Save Me (Roger Taylor FanFiction) [Wattys 2019]

34: Not So Random

*19th April 1972*

"YOU'RE PREGNANT?!" MY MUM did not sound happy about my wee baby, at all.

"Well, yeah," I replied, trying to keep myself calm. I'd been nervous about telling my mum since I found out I was pregnant. I knew she wouldn't be happy and I don't think she'd be willing to give Roger a chance.

"And how have you managed to get yourself pregnant? Have you got a proper boyfriend or are you just sleeping around?"

"Mum!" I exclaimed, feeling deeply offended by my mum's words. "I have a boyfriend, his name is Roger,"

"Roger? Why haven't I heard about this before now? I'm so angry at you,"

"Well, there's no point in being angry, that isn't going to make Roger or my baby go away,"

"What do you know about babies anyway? How are you going to take care of a baby?"

"In much the same way everyone else takes care of their babies,"

"I just feel like I don't know you anymore, you've broken yourself away from me completely," she said, quietly.

"You didn't give me much of a choice," I replied, suddenly feeling brave enough to tell her what I was actually thinking.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," the confidence was gone.

"No, tell me right now,"

"Well, you have been so wrapped up in your grieving for Olivia that you never let me have mine. You just collapsed and I was left to hold you and dad up. I was only a teenager yet all the responsibilities of life were suddenly dropped on my shoulders and I was expected to accept it without hesitation. I was more of a mother to you than you were to me!"

"How dare you? Your sister had just been found dead! How can you expect me to have just got on with things? My baby was dead," I could hear her starting to cry. This was the moment I usually would have chosen to give up but since I'd been with Roger, I'd had a lot more courage.

"Well, I just got on with things! I had to get on with things because you didn't,"

"You didn't love her as much as I did, you never did,"

That statement stunned me into silence. The pain in my chest that I felt after hearing that was unbearable. My own eyes filled with tears but I swallowed the need to release them.

"Goodbye, mum," I said, my voice cold and harsh. I heard her protests as I took the handset away from my ear and hung up.

As soon as I did so, I burst into floods of tears. Roger wasn't here right now and I was glad of that because I didn't want him to see me crying. I hated crying in front of him.

My hormones were all over the place so I don't know if I'm going to be able to actually stop myself from crying.

Roger was out at the pub with Brian so I prayed he wasn't going to come home drunk. I hated dealing with drunk Roger; he was way more flirty than normal Roger and that's saying something.

I guess we'll find out.

———————————————-

A wee while later and I had indeed stopped crying. I was still waiting for Roger to come home but this wasn't uncommon for him; he loved being at the pub with Brian.

The door opened, indicating Roger had returned.

"Roger?" I called out.

"Julie! Come quickly!" That sounded like Brian's voice.