So now that you know when I started calling him dad let's go back to my humble beginnings at Paisley Park.

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My first day of lessons was a drag. Prince was trying to teach me how to read sheet music. The whole morning on Sunday spent in his studio trying to read notes and scales and flats and sharps and clefts. This was the most boring shit it the world! However I can say that I would rather prefer spending my Sunday morning with the short man in the red suit than at a Catholic Church. As we sat there and I listen to him go on and on about how to feel the music and blah blah blah a picture out in the hall caught my attention. It looked like this sharply dressed musical nerd but it didn't seem like how he would dress at all. I was trying to focus in on the picture from far away when I felt a tap on the shoulder.

  "Carlyn? Hello? Anyone home?" I heard him say.

I came too quickly sitting up at the table now staring blanking at the man across from me.

  "Huh?"

  "Come back to earth there little girl." He said with a clad attitude.

  "You come back to earth dude. Don't you own regular clothes?"

He only shook his head and continued with the lesson.

  "Now if your notes are in between the lines what are they?" He asked pointing at the spaces.

I could barely remember the preamble to the constitution let alone where notes would fall on a piece of paper. As I tried really hard to remember I was starting to get irritated.

  "I can't do this shit!" I exclaimed angrily.

  "Hey! Pay up! Go drop a quarter in the jar." He demanded pointing to the jar across the room.

  "Sue me dude ok? I'm no musical genius! Why are you making me do this? I like listening to music. Not playing it."

"You mean that vulgar nonsense you played in my car yesterday? That's not music kid. You sure you're from Minneapolis?" He said as he went to take his suit jacket off.

"I've been in Minnesota all my life. I had a home before this you know. I told you what my mom did. I just wanna age out and get outta here. Me and Joey."

He looked at me like I was crazy.

"Where you gonna go with a little boy on you're hip girl? You can barely take care of yourself."

"You don't know what I can do mister!" I hissed at him.

His eyes got wide with a sarcastic grin.

"Well I know what you can't do. Read music. You can't say that you love something if you don't understand it."

I rolled my eyes at him and crossed my arms.

"What's really going on with you?" He asked.

"Nothing let's just finish this so I can go home."

"So that place is your home? What happened to aging out and leaving Minnesota?"

"Why are you questioning me? It's not like you care."

"I do care."

"Why?"

He sat silent and looked at me.

"Because. You need a family. You and Joey."

I couldn't really deny him being right because he was.

"And what about you? Don't you want a family?"

His eyes looked really sad. His sigh was heartbreaking. It almost made me sad for him.

"I did."

Did???? What does he mean did? I didn't want to pry but he set the tone for my curiously to start picking his brain and maybe stop this lesson early.

"So you wanted a family but you don't anymore. Interesting."

His face looked confused. My statement must have struck a nerve. Good that means he'll starting talkin'.

"I do want a family. I just haven't found my one yet. Or maybe my one got away. Who knows."

"Soooo go find the one that got away. I'm sure it's not hard right?"

"It's not that simple."

"Why isn't it?"

"Because she's married."

The shock on my face grew and my eyes got wide.

"Oh. Sorry. Well maybe there a new one out there somewhere. Maybe if you weren't so mean you wouldn't be in the situation that you're in."

His face became unreadable. I couldn't tell if I pissed him off or not but he still wanted to talk to me. A 40 something man pouring his soul out to a 15 year old.

"And by that you mean divorced?"

"Twice dude. What's with you? Don't you wanna be happy?"

"Right now my music makes me happy."

"Yeah but you can't make love to it and you for damn sure can't get it pregnant!"

He finally laughed and shook his head.

"And again I ask what do they really teach you in that orphanage?"

"Wasn't the orphanage it was health class. Shows how much you know."

He laughed again this time he was really pink in the face. I hate to admit it but he was starting to grow on me. Even though I've only been here a day. He was still laughing at looked down at his watch.

"Well it's almost 3. We better get you to lunch and back to your......jail as you would say."

I wasn't happy to hear that I had to go back but at least he was taking me to lunch. So that should be fun. We ended our not so fun lesson and I went to grab my book bag. He met me just outside the bedroom door and we walked down to the lobby and out to a waiting car.

"How do you like seafood?" He asked.

"You mean like lobsters and shit?"

"Language little girl."

"Sorry. I'm allergic. And I didn't bring my Epi. So let's steer clear of that.....stuff."

Prince stuck his hand out as we got inside the car and the driver closed the door. I gave him a high five and put on my seatbelt. I turned to him and he still had his hand out. Then it dawned on me.

"Right. Here's a dollar." I said pulling a old single bill from my wallet.

He giggled as he tucked the money in the breast pocket of his jacket.

"I can't wait for the day I can stop touring. You'll be doing me a favor." He said.

The driver got inside finally as turned to Prince.

"The usual restaurant sir?"

"Yes. Let's try to make it fast though our guest has to be back before curfew."

"Yes sir."

We pulled out of the compound parking lot and into town. We drove about 15 minutes into Chanhassen and stopped at an Italian restaurant that looked pretty swanky on the outside. I got out of the car and was amazed at all the white light in the trees and the smell of the garlic bread made my stomach growl so loudly that Prince heard it and turned around. It was almost like he was worried.

"You must be starving. Come one we better get you fed before you perish. What would I be able to tell Mrs. Wilkinson then?"

"Maybe that you took me out of my misery?"

He laughed as he touched my shoulder.

"You remind me of myself back in my younger days."

"So does this mean we're bonding?" I grinned at him.

He looked at me and another loving smile grew on his face.

"Yeah. We are."

We went inside and the waitress sat us at a table with a man that looked awfully familiar. I knew that wild hair, light skinned face and nose ring anywhere.

"HOLY SHIT! LENNY KNRAVITZ!"