I wrote this story because I’ve struggled with stage fright, and at the same time have enjoyed the thrill of performance. My good friend and band leader, Paul Dillon, once told me, “Get used to it. When they clap, you stand there and let them do that. It’s their moment to appreciate the music. Just accept it.” My character, Becky, hears something similar from her piano teacher, Mrs. S., who tells her, “Have a little pride.” In the course of the story, Becky begins to understand her own musical talent and gets her first inkling of a future defined by that talent, even without dependence upon a man.