CHAPTER 110 – The Playlist
Abigail recognized the first few notes of “their song” and quickly settled into her spot. It was their nightly ritual.
After the 11 o’clock news, Dad would queue up their playlist and give Abigail her massage. He’d start at the base of her tiny ears and move down to her cheeks, then around to the back of her head, her neck, and then stroke the top of her head and her ears. She would tooth-chatter as he began stroking her ears very slowly.
“Their song” was A Thousand Years, or 1000 Ears, as Abigail liked to call it, by Christina Perri. Abigail loved that song because it captured her journey from her past life to her new life with Dad. In fact, Dad even made a music video for her.
She remembered how she had “died everyday waiting for you” before Dad came along, and after she moved in with Dad, he would always reassure her, “Darling don’t be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years and I’ll love you for a thousand more.”
At first, she couldn’t sit through the entire song. Her flight instinct always took over about half way through the song and she’d run off. But after many months, Abigail finally grew to trust Dad enough that she could relax through the entire song.
Eventually, one song wasn’t long enough, so he added a second song to their playlist — Somewhere Over the Rainbow, sung by Eva Cassidy. Abigail liked that song because she thought about how she used to dream about “the land that I heard of once, once in a lullaby”. She thought back to when she’d “wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me.” And that the dreams that she dared to dream really did come true.
Some nights, when she was particularly enjoying her massage and didn’t want it to stop, they’d roll into the third song on their playlist — You Raise Me Up, sung by the Celtic Women. Abigail liked their sweet harmonious voices and the poignant violin. The lyrics “I am strong, when I am on your shoulders,” reminded her of how when she was frightened, she would hop into Dad’s arms and he would lift her high up to his shoulder and she would feel safe and strong. The phrase, “You raise me up to more than I can be,” made her realize how he helped this little two pound bunny be more than she thought she could ever be by helping other bunnies through her writing and fundraising.
“I wonder what other rabbits have on their playlist?” she thought.
At the end of the massage, Dad would give her a little treat before turning off the lights and heading off for bed. He would always remind her, “Remember as you go to sleep, that you are very much loved and cherished.”
And Abigail would sleep contentedly.
Abigail settles in with Dad to listen to her song...
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