‘Cause you’re everything to me
And every day that goes by
I only love you more
Than I did the day before
We finish the song and River turns to look at me. “You sly little fox. You know music, and you can sing.”
“Everyonecansing, but that doesn’t mean that they should.” I don’t have a great singing voice and I know that. Reason I’ve never pursued anything more than chorus in high school.
“Your singing voice is raspy. You’ve got a Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Tyler vibe going on.”
“I’ve been told that my singing voice is…unusual.” It wasn’t loved by the chorus teacher.
“I wasn’t expecting to hear that kind of sound out of you. I thought you’d have an average voice.” He tilts his head. “But I’m impressed.”
“Then you’re far too easily impressed.”
“You could do something with it if you practiced.”
Do something with it?Like what? “I sing to Scarlett. She doesn’t care what I sound like, and that’s good enough for me.”
He gets up from the piano and fetches his guitar from its stand. “Will you indulge me for a minute?”
“Depends on how?”
“Do you know Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene?’”
“Everyone knows ‘Jolene.’”
“That song would sound great with your raspy voice.”
I hold up my hands. “Oh no. I’ve sung all that I’m going to sing today.”
“Please, Leighton.”
I cover my face with my hand. “No… River. It’s embarrassing.” He’s a mega superstar. It’s uncomfortable to sing in front of him.
“I love the sound of your voice. Just try the chorus. For me. Please?”
He begins playing, keeping rhythm with the tap of his foot and nod of his head. I see that he isn’t going to take no for an answer when he begins whispering the lyrics for me to join in.
I begin by whispering with him, gradually growing louder until I’m belting out the lyrics. And I sound pretty damn good if I do say so myself. Better than most of the contestants on these television singing competitions.
We finish the song, and I nearly die of humiliation when I hear someone clapping.
“Leighton… that was wonderful. I had no idea that you could sing,” Diane Winfrey says.
I shrug. “We were just playing around.”
“The woman doesn’t realize how well she sings,” River tells his mom.
“Yes she can, but I missed most of that one. I want to hear a full song. A duet. Something older… and maybe by Dolly and Kenny.”
Diane winks and River grins. “She wants to hear ‘Islands in the Stream’ in case you didn’t figure that out on your own. It’s her all-time favorite song. Do you know the lyrics?”
I should lie and say that I don’t so I can get out of this. But that’s not what I do; I sort of like singing with River. And I love hearing his praise. “A little, but it’s been a while since I’ve heard it. I should probably look up the lyrics to be safe.”