• The Price of Passion

    Maddy slid open the van door and threw her piano books on the floor so hard they scattered across the gray carpet. ā€œIā€™m quitting piano.ā€ “What?” I glanced in the rearview mirror at my ten-year-old daughter, piano prodigy extraordinaire. “I messed up.” Giant tears hit first, heavy sobs lagging only a second behind. “I practiced all week.” She sunk in the seat, yanked on the belt, and clicked the buckle in place. “And it was hard.”