"La la la la...." I didn't know how high my voice could go and I could feel it crack any minute now. If it did, papa wouldn't be happy. He was never happy when I made a mistake. He wanted me to be perfect.

My mother on the other hand was kind and gentle. She wouldn't yell at me and criticize me if I messed up or missed a step. "Come on Rosie higher. Sing", my papa's melodic and scary voice says to me.

I know better than to give him less and to argue with him. "LA LA LA LA..." I don't think my voice can go any higher. I know that if ti does it will crack for sure and I will loose my voice and papa will be furious with me.

You probaly don't know this, but my father has a killer's rage. Literally. He tends to kill people he doesn't like, or when he is angry with a person. I don't know why. Mother says that it is all he has ever known.

"Papa can I stop now? My throat is hurting and I need a drink. Please papa I am thirsty. Please let me stop for a minute. A minute", I knew better than to stop sining when I was practicing so whenever I wanted to say something, I sang it.

"My dear child, why do you want to stop? You sound amazing. Almost like a woman I used to know so many years ago. You will keep sining until I say stop", said father.

My throat hurt. I couldn't let my voice crack because papa would get mad. "Erik, leave the poor girl alone and let her get a deink before her throat gives out on her."

I was thankful that my mother was back from doing the grocery shopping so she can egt me out of this.

I still didn't stop even though my father's attention was on my mother as she made her way into the cave. "How will she be the best if she is always taking breaks, Meg? How? She needs to learn to control her thirst and to be able to handle it like a professional."

I mentally rolled my eyes at him, but still continued on my high note. "Rosie" I heard my mother's sweet, tender, and loving voice call me as she came over to me with a glass in her hand and her other hand on my lips.

"Take a break. When it feels like your voice is going to give out and you need a drink, just stop. Don't listen to your father." I was never one to disobey my parents, especially my mother so I sang my reply, not stoping like she said.

"But what if papa gets mad and yells at me?" She looked at me with an expression that told me that if he did, than she would deal with him.

I looked at my mother then I looked at my father still not breaking my unusual high note. Then I saw the slight nod from my father that told me that I was done for the day.

After seeing that nod I was great full that I could stop. Then in an instant I dropped the note and began coughing and clearing my throat. My mother came back with a glass of water and she handed it to me. I hadn't even noticed that she left.

My father came over to me as I was talked my drink. He put his hands on my shoulders and said, "I'm proud of you Rosie. You kept singing that note even when your throat demanded a drink. I love you."

Then he did the one thing that he has never done in a while. He gave me a hug and a kiss on my forehead then he moved away from me and kissed my mother on the lips.