How it got there

I didn’t want to stage something that would make them even more nervous. I thought of something small and close: a plush wearing a music-notes tee resting on the bench, as if it were their little companion before they started.

A surprise on the bench

I picked up the Puff and put on the tee that looked concert-ready, brand new. I had the box in my hands until I heard the key. They came in, put down the guitar case and stood still.

They saw it, approached slowly and set it into the little gap on the seat. It was such a simple gesture that it brought tears to my eyes, but I held them back: they had an exam.

Before touching the keys

They sat down, looked at the stand, brushed Puffy with the tips of their fingers and breathed. No jokes; they smiled with that look they get when they decide to focus.

• Arrival Arrives home with the case; they’re tense but we try to talk about something else.
• Surprise I open the box and leave Puffy on the bench, facing the sheet music.
• Silence They sit, play a short piece to test, and their hands loosen up a bit.
• Leaving Packs up the music and leaves feeling lighter; they wink at me as they close the door.

It wasn’t a magic talisman, but I saw them walk a little taller. After the exam they told me that, when they looked at the bench, they remembered someone waiting at home with patience.

— Ariadna, Valencia

What remained after

Puffy stayed on the piano for several weeks; they left it there when they weren’t practicing. Sometimes they’d play a short piece just to hear it, as if the little bear were both audience and critic. It kept them company without words.

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