Philip smiled, a real, warm smile. "I already forgave you when I walked out of your mansion."
Catherine wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Philip's forgiveness lifted a huge weight from her heart, but there was something she still had to ask.
"Philip," she began hesitantly, "may I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Why did you stop playing? I mean, after what happened with your mother, you still have this incredible talent. Why didn't you go back?"
Philip looked at his hands, the same hands that a few hours ago had made the piano sing. "At first, I couldn't," he said softly. "The pain was too great. Every time I saw a piano, I saw my mother sitting in the front row at my concerts. It was her dream, you know, to see me play."
Catherine listened in silence.
"Then, when I finally found the strength to play again, I realized something: the music world had moved on without me. I had lost my contacts, my opportunities. Nobody remembered Philip Mercer anymore."
"But tonight, everyone recognized you."
Philip smiled sadly. "Tonight was the first time in seven years that I have played in front of anyone, and it was liberating." He turned to her. "Thank you, in a strange way. If you hadn't challenged me, perhaps I would never have found the courage to touch those keys again."
Catherine shook her head. "Do not thank me for my cruelty."
"I am not thanking you for that. I am thanking you for reminding me of who I am."
A sudden idea flashed through Catherine's mind. Her eyes lit up. "Philip, listen. I have many contacts in the world of culture and art. I can help you. I can organize concerts, introduce you to important people. I can—"
"No," Philip interrupted, gently but firmly.
Catherine stopped, confused. "But why not? I want to help you. I want to do something good after what I did."
Philip stood up from the bench, looked at the canal, his hands in his pockets. "Catherine, I understand that you want to make amends, and I truly appreciate the thought." He turned to her. "But if I return to music through your contacts, it would be a gift, a charity. And I don't want that."