Secondhand Music
ShortStory 5,042 words Recommended by 3 award/anthology sources
"On the day of the fitting, hope flits in Ava’s chest, a frightened sparrow she might stifle or set free. The day unravels languidly from dawn until midmorning, then hurtles toward noon so quickly that Ava must run to catch the subway or risk being late. The doors swish closed behind her, and the creak and clatter..."
Quasar links out; the story lives on Analog, where the author gets the click.