. Sabine raised her eyebrows as she looked at her daughter with curiosity written on her face.

"Oh yes, tell us"

"Umm," At that moment, Marinette's face darkened from pink to red, "I... Guess we're good?"

Marinette sighed, "But the thing is, I only have a limited time left. Three months to be specific"

Tom and Sabine's smiles faded immediately upon hearing this, like all their excitement from seeing their daughter had disappeared. 

"Adrien knows, but what he doesn't know about is... Is my disease"

Marinette fought back the burning tears in her eyes, puffing up her nostrils and clenching her jaw in the process. She did not want to break down in front of her parents like she did in front of her friends.

"I know it won't be long until I have to be sitting in a hospital bed all day," Marinette whimpered, "That's why I came here while I can still walk"

Tom and Sabine stepped up to their daughter and brought her in for a hug. They had no words at the moment, but the least they could do was offer their comfort to her.

They were not ready to lose their only daughter. They were not ready to lose the light of their lives.

~

"Careful not to lose the rhythm when you shift positions," Adrien said, pushing his glasses up his nose, "Let's slow it down a little bit. And keep your hands relaxed"

Adrien began snapping his fingers at a slow and steady beat, filling the room with soft clicks much like a metronome. The young girl tapped her foot to the same beat. She placed her small hands on the piano with her eyes on the sheet music in front of her.

Before she could play a single beat, a short series of knocks sounded from the front door. Adrien's snapping came to a cease. Curiously, the piano teacher rose to his feet.

"I think that's my mom," His student said and copied his actions.

The young musician followed Adrien to the front door, where a middle-aged woman stood on the other side of the doorway. Adrien greeted the woman as the little girl ran to her mother's side.

"So, how's her playing?" The lady asked.

Adrien smiled, "She plays really well. She's improving a lot on G- and F- positions. I can tell she enjoys it"

"That's great to hear," The lady reached into her purse and handed him her payment for the month, "I'll see you next week then. Thank you, Adrien"

"Thank you for coming"

Adrien closed the front door and removed his glasses. His hand reached into his pocket to pull out his phone, where a text message from Marinette lit up the screen. He sucked in a quick gasp the second he read it. Moving at the speed of light, Adrien ran to the bathroom. He switched on the sink, allowing the icy cold water to pool into his hands. Closing his eyes shut, Adrien leaned over the sink and splashed the chilly water on his face, his hands tense from the coldness they had just collected. Using his comb, Adrien proceeded to run a quick swipe through his hair.

Once satisfied, Adrien ran back to the living room. His fingers reached for his car keys before dashing out the door.

~

Adrien and Marinette sat down on the couch, watching a movie in the living room. Onscreen, a romantic scene played underneath a starlit sky. The couple featured in the movie had shared a kiss under the stars, just before the camera faded out into a pitch black screen. Marinette smiled softly, watching the thousands of words from the credits roll onscreen.

"That was always one of my favorite movies," she said, "I've always wondered what it's like to have such a romantic moment like that"

Marinette sighed, "But, it's hard to see stars in this city. There's way too much light pollution. I wish we can shut it all off just for one night and admire the galaxy"

A mere second of silence filled the room, accompanied by music from the TV playing in the background. Adrien stared blankly at the screen, a small smile tugging his lips upwards ever so slightly.

"Yeah," he hummed, "That would be nice"