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Description
               Grandmother loved her piano until the bitter end, and so did I.

               "Grandma," said Roza impatiently. "I really think we need to get rid of this piano."
               "Julia!" Grandmother plead, turning to me.
               I sighed. "Roza, look, there's no reason to get rid of it right now!"
               My sister placed her hands on her hips. "Julia, look at this old thing!" She slapped the piano as Grandmother cringed. "It's falling apart. Probably all full of termites, too. Grandma, you don't even know how to play the piano, I don't see why you've kept it!"
               "But it was Howard's –"
               "Roza," I interjected. "Just let it be. The piano's not hurting anyone, is it?" I glared at her meaningfully. "Don't worry, Nanny. You can keep the piano as  long as you want."
               My sister rolled her eyes. "Good night."
               Grandmother turned to me, her eyes wet with tears. "Thank you, Julia, sweetheart."
               I  sighed. "I love you, Nanny."
               "I love you too. Thank you. For caring about me. I think only you can see how special this piano is, Julia. Roza doesn't understand. No one understands," she said, lost.
               I nodded, wallowing in my cowardice.

               Later that evening, Roza strode into my room and planted herself on my bed. "Julia. She has to get rid of that piano, and you know it."
               I continued writing. "I don't see why."
               She grabbed my shoulder and turned me around in my chair. "It's unhealthy. I've heard you two talking. I know how she keeps getting up at two or three in the morning and supposedly sees Grandpa Howard playing at the piano. She talks to him, as if he were there!"
               "If that's her way of coping, Roza..."
               "She's not!" Roza yelled. "She's not. She's not coping," she murmured.
               I stood angrily. "What's it to you, Roza? Since when are you so interested in Nanny's health?"
               "Julia, how ungrateful of you! She's taken care of us ever since we were little and you don't even want to worry about her now that she needs us!"
               "Roza, if we took away the piano... You know what?" I yelled angrily. "You have no right to get rid of that piano. You have no right to force her to cope with this, because you know what? She'd fall into a depression or something, Roza, and she would come running into my arms and not yours. You wouldn't have to deal with her. I would, I'd have to deal with her until she died, because she'll be unhappy for the rest of her days if we take the illusion away." I held back tears and sat silently.
               Roza walked over and hugged me tightly. "I know you care about her, Julia. Maybe – Okay. She's happier this way. We'll leave the piano be."
               "This is the right choice. For everyone," I assured us.
               I could hear my grandmother pacing downstairs in the drawing room. Howard, my love... Oh, Howard, what a beautiful piece, who taught you that one?...

               Grandmother loved her piano until the bitter end, and so did I. The piano absolved me.

Description
               Grandmother loved her piano until the bitter end, and so did I.

               "Grandma," said Roza impatiently. "I really think we need to get rid of this piano."
               "Julia!" Grandmother plead, turning to me.
               I sighed. "Roza, look, there's no reason to get rid of it right now!"
               My sister placed her hands on her hips. "Julia, look at this old thing!" She slapped the piano as Grandmother cringed. "It's falling apart. Probably all full of termites, too. Grandma, you don't even know how to play the piano, I don't see why you've kept it!"
               "But it was Howard's –"
               "Roza," I interjected. "Just let it be. The piano's not hurting anyone, is it?" I glared at her meaningfully. "Don't worry, Nanny. You can keep the piano as  long as you want."
               My sister rolled her eyes. "Good night."
               Grandmother turned to me, her eyes wet with tears. "Thank you, Julia, sweetheart."
               I  sighed. "I love you, Nanny."
               "I love you too. Thank you. For caring about me. I think only you can see how special this piano is, Julia. Roza doesn't understand. No one understands," she said, lost.
               I nodded, wallowing in my cowardice.

               Later that evening, Roza strode into my room and planted herself on my bed. "Julia. She has to get rid of that piano, and you know it."
               I continued writing. "I don't see why."
               She grabbed my shoulder and turned me around in my chair. "It's unhealthy. I've heard you two talking. I know how she keeps getting up at two or three in the morning and supposedly sees Grandpa Howard playing at the piano. She talks to him, as if he were there!"
               "If that's her way of coping, Roza..."
               "She's not!" Roza yelled. "She's not. She's not coping," she murmured.
               I stood angrily. "What's it to you, Roza? Since when are you so interested in Nanny's health?"
               "Julia, how ungrateful of you! She's taken care of us ever since we were little and you don't even want to worry about her now that she needs us!"
               "Roza, if we took away the piano... You know what?" I yelled angrily. "You have no right to get rid of that piano. You have no right to force her to cope with this, because you know what? She'd fall into a depression or something, Roza, and she would come running into my arms and not yours. You wouldn't have to deal with her. I would, I'd have to deal with her until she died, because she'll be unhappy for the rest of her days if we take the illusion away." I held back tears and sat silently.
               Roza walked over and hugged me tightly. "I know you care about her, Julia. Maybe – Okay. She's happier this way. We'll leave the piano be."
               "This is the right choice. For everyone," I assured us.
               I could hear my grandmother pacing downstairs in the drawing room. Howard, my love... Oh, Howard, what a beautiful piece, who taught you that one?...

               Grandmother loved her piano until the bitter end, and so did I. The piano absolved me.