Penelope smiled as she heard her song start to play in her mind once more. It was very quiet, like it normally was, but that just made her focus on it all the harder, wanting to pick up more of it this time around. Unconsciously, she began to hum along with it, feeling a certain joy fill her heart as the song grew stronger. Her mother came into her bedroom, kneeling down to ruffle her hair, and she frowned a little, shaking her head as her focus was broken. "What's that dark look for, Penny?"

"You broke my song."

"Well, what song was it? We can put it on the radio?"

She shook her head fiercely. "You can't play this song, Mama. I've never heard it before, except in my head. I think it's like the song that you and Miguel share."

A knowing smile spread across her mother's face as she scooped Penelope up into her arms, swinging her around a little before pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. "You're so young to hear your song, my love, but I am glad that you have the first inkling of what your song will be. Your stepbrothers still haven't heard their songs for the first time. When do you hear your song most often?"

Her mother carried her over to her bed, and she grinned as they bounced down onto the mattress. "When I dream. I wake up with it in my mind and heart. This is only the second time that I've heard it when I was awake. When do you think that I'll meet my soulmate, Mama?"

There was a long pause before her mother answered her. "It could be a long time, sweetheart. I never thought that I would find the person who shared my song, so I married your father. I loved him, dearly, but he wasn't my soulmate. But I know that if I hadn't married him, I would never have you, and you're one of my greatest joys. Everything works out for a purpose, and while I don't know what your purpose will be, I know that one day, you'll meet the man who sings back your song to you."

"Will it be a man?"

She didn't know why she felt the need to ask that question, but it fluttered free from her lips before she could swallow the words. Her mother's arms tightened around her shoulders a little, letting her know that there had been something that her mother didn't like about it. Finally, she listened to her mother draw in a deep breath and knew she was about to receive her answer. "Your life would be a little more difficult if your song was shared with a woman. We don't live in a country that's nice to people like that. But maybe one day, when you're older, that will change for the better. I pray that is so, but I don't hold out high hopes. Just know that you will always have a home with us, my sweet daughter. No matter what this world might throw at you, we will always protect you and the person who shares your song."

"Okay, Mama. Will you sing your song for me?"

Her mother nodded and snuggled her close to her chest once more, rocking her back and forth as the song that had been her lullaby when she was a baby poured from her lips. "All right, Penelope, I was just coming up to see if you wanted to take a nap. I know, you're a big girl of seven now, but you were a little cranky when you came home from school today. If you try and sleep for twenty minutes, and can't, than I won't bug you about it anymore."

She tried to deny that she was tired, but a wide yawn told her mother the truth before she could come up with a stretching of the truth. "Fine. Just close the curtains, please." Her mother nodded as Penelope stretched out on the bed, letting her head flop down onto the pillow as she stared up at the ceiling. Before she left the room, her mother draped a blanket over her body before kissing her forehead lightly. As soon as the lights were off and the door was closed, Penelope let out a deep sigh and turned onto her side, trying to call the song back up in her mind. "I don't know where you are, but at least I know you're somewhere out there. And I hope that when we do meet, we hit it off right away. And I hope that we meet right away, so that we can have forever together."

Penelope yawned widely, trying to ignore the heavy feeling of sleep that was slowly creeping into her body, dulling her senses. But it was also in that moment her song began to start up in her mind once more, and she reached out for the silvery tendrils of music, wanting to hang on to it as she fell deeper and deeper into sleep. Just before she fully succumbed to slumber, Penelope heard a distinctly girly voice start to hum along with the melody of the song, and she smiled a little to know that she had the smallest inkling of who her soulmate was, and what she might sound like when their paths finally crossed.