Before I had become a lawyer, I was really interested in this other hobby: piano. My mother used to take me to lessons with her before she died, and it took me a long time to become a professional pianist.

As I was sitting on the piano bench, I took both my hands and fingers and touched the keyboards. I slowly began playing Idyllwild by Alec Puro, and then I started to play a little bit faster. I closed my eyes, just feeling the music hit me, and I haven't played the piano for a long time. I was just surprised that I am still able to play.

Mrs. Hutchinson and Jacob had come inside my house, and I continued to play with the piano. Mrs. Hutchinson and Jacob just stood by the door watching me. Mrs. Hutchinson fell in love with the piece I was playing, and she smiled. Once I finished playing the song, I opened my eyes once again. Mrs. Hutchinson applauded, and I turned telling Mrs. Hutchinson I didn't hear her come into my house.

"I didn't know you play."

I chuckled, "Yeah, I, I used to."

"Oh why did you quit?" Mrs. Hutchinson asked, I tell Jacob to watch his hands before I begin dinner. Jacob goes into the kitchen, and Mrs. Hutchinson, still standing by the door, I told her that I quit after my parents died.

Mrs. Hutchinson understood, sighing. "Well, I think you should start playing again, I like whatever song you played, it suits you," Mrs. Hutchinson said, before smiling. I sighed, stroking hair, and I stood up from the piano bench and I sighed, crossing my arms, walking towards the stairs.

"How's Mandy?" Mrs. Hutchinson asked, wondering.

I sighed, "I don't know," I shook my head not knowing, "I don't know, I hope she doesn't—I hope she tells the police, because she told me she wasn't going to."

Mrs. Hutchinson sighed, and she explained to me that Mandy will eventually come to the police when she's ready. "It's just a lot to process, for you and her." I sighed, sitting down on the stairs, and Mrs. Hutchinson walked up to me and sat on the stairs next to me.

"Would you like to stay for dinner? I'm making spaghetti." I said to Mrs. Hutchinson.

"Yeah, sure."

My father used to be this person who had taught me to never give up on my dreams. It was the same thing my mother told me, no matter how hard life gets.

When I started to play the piano, I felt this feeling in my stomach, like it was telling me that I shall follow my gut. Being a pianist was someone who I was before becoming a lawyer. I was seven when I first began playing piano, and I even played in competitions, school talent shows, and I created videos of myself playing videos and uploaded them to social media.

People really liked what I played, and after finding out from the police that my parents died, I never felt the same about piano ever again. But tonight was different for me, I fell in love with playing piano again. I haven't played since I was eighteen years old. It was like this shining light was shining in my darkness I was trapped in for months.

Mandy came to my house the next morning, and I opened the door after Mandy knocked. Mandy then stood there outside of the doorway on the back porch, and I sighed, swallowing and she could tell I was unhappy. Mandy sighed, and she asked if I was going to let her inside my house. I just walked my way back into the kitchen, leaving the door opened.

Mandy then walks inside, and shuts the door. I was doing housework today, and Mandy walked into the kitchen, and I didn't say a word to her. Mandy started stammering her words, and she apologized to me once again.

I was still cleaning and spraying the kitchen counter and Mandy and I were the only ones in my house. Jacob was invited to David's soccer game, and so Mrs. Hutchinson took him to the game.

"I'm sorry, Ryan," Mandy said, softly. I continued cleaning the kitchen counter. "Ryan? Can you hear what I am saying?" Mandy softly asked. I still didn't say a word to Mandy. "Ryan?" Mandy softly asked once again.

I then stopped cleaning, for a minute I was thinking and I turned, facing Mandy. Mandy swallowed and she noticed the look of my face. I was furious. I asked Mandy why won't she tell the police she was sexually assaulted.

Mandy sighed, shrugging. "I–I don't know if I can, Ryan."

"Why?" I asked. "I care about you." I said, furiously.

Mandy understood, shaking her head. "Because, because I told the police before and they didn't want to believe it. They thought I was making it up."

I frowned, confused. "Wha-what are you implying?"

Mandy swallowed, and sighed. "Um," Mandy's voice was beginning to break, and she sighed once again. "Because this isn't my first time I was raped."

I scoffed, shockingly. "What?"

"I been raped before, Ryan."

I didn't want to believe what Mandy was telling me, and I was speechless. "Who?" I asked. But then Mandy sighed, she couldn't tell me. I asked Mandy who raped her. Mandy told me she was raped ever since the ages of sixteen, and I asked Mandy once again who raped her. Mandy then began to cry, and she told me it was her ex boyfriend.

"Your ex has been sexually assaulting you for eight years?" I asked.

"Yeah," Mandy sighed.

I felt anger and sadness at once and I was just stunned. How could someone so selfish do something so stupid on another human being? Mandy asked me if I could keep a promise, and I asked Mandy what the promise was.

"I need you to promise me that you won't tell my parents. It's my decision to tell them," Mandy said.

"Wha-what?"

"Ryan, please promise me."

I inhaled hard and I deeply let out a sigh, "Mandy, please." Mandy then said she was sorry, and that she needed to leave and left my house. I just stood there, scoffing, and I was even more shocked when Mandy told me who raped her and won't tell a soul.