Maria Santos looked at her watch as she walked up the long driveway. It was 7:30 in the morning, and the sun was just starting to come up.
She had been coming to this big house for fifteen years now. Every Tuesday and Friday, she would wake up early, take two buses, and arrive at the Wellington mansion before 8:00 a.m.The house was huge. It had twenty-three rooms, five bathrooms, and a kitchen bigger than Maria's entire apartment. The front yard was so big that it took her five minutes just to walk from the street to the front door. There were beautiful flowers everywhere, cut grass that looked like a green carpet, and a fountain that made soft water sounds all day long.Maria carried her old blue bag with all her cleaning supplies. The bag was heavy, but she was used to it. Inside were bottles of soap, cleaning cloths, rubber gloves, and everything else she needed to make the house shine. Her hands were rough and had small cuts from years of cleaning, but Maria was proud of her work. She always made sure everything was perfect.Today was different from other days. It was summer break, so her sixteen-year-old daughter, Sophia, was with her. Sophia had long black hair that she always kept in a neat ponytail. She was quiet and polite, just like Maria had taught her to be. Sophia carried a small backpack with her school books; even during summer, she liked to read and study.They walked to the back door of the house. Maria had her own key because Mr. Wellington trusted her. She had never broken anything or taken anything that didn't belong to her. She was always on time and always did good work. That's why she still had this job after so many years."Remember the rules, Mia," Maria said to her daughter as they walked inside. She always spoke to Sophia in English when they were at work. "Don't touch anything. Stay in the kitchen. If you need the bathroom, use the small one near the kitchen. Don't go into the other rooms."Sophia nodded. She had heard these rules many times before. She understood that her mother's job was important. This job paid for their small apartment, their food, and Sophia's school supplies. Without this job, they would have big problems.The kitchen was the biggest room Sophia had ever seen. It had white marble counters that were cold to touch. There were two big refrigerators, a stove with six burners, and cabinets that went all the way to the ceiling. In the middle was a large island where Sophia would sit and do her homework while her mother worked.Maria put on her rubber gloves and started working. She began in the kitchen: wiping down all the counters, cleaning the stove, and making sure the floor was spotless. She worked fast but carefully. Every movement had a purpose. She had cleaned this house so many times that she could do it with her eyes closed.While Maria worked, Sophia opened her backpack and took out a book. She was reading about music history for fun. She loved learning about famous musicians and composers. Her favorite was a man named Chopin, who wrote beautiful piano music. She had never heard his music played on a real piano, but she could imagine how it would sound.As Maria moved from room to room, Sophia could hear her footsteps on the marble floors. The house was so big that sometimes Maria's voice would echo when she called out to check if Sophia was okay. The house felt empty and cold, even though it was full of expensive things.From where she sat in the kitchen, Sophia could see into the main living room. There was a huge black piano there. It was the most beautiful thing in the whole house: shiny and perfect, like something from a fairy tale. Sophia had been coming to this house for two years now, and she had never seen anyone touch that piano. It just sat there looking lonely.Sophia wondered what it would feel like to press those white and black keys. She wondered what sounds would come out. But she would never touch it; that would break her mother's most important rule.Mr. Wellington was rich—very, very rich. He had made his money with computers and technology. He owned three houses, five cars, and even a small airplane. He wore expensive suits and watches that cost more than Maria made in a whole year. But he wasn't mean to Maria; he just acted like she wasn't really there most of the time.Maria had told Sophia that rich people lived in a different world. They had different problems and different worries. Mr. Wellington worried about his business and his money. He went to important meetings and traveled to faraway places. He didn't think about things like buying groceries or paying rent.