Rosa missed the sarcasm and said, “Great! It’s called ‘A la roro niño.’ It begins like this: A la roro niño, a lo roro ya, duérmete mi niño, duérmete mi amor.” There were six verses in total. Rosa would sing one verse, Elizaveta would repeat it, then they would move on to the next. They were melodic, repetitive, and soothing, with long pauses and alternating harmonies. Rosa sang with a slightly higher pitch than Elizaveta, though both conveyed the emotions of love and affection.

When they finished I said, “You guys are awesome.”

Rosa beamed. Elizaveta blushed.

“I know more,” Rosa said. “Can we sing another? Please?”

So over the next ten or fifteen minutes Rosa and Elizaveta sang several more lullabies. Some were mournful and haunting, like a lament. Others were hypnotic and moving. All were therapeutic, lifting some of the heaviness that had settled over my heart.

While Rosa sang the latest verse, Elizaveta smiled over the girl’s head at me. I smiled back. Then her eyes focused on something behind me. Uncertainty and confusion flickered in them a moment before her face drained of color.

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