Following his daydream about Vivian in his first Music Appreciation class, James learns that he really likes her. I thought it would be nice if James recorded himself singing this Gordon Lightfoot song and gave it to her as a present, since he's still singing in his room with his door closed. Little does he know that Roland, who sang this to his birth mother sometimes, is singing along with him now and serenading Miranda as they listen outside the door, which they open a crack. Gordon Lightfoot's music is not mine.
James took a blank tape and put it in his tape recorder. He hoped she liked the song he was going to record for her. He also thought this was a good compromise, singing on tape rather than in public. He recalled his duet with her, but he still felt uneasy about the idea of singing in public again. Still, he thought that he might do it later, just not now. Before he started recording, he murmured, "Happy birthday, Vivian. I hope you like this...too bad I can't sing it in person...oh well..."
He started the tape and began to sing, unaware that the door was open a crack. He also didn't know that Roland was outside the door singing the same song to Miranda, The perfume that she wore was from some little store
On the down side of town
And it lingered on long after she'd gone
I remember it well
And she showed me her treasures of paper and tin
And we played a game only she could win
Her long flowing hair came softly undone
And it lay all around
And she brushed it down as I stood by her side
In the warmth of her love
And our fingers entwined like ribbons of light
And we came through the doorway somewhere in the night
And she told me a riddle I'll never forget
Then left with the answer I've never found yet
"How long," said she, "Can a moment like this
Belong to someone?"
"What's wrong, what is right, when to live or to die
We must almost be born"
So if you should ask me what secrets I hide
That I'm only your lover, don't make me decide
The perfume that she wore was from some little store
On the down side of town
But it lingered on long after she'd gone
I remember it well
And she showed me her treasures of paper and tin
And we played a game only she could win
And our fingers entwined like ribbons of light
And we came through a doorway somewhere in the night
He smiled as Roland opened the door when the song was recorded. "Well done, James! She'll love it!"
"I know I did," Miranda smiled.
"And you know you can sing in public when you're ready," Roland added.
"I know, and we'll see," James agreed as he was sandwiched in a hug.