Lavender, a piano, and you

Dried lavender, 
fresh lavender, 
growing lavender, 
scents of lavender
waft through your whole house
relaxing my every muscle. 

Soft piano music comes from the center of the house, 
gentle and smooth, 
greeting my ears with a soothing,
continuous hello and welcome. 

I can hear your fingers gliding softly over 
the keys of the grand piano, 
hands placing your fingers in 
seemingly effortless grace
that can only be established with 
years upon years of practice.
 
Your laugh floats delicately atop 
the music,
interweaving with the notes 
to create a beautiful harmony. 

I enter the room and a smile
easily slides onto your wonderful face. 

“Good morning,” your kind expression says
without you even having to open your mouth.
 
I come sit next to you, 
and lean into your warm shoulder. 

Your fingers cease their perpetual movement, 
only for a brief second 
as you lean over and wrap your arms 
around me. 

Time seems to slow 
and I am aware of every single 
sensation. 

I am aware of the sound of your heartbeat.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. 
I feel my heart slow down its pace 
to fall into perfect sync with yours,
creating yet another symphony of rhythms. 

I am aware of the feeling of our skin touching, 
arm and arm, 
head and shoulder, 
hand and back. 

And the scent of lavender is even stronger now, 
clearly coming from your perfume. 
Its familiar tendrils envelop me 
in a soft, flowery cloud.

I take a deep breath and inhale all of these feelings
into my whole body.

You lean back slowly, 
breaking our embrace. 

You place your fingers back onto the keys 
and look over at me. 

I smile at you 
and rest my hand lightly upon the keys as well. 

I know what we are going to play.
It is the same thing we always play. 

You start, 
and soon I join in,
high notes and low notes winding together 
in a perfect melody.

My hands move in a much less 
graceful way. 
After all, I don’t have much practice. 

You press the key to finish 
the final bar of the song.

Slowly you fade away,
until you are nothing 
but thin air 
once again. 

The smile leaves my face, 
turning downwards into a slight frown. 

It felt so real 
I thought for a minute
that you weren't really gone

“Goodbye, Granny,” I whisper, 

choking back a sob.