"I love you."
"You are my silver lining."
It’s funny how just two words can express so much love so much feeling. Isn’t that how it always is two people fall in love by just one or two words. The thing is those words mean more than they seem they start it all.
That’s how it was for my parents. Except one thing my parents were far from normal. My name is Sapphire. Well my full name is Sapphire Anne Kennedy. My mother was Anne Kennedy. My mother was a senior in high school when she met my dad. Fell in love. Well so they say. She got pregnant with me at 19. The nurses and doctors say when my father brought her in she was beat up and bleeding everywhere. I was 3 weeks early. She died 5 minutes after I was born and named from eternal bleeding. My father held me while he sobbed. He finally gave me to the nurse and said "I love you Sapphire" and left.
The hospital had no choice but give me to an orphanage. I was never adopted so when I turned ten they put me in foster care. I’ve been in and out of homes my whole life. 13 years to be exact. Some better than others but none I could call home. I’ve been in the one foster home for a year now with my foster parent Emily. She doesn’t have enough money to adopt so she fosters kids. She at the moment is fostering one other girl Bunny. She is 6. She has no last name. Nobody knows where she comes from or her real name. So we just call her Bunny.
Emily is probably the most motherly like foster parent vie had so far. Also the most caring. She already has one biological son. His name is Alex and he is 19. I’ve only met him twice. Emily and his father are divorced but still friends so they shared custody. He was very spoiled he had two great parents they were just not in love anymore.
I liked this place allot but it just wasn't home. Me I’m no one special. I have black hair not glossy more like dirty with sapphire eyes. I wasn’t overly skinny just normal my hair reached the middle of my back more wavy then strait. . I had normal face features. The only thing people complimented me on was my eyes my long eyelashes. The only thing that made me the least bit pretty. It frustrated Emily when I put myself down. She felt like everybody was beautiful and they should know that and appreciate it. I probably didn’t appreciate her as much as I should. She had such a kind heart I wished I was a better person so that I could see that she loved me.
It was cold when I awoke. I mean of course it was cold. I lived in Alaska, Juneau to be exact. It wasn’t so bad actually greener than I would have thought. Actually there were many forests where I lived. I didn’t roam mostly just stayed inside the last home I lived in was Hawaii this was a big change. It was June in most states it was summer here it was a spring that never ended.

“Sapphire get down here!” yelled Emily. I knew why she was calling me piano lessons. I loved playing the piano but my teacher Mr. Keller died a few weeks ago of cancer. Emily has been trying to find me a suitable teacher. I didn’t want to go down I didn’t want a new teacher I wanted the old one. “Now!” I heard Emily shouting for me again. I had no choice I would go downstairs but take my time. I thought she was being ridiculous I would never play ever again. She thought I was being stubborn which was true in every way but I would never admit it. “I’m coming! I yelled annoyed “Impatient old woman….” I whispered to myself so she couldn’t hear. I walked down the old rickety stairs. So many memories in this house I would miss it when I had to leave. Which I knew would come but Emily refused to think that way so I gave up trying to reason with her.
As I came down the stairs she was waiting for me her face annoyed at me dragging my feet. Then I saw him. I had to stop and blink before I realized he was actually there. He was as tall as I thought a giant would be. He had dark brown hair with a hint of honey. It looked as if he put syrup in his hair and molasses and blow dried it. It was a little longer than a normal guy’s hair but not long enough to pass off as girl hair. He was very well built with huge muscles I doubted he had any fat on his whole body. He looked as if he could crush a bike with his foot and have no trouble at all. As I was saying before he was abnormally tall. I would guess seven feet or taller compared to my 5 foot 1 I was a midget.

I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out. Instead he spoke “Hello you must be Sapphire my name is Canis Major but you can call me Canis.” His voice sounded rough but kind not what I expected. What had I expected? I had expected him to jump at me like a wolf for some odd reason I couldn’t comprehend. His name was so interesting I thought I had heard it before but at the moment nothing came to mind. After he spoke I just nodded so many things going through my mind at once it was nauseating. Emily spoke probably just as surprised as I was at his voice. “This is your new piano teacher.” This brought me back to reality. That’s right my new piano teacher. Right now I knew I should be mad or annoyed but I just couldn’t bring myself to think that way. The thing is I thought if he tried to play the piano he would break it. I couldn’t picture him playing he looked more like a construction worker or something more dangerous. I gave up trying to figure him out and speak though the curiosity was still burning inside of me.
“It’s nice to meet you but I’m not playing ever again so sorry to disappoint.” I said it as polite as I could manage but there was definitely some annoyance there. Emily just glared at me mad at my refusal to play. To my surprise Canis spoke. “I am very sorry about your former teacher that was a terrible tragedy but someone with so much talent should not give up so easily.” He didn’t sound sorry but sincere. I didn’t understand him at all he was treating me like an adult giving me advice this I was not used to. I replied as most adult as I could. “I’m not really that talented and it seems silly for me to carry on such a worthless activity.” I thought I sounded smart. Well smarter than usual. He surprised me and laughed. Emily and I just stared at him with wonder. He stopped when he saw that we were confused. “I’m sorry for I’m being rude I was just laughing because she is more adult then I thought and makes a very good argument.” He said this with admiration and this made me feel good and important. Emily was still confused but she understood enough to look at me and talk to me.
“Sapphire your being stubborn and utterly absurd I am your foster mother and what I say goes and you will listen to Mr. Major and you will enjoy your lessons because I know you love to play the piano so that’s final.” She wasn’t good at sounding demanding or angry but I understood her efforts and I would respect no matter what. “Ok.” I grunted. Emily looked pleased with herself she turned to Canis. “Let me show you to the piano it really is a nice one old but still nice…….” She blabbered on like she always did its one of the things I always loved about her she was a forgive and forget person.
It didn’t seem like he was even listening. He kept looking at me like he was making sure I was still there. It was weird but I didn’t make anything of it we got to the piano. I automatically sat down and played with the keys. “Well ill leave you to it.” Emily spoke as she escaped to the kitchen. Canis sat down beside me and I started to play. He just stared at me it was weird but not uncomfortable. After awhile he spoke. “What’s the name of this song?” it was more polite than demanding. I thought for a minute. “I’m not sure yet I’m not even finished.” It made me frustrated that I couldn’t finish the song. Id been working on it for ages but I just couldn’t find a good enough ending.
That threw him for a minute. “You wrote this!” His surprise probably would have been insulting if I hadn’t been used to the response. “Yes.” I replied unenthusiastically.
He looked at my face and said nothing else. I stopped playing because there was no more to play. I sighed wishing I could have more because for me this was the prettiest song I’d ever written. All of sudden the music restarted my tune but it was going in a different direction. I looked at how his hands moved so beautifully across the keys. How I ever could have thought he would break the piano with a touch seemed impossible now.
He stopped and turned to me. “How about this, we don’t go back to the basics because clearly you have it down. Also clearly more talented then I thought. I help you finish your song and maybe even help you write some more. I think it would be a rather good on both our sides. I don’t have to teach and you don’t have to learn.” He said very intelligently. I thought about it. It would be great to not have to go back and I really wanted to finish the song I couldn’t decline. “Okay works for me.” The rest of the hour we just played random songs and laughed. He said we wouldn’t have to do anything serious yet just have some fun.
When I said goodbye and shut the door I ran to my room. I had a lot to think about. When I say a lot I mean a lot. First of all I just went against what I said earlier. Ok so I liked the guy it was hardly worth a death penalty. It was just there was something odd about him. He was so fascinating it left me wanting to know more. Like with his name it was so cool. I couldn’t hate him like my voice in my head wanted me to. I was blocking it completely. I couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come. I had so many questions in my mind but only one was singing the highest.
Who was Canis Major?