The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks | Page 5

on the father-daughter connection came next, all of which
eventually led to a coveted appearance in the Young Performers series at Carnegie Hall four
years ago. That, she supposed, was the highlight of her career. And it was a highlight; she wasn’t
naive about what she’d accomplished. She knew how rare an opportunity like that was, but lately
she’d found herself wondering whether the sacrific es had been worth it. No one besides her
parents probably even remembered the performan ce, after all. Or even cared. Ronnie had learned
that unless you had a popular vide o on YouTube or could perform shows in front of thousands,
musical ability meant nothing. Sometimes she wished her father had started her on the electric guitar. Or at the very least,
singing lessons. What was she supposed to do with an ability to play the piano? Teach music at
the local school? Or play in some hotel lobby wh ile people were checking in? Or chase the hard
life her father had? Look where the piano had gotten him. He’d ended up quitting Juilliard so he
could hit the road as a concert pianist and found himself playing in rinky-dink venues to
audiences that barely filled the first couple of rows. He traveled forty weeks a year, long enough
to put a strain on the marriage. Next thing she knew, Mom was yelling all the time and Dad was
retreating into his shell like he usually did, until one day he simply didn’t return from an
extended southern tour. As far as she knew, he wasn’t working at all these days. He wasn’t even
giving private lessons.
How did that work out for you, Dad?
She shook her head. She really didn’t want to be here. God knows she wanted nothing to do
with any of this.

“Hey, Mom!” Jonah called out. He leaned forward. “What’s over there? Is that a Ferris
wheel?” Her mom craned her neck, trying to see around the minivan in the lane beside her. “I think
it is, honey,” she answered. “There must be a carnival in town.”
“Can we go? After we all have dinner together?”
“You’ll have to ask your dad.”
“Yeah, and maybe afterward, we’ll all sit ar ound the campfire and roast marshmallows,”
Ronnie interjected. “Like we’re one big, happy family.” This time, both of them ignored her.
“Do you think they have other rides?” Jonah asked.
“I’m sure they do. And if your dad doesn’t want to ride them, I’m sure your sister will go
with you.” “Awesome!”
Ronnie sagged in her seat. It figured her mom would sugge st something like that. The
whole thing was too depressing to believe.
2

Steve
Steve Miller played the piano w ith keyed-up intensity, anticipating his child ren’s arrival at any
minute. The piano was located in a small alcove o ff the small living room of the beachside
bungalow he now called home. Behind him were items that represented his personal history. It
wasn’t much. Aside from the piano, Kim had been able to pack his belongings into a single box,
and it had taken less than half an hour to put everything in place. There was a snapshot of him
with his father and mother when he was young, a nother photo of him playing the piano as a teen.
They were mounted between both of the degrees he’d received, one from Chapel Hill and the
other from Boston University, and below it was a certificate of appreciation from Juilliard after
he’d taught for fifteen years. Near the window were three fram ed schedules outlining his tour
dates. Most important, though, were half a dozen photographs of Jonah and Ronnie, some tacked
to the walls or framed and sitting atop the pi ano, and whenever he looked at them, he was
reminded of the fact that despite his best in tentions, nothing had turned out the way he’d
expected. The late afternoon sun was slanting through th e windows, making the interior of the house
stuffy, and Steve could feel beads of sweat be ginning to form. Thankfully, the pain in his
stomach had lessened since the morning, but he’d been nervous for days, and he knew it would
come back. He’d always had a weak stomach; in his twenties, he’d had an ulcer and was
hospitalized for diverticulitis; in his thirties, he’d had his appendix removed after it had burst
while Kim was pregnant with Jona h. He ate Rolaids like candy, he’d been on Nexium for years,
and though he