“Okay. How about I sing a song for you?” She put her phone aside and cradled his neck.


    “What? ‘Pray for You’ again?” Carlos asked through gritted teeth.


    Debbie stuck out her tongue and made a face.


    “No, no, no! I don’t want to be buried alive again. Grave mold is a bad look for me.”


    Her reaction amused Carlos, who pinched her nose and ordered yfully,


    “Then sing.”


    Debbie rested her head on his chest and listened to his strong heartbeat.


    “This is my favorite song. Hope you’ll enjoy it.”


    “Uh-huh.


    Carlos moved the slider on the dimmer, and instantly the room was cloaked in darkness. The neon


    lights of the city came in through the window, bathing everything in the room in a curious cast of blue


    Tucked in his arms, Debbie looked him in the eye and started to sing.


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    “I’ve seen the world, done it all, had my cake now. Diamonds, brilliant, and Bel-Air now. Hot summer


    nights, mid July, when you and I were forever wild. The crazy days, city Lights, the way you’d y with


    me like a child. Will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful…”


    Carlos had long known that Debbie was a good singer. She seemed to have magic in her voice; his


    restless mind cooled down when she started singing. That was why he liked to hear her soaring vocals.


    She was able to hit some intense parts, and there were times when her voice went positively


    stratospheric. She was gifted, and he was a Lucky man.


    And singing had an effect on her as well. When she hit those emotional parts, her eyes would start


    tearing up. She was able to feel what she was doing, give it some punch from deep in her Lungs and


    enthrall an audience.


    “Will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful? Will you still Love me when I got nothing


    but my aching soul? I know you will, I know you will, I know that you will. Will you still Love me when


    I’m no longer beautiful? Dear Lord, when I get to heaven, please Let me bring my man. When he


    comes, tell me that you’ll let him in. Father tell me if you can. Oh that grace, oh that body, oh that face


    makes me wanna party. He’s my sun, he makes me shine like diamonds…”


    His eyes were as deep as the ocean; she couldn’t help but lose herself in them.


    She finished off with a beautiful line.


    “Will you still Love me when


    I’m no longer young and beautiful?” As she crooned, her voice was low and angelic, as tender as a


    baby’s skin, and as soft as new fallen snow. She rxed finally, done with her rendition of Lana Del


    Rey’s


    “Young and Beautiful”. After a moment’s pause, she added, “Will you?”


    She was so nervous waiting for his answer.


    Carlos lowered his head, kissed her on the forehead, and whispered in her ear, “Yes, I will.”


    The atmosphere between them was so tender and warm that they weren’t willing to surrender to sleep.


    They were buzzing with all the pleasant emotions the song and Carlos’ words had stirred in them. It


    was so wonderful that neither of them wanted it to end. Eventually, they agreed to close their eyes at


    the same time and fell asleep almost as soon as they did so.


    The next morning, when Carlos dug Debbie out of the quilt, her schoolmates had already eaten their


    breakfast and left for Alorith.


    Debbie’s eyes were still closed. Carlos made her sit on hisp, helped her pull on her slippers, and


    carried her to the bathroom.