Growing Old With You (Part of Those Three Little Words threequel)

Part 1 (here we go again!)

29th November 1997
Roger's POV
I woke up lonely. I dragged myself out of bed and downstairs to get a bit of breakfast in me. "You have to eat, Papa" Jim would always tell me and I promised him I would, I couldn't let my little boy down.

Well, he wasn't so little anymore. Almost twenty, he'd grown up so quickly. God, where did all the years go? All those amazing years had just flown by us, making amazing memories to share but now... I had nobody to share them with.

Brian had found a woman and threw everything we had back in my face, even his wedding ring, and the next day he and his new lady were plastered over every front page of the newspapers that came through our door. Our door, no... my door.

Nothing was ours anymore, it was either his or mine and whatever was his I didn't dare touch in case all the memories started spilling out and I just couldn't stop them. All his clothes were still in the wardrobe, photos of his family on our dresser, photos of us all around the house. Hell, he even left his guitar here. The last time it had been touched was the day he left when I decided to put it away in its case to keep it safe.

It's not that I hate him, not at all, I still love him with all my heart. He gave me children and gave me some of the best times of my life, some with our little family and some with just the two of us. Those were the best times, just me and him together and nobody to interrupt us.

I just miss them so much.

"I'm getting so depressing, sorry" I apologised to the toast in my hand then laughed awkwardly to myself as I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. A hand rested on my shoulder and I looked back to see Jim standing behind me, "who were you talking to?" He asked and I shrugged, "I'm not really sure. Uh, maybe the ghost in the cupboards" I said and he nodded, ignoring my joke, and sat across the table from me.

"You look so much like your Dad... it's scary" I mumbled and he sighed, all of us were missing Brian since he just cut it off with all of us, "it's a curse and a blessing" Jim said quietly and I nodded as I took another bite of my toast. "I'm off to see Jess, okay?" He asked and I nodded, "give her my love and you have a good day" I said, mouth half-full, and Jim gave me a little smile, "and you, don't worry yourself too much"

"I'll try" I said and he patted my shoulder as he walked past, "see you later, old man" he called and I frowned as I heard the front door shut, "I'm not old... am I?" I asked myself then sighed a little, "I probably look it with all the beer that's in me" I poked my tummy and frowned, I really was starting to get a beer belly and it really didn't suit me.

I didn't care how I looked or what anyone thought of me, all I cared about were my kids, I made sure they were happy and that they had all the support they needed from me because they couldn't get it from their Dad. Tigs was finding it especially hard, being so young she didn't understand that her Daddy didn't love me anymore but I think she was trying to be supportive, she gave the best hugs when I would get upset.

She was only three but she understood so much, she was an absolute godsend.

I got up and collected the post from the door then Lou came running down the stairs, "late again, Princess?" I asked and she nodded, rushing to pull her shoes on, "yeah, uh, see you later Pap, love you!" She called and I waved as she rushed down the street to try and get to college on time.

My alarm went off upstairs so I rushed up and turned it off then started gently waking the little ones, getting Tigerlily first so she had the most time to wake up, she was definitely like Brian, not a morning person at all. I woke Rufus up and brushed his hair for him since he was new to using a brush, he couldn't get the back sometimes so I had to do it for him, then moved onto Rory and Emily's rooms to wake them up.