Today was like every day for me. I was walking across the beach side of my summer home. It was the only way my head could be cleared. Ever since I was a kid, I had my life set on one path specifically. Be the best businessman I could be.

My parents made sure of that by having me spend extra time in school for studying. Every day, I would spend a good chunk of time just staring out the window in my room. There was a playground outside, where children would play everyday. Even before high school graduation, I would continue to stare outside that specific window. Eventually, when I left for college, I was sent off to Harvard, far away from my home state.

It wasn’t the worse, my roommate was decent enough to keep the room clean. However, it was still as cramped as an asylum room. Even worse, the window in the dorm was covered by a tree trunk. There was no hope of even looking outside. Along with that, my parents called every day.

There was never a consistent time they would call. Maybe it would be at night, maybe in the afternoon, or in the morning. I wish I could say that they were being nothing but supportive. That they were just calling out of concern. Instead, I got nothing but demands. “We need to see your grades now.”

“You better be the top student.”

“You’re never getting a A-.”

If I even told them that there was a club I considering joining, they would immediately say how much of a waste it would be. All I could do is silently agree with them. By the time I finally graduated, I was just tired.

I found myself a job as soon as I could in California, and never talked to my parents again. I built myself a decent business and eventually bought myself a beach house. However, I could still enjoy the beauty of something like the beach. That was until one day. On my usual walk, I stumbled upon the most curious sight.

It was a beautiful piano, laying dangerously close to the tides. It was as golden as the sand, and was in pretty good condition. I investigated the strange piano, noticing a slight glow around it. Suddenly, pages appeared to rest on it. They were rather simple musical notes at first, but the more I stared at them, the more they seemingly changed.

I could at first see pictures of a child version of me, only difference. I was playing that very piano, smiling all the way through. My parents were even there, patiently teaching me. Before I realized it, I was playing the piano itself. My hands danced around the keys so professionally.

Before long, my entire childhood flashed before my eyes. It was similar to the vision. Instead of right staring longingly at the window, I was mastering my musical skills. There would even be the sound of children laughing as they entered my home. My parents were even there, telling me that I would be a great musician.

And that was what I believed. Eventually, I did go to college with a business degree in mind, but I had another passion with me. I continued to play the piano, preferring to stay in state so that I live in a place where I could afford to play it. In the present, I was playing my favorite piece, New Beginnings by Luke Faulkner. As I finished the piece, the memories stopped.

Once I stood up and left the piano behind, I had a strange sensation. It was almost a mixture of confusion and nostalgia, nothing I felt before. As I turned around, I gasped. The piano had disappeared as suddenly as it reappeared on the beach. Despite that, I became slowly calm about that.

I finally had a promising future ahead of me. I imagined myself as being the creative genius I was always meant to be. As I walked away from the beach, I had a sudden ring in my pocket. It was a message, from unexpectedly my dad.

“Don’t forget your concert tonight,” he texted. “You will do great.”