Affirmative

"Affirmative," Elias said, his stomach already preemptively turning. It tasted like a salty garden, but the genuine beam of joy on Mrs. Gable’s face was a flavor he hadn't expected.

"I'm supposed to play a pop-up set at the park, but my page-turner bailed. Do you read music?" affirmative

Should the story focus more on or his personal life ? "I'm supposed to play a pop-up set at

He spent the next hour sitting on a folding stool, watching her bow fly across the strings. He turned pages of Bach and Gershwin, feeling the vibration of the music in his own chest. When the sun dipped below the horizon, the crowd cheered, and the cellist laughed, giving him a high-five that felt like an electric shock. He turned pages of Bach and Gershwin, feeling

At 8:00 AM, his neighbor, Mrs. Gable, asked if he’d like to try her experimental kale-and-anchovy smoothie.