The Gentle Giant and the Melancholy Monster

Chapter 13

I'm woken up to the sound of the guitar playing from Lora's music room. Along with her acrobatic, artistic, and acting skills, she was also incredibly passionate about music. We had different taste in most bands and genres, but I was already starting to love it here. Waking up to the melody of a song I knew extremely well- it was able to bring a smile to my face before I had my morning cup of tea. I knew today was going to be a great day. I come out of my room and enter the music room across the hall.

"Hey, that's really beautiful," I mumble softly.

"Did I wake you, sweetie?" Lora slows down her strumming as I walk in, until she's stopped playing completely.

"Yeah, but it's a good thing. I didn't have an alarm set. Plus, it was a nice way to wake up."

"Well, thank you! It's actually a song I wrote many, many years ago that I was just playing."

"Oh, yeah, I know," I interrupt softly, my smile never fading.

"You do? How's that?"

"Gram Gram. She adored your voice. She said it was always so angelic, even as a teen."

"I didn't know she ever talked about me," she shrugged, "but I guess I should have visited."

"Oh, she loved you always. I know that for a fact. She kind of stopped talking about you as much after dad and mom got married." I come sit down on the floor next to her, in front of a shelf of beautiful crystals.

"Bianca never did want me around."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring down the mood. But I just wanted to let you know that she was always thinking about you, I'm sure. She would sing that song to me when I was feeling down. To help me fall asleep. Up until one of my last visits to Arizona. I still hum it to myself. After finding out its meaning, it made me think that she always kind of knew that I was like you."

Lora sighs and smiles in amazement and adoration. "I think that's just beautiful, Lucian. You didn't even know me until two days ago. Yet we were connected with a song. Just proves you're a true, genuine person. Would you like to sing along with me? Then we can get you ready for school."

I have to blink rapidly to keep tears from flowing down my cheeks. Lora has already cared for me the way I wanted more than my mom ever has. Of course, Lora understands what I'm going through, but even if she hadn't gone through something similar, she was so much better at taking care of people than my own mother. She seemed to have a motive beyond feeling obligated to make it seem like she cared. She truly does. "I would love that. I um, only know the first verse completely."

"No worries! I just love bonding over music. If there's one positive thing I have to say about your mother- no offense- she has a beautiful singing voice. Were you blessed with her talent?"

"She never took me to lessons growing up like Gram Gram did for you, but I suppose I do have some of her talent. I lack the technique and proper teaching, but-"

"But now that's what I'm here for," Lora finishes.

We both share a quick laugh before she picks up the guitar, and starts from the beginning. The melodic tune plays softly and begins to fade softly as I watch her hands. I snap back to life when I hear her voice. I've only heard it when Gram Gram would play it for me. And that was years ago. She sounded even more incredible now. I join in, very quietly singing the lyrics.

She nods and smiles at me, encouraging me to continue. As the song continues through the chorus, I open up, my posture straightens. I breathe in deeply and extract every surprisingly beautiful note from deep within me. Each word I sang seemed to relate to me more than it ever had any other time I'd hum it or sing it while I was cleaning or trying to fall asleep. Lora sings the second verse, opening up to me a whole new realm of thoughts I didn't even know how to put into words until now. I could hear the joy, and pain, and suppressed feelings inside of every note she sang, even after years of singing it. She had always dreamed of being famous. Gram Gram always told me that Lora was aiming to be a superstar. And even if she lacked talent, she was still so contagiously bright and inspiring. She's still shining, just as I knew she had been, before I even knew her. By the time the chorus comes around again, I'm shaking slightly, and my words can hardly come out. They come out delayed, and low in certain places, and high and trembling in others, until I completely lose control, in the most beautiful way possible. My tears subside as she stops playing and hugs me tight.