In April, nearly a year after Ethan had first stood in Studio B and refused to wait until someone else declared him ready, the academy held auditions for the summer intensive. Ethan walked in with the scratched case, messy brown hair, and a calm that had not existed the previous October. Helena sat on the panel. Sophia auditioned in the slot before him and exited flashing a private thumbs-up. When Ethan's turn came, a younger instructor on the panel—someone who had not been present for the legend of the first day—glanced at the case and almost, almost asked whether he was sure he belonged in the advanced intensive.
Helena Marie Ashcroft saw the glance and smiled with her eyes only.
Ethan did not need the old dialogue repeated. He lifted his violin, looked once at the panel, and played. When he finished, the younger instructor wrote something quickly and underlined it. Ethan did not try to read upside down. He packed his instrument, thanked them, and stepped into the hallway where Sophia waited with two juice boxes like victory medals.
"Well?" she asked.
"I didn't stop," Ethan said.
"Good," Sophia Elise Lang said. "I'm tired of people who stop themselves for an audience that isn't even asking them to."
Acceptance to the summer intensive arrived by email on a Tuesday afternoon while Ethan was attempting to reheat pasta and Richard was on a call about a merger that would make wealthy men slightly wealthier. Ethan read the acceptance twice, then waited until Richard's call ended.