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Seven years later...
"Thank you, but Daddy. I don't want to go to bed. Can I stay up with you? For just a little bit?" Declan asks as if all his begging could actually work. I only chuckle and hug him close as I set him down in his bed, Bandit already fast asleep in the bunk beside him.
"You have to go to sleep now so you can get up early tomorrow and get ready for school. You wouldn't want to miss out on seeing Cherry would you?" I ask with an ounce of a playful tone in my voice. Declan groans, his cheeks a bright red as he shakes his head.
"Okay, Love, goodnight and I'll wake you both up tomorrow. Maybe I'll make pancakes. Remember, we're also going to The Black Parade tomorrow. We don't want to keep Uncle Mikey and Pete waiting, now do we?" I ask, a smile across my lips.
Declan sighs and nods. With his eyebrows furrowed and a nod of his head, he replies, "Okay, Daddy. I think that's good."
"Good," I smile, "Now goodnight, get some sleep."
"Wait, Daddy," Bandit calls from her bed, and I internally let out another sigh, "Can you sing us the lullaby?"
"Yeah!" Declan agrees from where he lays in bed.
I only roll my eyes, a fond smile on my lips, "Okay, just one more time and then you have to go to sleep, all right?"
"Okay." Declan agrees.
"Which one do you want?" I ask.
"I want the Beautiful one."
"What's wrong with the Silly Bear one?" I ask in mock offense.
"The Beautiful one is better." Bandit pouts.
"Okay, okay," I say with a smile and a roll of my eyes.
I clear my throat, then begin singing. Remembering each note as if they were sung to me yesterday. Sung with the beautiful voice, the hint of a Jersey accent.
"These are the eyes and the lies of the taken These are their hearts, but their hearts don't beat like ours They burn 'cause they are all afraid For every one of us, there's an army of them But you'll never fight alone 'Cause I wanted you to know."
I take a seat at the foot of Declan's bed and shut my eyes as I continue.
"That the world is ugly But you're beautiful to me Well, are you thinking of me now?
"These are the nights and the lights that we fade in These are the words, but the words aren't coming out They burn 'cause they are hard to say For every failing sun, there's a morning after Though, I'm empty when you go I just wanted you to know.
