The Encore is You
The stage lights dimmed as the crowd fell silent, waiting. Ethan sat at the grand piano, his fingers trembling above the keys. This was his moment-a performance years in the making. But it wasn’t the audience that filled his mind. It was her.
He had spent countless nights crafting this piece, pouring his emotions into every note. It was for Lila, the woman who had been his anchor, his light in the darkest days. Ethan’s career had soared over the years, but behind the glamour and the music was a man held together by her quiet strength.
He still remembered the day she found him at his lowest, broken by a failed audition that nearly made him give up. Lila had sat beside him at the same piano and whispered, “You’re more than this failure. I believe in you.” That night, she pushed him to keep going.
But it wasn’t just her encouragement that lingered-it was the way she always saw him, not as a musician chasing perfection, but as someone already enough. She was his audience of one, the only person he needed to play for.
The spotlight grew brighter, and Ethan finally began. The first notes spilled into the theater, soft and deliberate. His hands moved with a confidence that didn’t come from rehearsals but from love. He played their story-the highs, the struggles, and the quiet moments only they shared.
As the music swelled, his eyes drifted to the seat he’d reserved for her, illuminated in the crowd. There she was, smiling through tears, her gaze locked on him as if no one else existed.
“This is for you,” Ethan had told her earlier that night. “Every note, every word-my encore is you.”
The song reached its crescendo, a symphony of emotions Ethan couldn’t have spoken aloud. With the final note, he exhaled, the theater erupting into applause. But for Ethan, there was only Lila.
He stood, his heart racing, and walked offstage toward her. The world faded as she rose to meet him, her arms wrapping around his.
“That was beautiful,” she whispered.
“You make it easy,” he said, smiling.
In her arms, Ethan knew he’d already won-because the true performance of his life wasn’t on stage. It was loving her.
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