Before the first note

An original narrative about an invented outdoor recital.

The piano stood under a canopy at the edge of the square. It looked strangely formal among the bicycle racks and takeaway cups. Someone had placed a square of carpet beneath the pedals, as if a small part of a concert hall had been cut out and brought into the street.

Nia sat down and adjusted the stool. Two children continued chasing each other around a bench. A delivery trolley rattled over the paving. She rested her hands above the keys, then lowered them to her lap. The microphone gave a brief, sharp complaint.

Her teacher waited beside the canopy without speaking. Nia wiped one palm on her skirt and returned it to the keyboard. For a moment, she looked towards the corner of the square where her family were standing. Her father lifted his hand, but she had already turned away.

The first note was quiet enough to be lost under the trolley. She played it again, this time holding it until the rattling had passed. The children slowed. A person carrying a paper cup stopped beside the bench. Nia's shoulders dropped slightly, and the next phrase reached beyond the canopy into a space that had begun to listen.

How does the writer show Nia becoming more confident during the recital?