𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫. taylor

xxxix. epilogue: we are the campions

( listen to we are the champions
while reading for ultimate feels )

NINE YEARS LATER

THE MORNING OF the 13th of July 1985 left a wave of excitement running through the house of the Taylor family. It was Live Aid day, and things were rather hectic. "Violet, are you almost ready?" Valentina called up to her eldest child, who was six years old.

"Coming mum!" a voice yelled back, and after a series of stomping and banging sounds, the blonde haired, blue eyed girl appeared in the kitchen. She was wearing a pair of denim dungarees and a bright flower patterned t-shirt, and she held out a hair bobble and hair clips to her mum.

"Can you do my hair please?" She asked.

"Okay love, sit please" she spoke, pulling up a chair at the table as her daughter went to sit. She quickly did her hair in one long braid down her back, and tucked away the loose bits of hair with some colourful hair clips.

"All done! Go and get Rory from upstairs please sweetie" Valentina asked, leaving the little girl to go running upstairs to find her four year old brother. "Rory!" she heard her daughter yell.

Valentina turned to her other daughter, Sunny, who was only two years old, and sat in a high chair at the table, messily eating her breakfast.

"Jesus christ, let's get you cleaned up" Valentina laughed at the sight and swooped in to pick up her daughter.

She took her upstairs and wiped her face, then changed her into a little summer dress and some sandals, and putting a clip in the fine blonde curls that framed her face.

"Beautiful. Shall we go and see if daddy's ready for his big show?" she asked the little girl, a pair of eager blue eyes framed by long lashes looking back at her. She nodded, "yes. Daddy!" she replied happily as they crossed the corridor to Valentina and Rogers own room, and she picked up a few stray bits of clothing from the floor on her way. The house was always a mess these days, but it was a happy one.

"Rog? You ready?" she called into the room as she opened the door. She caught sight of Roger stood in front of the full length mirror, tussling with his hair. He wore a pair of black Adidas tracksuit bottoms, and a plain white button-up shirt, a pair of dark sunglasses perched on top of his head. A smile spread across his cheeks as he saw his wife with their daughter perched on her hip in the reflection.

"Daddy!" Sunny sang.

"Hello little one" he smiled, heading over and placing a kiss on Valentina's head before taking the child from her. "You look gorgeous, by the way. Isn't mummy pretty?" he asked Sunny, turning to look at Valentina.

She was wearing a pair of light blue straight-leg jeans, with a little red blouse and some jewellery. Her hair was down and in loose curls. "Mummy is pretty" Sunny nodded her head, grinning widely.

Valentina beamed, "thank you both. Right Rog, I'm going to go and gather the others up so we can take them to Estelle's place. If you head downstairs and get Sunny's shoes on, I'll be with you in a minute!" Valentina grinned before rushing out of the room to find her other children. She entered Violets room, where she and Rory were all dressed and ready, playing with some toys on the carpet.

"Right you two, it's time to go to Auntie Elle's. Have you both brushed your teeth?" she asked, checking over their appearances, ensuring they looked presentable. She felt slightly stressed, as it was a big day for Roger and she wanted to make sure the kids were out of the way so that she could focus on him being ready. Usually, they spent a lot of time with the children and were happy to give them their undivided attention, but today was all about Roger.