That meeting with Daniella at the grocery store sparked something within Lumi.
When we returned home with enough snacks to last a whole month, we returned to our singing practice.
I did not teach Lumi anything technical. I wanted her to get comfortable with singing anything first. So, we sang her favorite songs from my memories until our voices cracked no more and our throats hoarse.
This became some sort of a routine; it lasted for a whole week. We would head out to meet Daniella to grab every meal after more singing practice. She would gush about how cute Lumi was and what her favorite snacks were before we returned home.
I worried that Daniella would turn Lumi into a crazed foodie about junk food like herself.
Yet I could see, rather feel her opening up with every interaction they had together. So, I played a blind eye to it.
During their chat together, I concentrated on the music the store played instead. I wondered how to improve Lumi's singing more, for she was improving at a fast rate.
Even if her voice was yet to develop, she already sounded very good to my ears. I understated how important our telepathy and shared senses were in learning how to sing.
Singing was a physical activity. It utilized the muscles around the body. The lungs acted as an air supply. The larynx acted as a reed or vibrator. The chest, head cavity, and the skeleton acted as an amplifier. The tongue, along with the palate, teeth, and lips helped to enunciate and pronounce. The shape of the chest and neck, the position of the tongue, and the tightness of related muscles.
A change in any one of these results in a change in pitch, volume, timbre, and tone of the sound produced.
Again, one could imagine how useful our shared senses were in doing so.
As I could feel what muscles she engaged during every note, I replicated it. She replicated me. We did not need vocal coaches to tell us what we were doing wrong.
Our bodies did, instead.
When I realized this during day three or so, our practice together became more deliberate. It was less on learning her favorite songs, but more on how to control her voice.
I took the time to help her master her sound-color synesthesia for this very reason.
Lumi could access my mind, but her little brain still needed to process all that information.
She went from knowing nothing about the world to all the sudden everything. Of course, things such as cultural norms and speech came quicker than vocabulary. Tougher, irregular, and unfamiliar words would short-circuit her brain.
She hesitated on the definition of 'vibration' and the location of the soft palate. That broke her focus all the time.
I simplified things for her.
She saw the highest notes as a circle, yellow in color, the lowest a purple circle. She saw a smooth tone as a polished, consistent color. But a rough tone was a more uneven, bumpy color, with darker shades speckled all around. Chocolate chips, she had described. A loud sound would be a brighter colored circle while a softer sound would be fainter.
"Say ahhhh! That's it, a nice purple," I would say during practice.
"Now make it a little blue. A nice and smooth blue, like a cloudless sky. But darker. Yes, remember that, dumpling. Remember those muscles. You use them to change pitch. Now higher. Ahhhh—"
"Now red, but make it buzz! Buzz like a bumblebee. Use these muscles. Oops! Relax, relax. It is a little tight. Better. Now your jaw! This part." Then I would show her. "Open. We need more air. Ahhhh—yes, like that! That's a happy red bee! We call this a vibrato. Doesn't it sound smoother and richer? "
Although it did not sound as the most exciting week, it was fulfilling.
I was on euphoria whenever I saw and heard Lumi's improving with every session. It was not even because she was a great singer, but because she looked so happy in doing so. She shed her fragility and withdrawal whenever she poured herself into her voice.
If I was yet to live two lives, I would be unable to control emotions. But I did. I wiped away my tears and presented Lumi with a bright smile. She had finished warming up her voice.
"Let's go! We'll try to apply everything into our song, okay? Let's go with My Soul Will Go On, your favorite song."
Lumi nodded and clenched her fist. Her eyes flared with determination.
"Every night in my dreams~
I see you, I feel you~
That is how we are star-crossed~"
Lumi inhaled. She caught her eyes making their way to me, so I threw her a thumbs up.
"Yes, let it shake and fall blue at crossed, that's right!"
"Far across spacetime~
The cosmos that dance away~
I will wait like stardust~"
"Now, bright green! Beginnings of spring!" I said, cheering her on.
"Near, far, wherever you are~
We are not so torn and so lost~
I'll stay, never fade away~
I believe in your soul~
So my soul will go on and on~"
Lumi lowered her head as the last ocean blue note ebbed away. I caught her off guard as I rushed forwards and threw her a great big bear hug.
"That was great, dumpling. The never note, wow! You sounded better than Celina Diona!"
She buried her head into my chest. I heard her mumble something in embarrassment, before she squirmed her way out for some air.
"T-that's your bias, Dad."
"My dumpling is so smart. How does she know such a big concept?" I asked.
Lumi slipped away from my grips somehow. She looked away, shut her eyes, and snorted. "Because I'm sick of it!"
"D-dumpling," I said, faking a whimper. "Don't say that."
"Hmph!"
Throughout the week together, she began to grow a tolerance for my teasing. Her retorts were sharper, and she grasped the hang of how to bare her claws to get me to stop. Little did she know that I was not without a secret weapon.
I rose and moved to the other side of sofa where she sat. There was no resistance, for her eyes remained smug and her arms were still folded. I picked her up into the air into a princess carry and then placed her atop the sofa on her back.
I ignored her exclamation of shock and began to tickle her. First from the middle of her feet, then around her ribs. I moved up to her armpits and the sides of her next.
"D-dad! Ahaha! N-no! Please stop!"
She squeamed and thrashed around like a fish out of water. I only stopped when I noticed she needed to gasp for air.
"Heh~ Learned your lesson now, dumpling? Hmm?"
"Y-yes," she mumbled between her breaths. "It's not bias, it's love."
She did not see me, but I grinned. A stupid wide grin that curled from corner to corner of mouth and flashed my teeth.
I bent down and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You must be tired and hungry after all that singing and laughing. Let's go. It's about time we headed out to your sister Ella's place."
***
To repeat, I spent the whole week practicing singing with Lumi. I skipped out on all the odd jobs the past me worked at. I also spent all my savings buying everything that Lumi wanted to try at the grocery store.
It was a strange way to be homeless again.
But Mr. Rockern had called a few days ago about insurance.
By his wisdom, I filled out life insurance coverages with her when I got married. I could it claim it now with his help cleaning the details. It came at such a convenient time considering our circumstances, so I made an appointment to head there together.
Yet there was one major consideration, and that was Lumi.
She was a sensitive topic for her. I did not want to jog up any nasty memories, so I forced a discussion with her about babysitting.
She needed a little convincing but was content when she heard it was Daniella's where she would be staying at. I would drop her off and pick her up in an hour or two.
I always thought of having a sitter for Lumi. It was beneficial for her to build her trust with other individuals and help control her dependency with me.
Yet I was not expecting that sitter to be Daniella, a college-student working part time.
Despite their age gap, Lumi got along well with her. They always seemed to have something to talk about, which sort of impressed me. I did not see Lumi as the talkative type, but Daniella controlled the conversations well.
I knew I could not be alone in helping Lumi break out of her shell, so I was grateful.
"Sorry for the trouble," I told her, as she started the engine. I did not pay much attention to the details of the car, but it looked fancy. "Lumi and I appreciate it."
Daniella looked through the rearview and chuckled. "There's no worries, sir. It's a small matter, really. I'm usually not good with kids, so I really enjoy my time with her."
"I'm glad to hear that. Uh, the last part."
Daniella chuckled before she raised an eyebrow. "Did she sleep late last night? She's usually a little more energetic than this."
I looked towards Lumi who rested her head in my arm. "She's afraid of cars," I answered. I soothed her back and passed on some words of comfort with our telepathy.
"Alright, I'll drive slower then."
Daniella delivered on the drive. It was a smooth experience that even the tense Lumi began to relax. I still had to carry her to the elevator and up the apartment, however.
I set her down on the floor as the elevator doors dinged open. Daniella was swift and led the way out.
Lumi, who had gotten over her car fright, was now quick behind her knees, tugging me along.
Then we stood in front of what looked like a massive living room as Daniella beckoned us.
"What are you two in a daze for? Come inside! This is my place."