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"Done! Good as new!" said Ojelo.
"What's going on?" asked Suletta. She had just arrived at Earth House and found the other house members surrounding Nuno and Ojelo expectantly.
"Nuno has found a keyboard," Lilique told her.
"Some rich kid had thrown it into the recycler," Chuchu grumbled. "You can tell they've got money to spare..."
"Nuno and Ojelo have checked it and it just needed a couple of parts replaced," Nika said.
"Luckily, we have been able to improvise with the spare parts we have," Nuno said proudly. "Now Earth House has a brand new keyboard! It even has the pedals for the piano mode!"
"That's great!" Suletta said. "Who's going to try it?"
Everyone bowed their heads.
"None of us know how to play," Nina said. "You wouldn't happen to know, Suletta?"
"No, but I know the right person." A huge smile spread across Suletta's face.
---
"Remind me why I agreed to this," Miorine whispered to Suletta with barely a twitch of her lips as the members of Earth House thanked her.
"B-b-because you are a g-g-good person, Miorine-san, and these people are your f-f-friends." Suletta smiled. It had taken some convincing, but in the end Miorine had agreed to her request.
They had placed the keyboard on a small table and connected a pair of speakers to it. Miorine sat down on an adjustable stool, took off her boots and began trying out various keyboard configurations while everyone watched her in silence. When she was satisfied with the configuration, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and placed her hands on the keyboard.
She hadn't practiced for a long time. Music had accompanied her throughout all her life. It had helped her through difficult periods. It had been her way of feeling free, of expressing what she felt.
She searched deep within herself. There she found the melody. She wrapped herself in it and let the sadness envelop her and give meaning to every note.
For Miorine, the entire room was gone. There was only the melody and the sorrow.
No.
There was someone else.
As her hands played the piece, she saw Suletta looking at her. There were tears in her eyes.
Miorine wanted to stop, to tell Suletta that everything was going to be all right, but she couldn't. The melody had taken hold of her and the sadness was now too strong. She let herself be carried away, as she had done before. She allowed the grief devour her and, with it, any hope she might have harbored.
Suletta was still looking at her. Miorine could tell that the Mercurian girl was suffering too, but she was trying to resist, as if she were telling her I'm here, don't go away.
Then she finished the piano piece and the spell was broken. She was back at Earth House. Miorine felt defeated. Exhausted. She had once again let despair sink its claws into her. She didn't even hear how vigorously Earth people applauded her.
She couldn't take it anymore. She stood up and ran away crying.
"Miorine-san!" Suletta yelled.
Seeing that she didn't stop, Suletta bolted after Miorine. When she caught up with her, Miorine had just left Earth House. Suletta overtook her and planted herself in front of her. Miorine stopped abruptly.
"Please, Suletta. Let me pass." Miorine's voice was a plea. Tears flowed uncontrollably from her eyes. "This was a mistake."
"I'm sorry, Miorine-san. It was my fault. I should have thought you would play a piece for your mother and it would hurt you. I've been selfish and an idiot."
"How... how did you know it? About my mother?" Miorine opened her eyes in surprise.
"When you started playing, I felt inside me a huge sorrow for my Dad. For not being able to know him. For him not being able to see me growing up. But it was also like the music was telling me, 'It's not bad to feel that way. It means you remember him. That you love him' and the pain faded away. You could only play like that if you were thinking about your mother. Because you loved her. And because you still love her."
"This was the last piece my mother taught me to play. It was one of her favorites."
"It's a beautiful piece."
"I haven't played it since my mother's death."
Suletta hugged her. Miorine leaned her head on Suletta's shoulder and hugged her back.
"Don't succumb to sadness, Miorine. You deserve all the joy in this world."
"Don't you ever die, Suletta. Please. I couldn't bear it."
The two girls remained in a silent embrace, crying. Sadness could try to consume them, but it would be in vain.
They had each other. And nothing could ever break that bond.