My Bijou! A Maylor Love Story

News Of The World...Part 1

A/N - I want to apologize for my horrible skills at photoshop.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I don't have photoshop!  Anyway......this is fiction after all....let's just all pretend now....carry on!   About the above artwork  - I could not find the artist credit for it.  If you know who it is, please let me know.  Thanks!

26 July 1976

London / Surrey / Oxfordshire

Roger's POV

What a difference a year can make!  I laid in bed and thought about the course of my life since my last birthday.  So much has changed.  At this moment a year ago I was miserable.  I felt my life had been turned upside down by the unwanted addition of a child and complete disruption to my contented little world I resided in.  My bubble of an existence I had with Brian.  We shared a decent sized flat and a comfortable bed.  A car built for two and a life built much the same.  I was happy in that world.  And then came Tiger Lily.  And everything that came with it.  It is hard to believe now how bitter and resentful I felt about her abrupt appearance in my life.  The anger and mixed bag of feelings that came with that paternity suit letter and then the gut punch of her mother's sudden death and the unfair choices thrust upon me regarding my baby's future.  Feeling completely overwhelmed and unprepared for parenthood.  

I shifted under the bed sheet and turned on my side as I considered all the fallout from my daughter's arrival.  I sighed into the pillow as I recalled the immediate resentment I felt that Brian was better suited to the task of childcare than me.  I also recalled the fear he would love her more than me.  I would never admit to feeling it at the time but it was true.  I already knew of Brian's desire for a child so it was like he was handed a gift and I was handed a punishment.  And I handled it oh so well!  Such maturity!  Not only did I emotionally neglect my poor baby for a time I also seemed inclined to take out my angst on Brian and those around me. 

I cringed inside at the thought of my incredibly poor choices made during that summer and fall.  The immense amount of alcohol and time spent away from my husband and child.  The drugs.  And putting myself in situations that led to sexual encounters that came back to haunt me in the most embarrassing of manners.  And I thought getting a girl pregnant was bad enough?  The emotional toll my behavior took was something I will have to live with for the rest of my life.  The damage to my relationship with Brian.  The stress placed upon Brian that caused him to break.  The disappointment of my sister and my friends in knowing how selfish and destructive I had become.   The secrets we now keep from our parents. 

But I am so fucking fortunate!  I am lying next to my Brian right now.  We survived the storm and came out of it together.  And our beautiful daughter is sleeping soundly in her comfortable room down the hall.  My sister, who I am so grateful for, slumbers as well in her spacious quarters.  She cares for our precious daughter and now carries the precious promise of another child to fill another room and another part of our hearts.  Who would have thought a year ago as I laid in bed and thought my life had gone to shit that so much could change.  That I would not only be so fucking grateful for my Tiger Lily but that I would actually be happy about the possibility of sharing my life with another child as well.  As long as I can share this with Brian then I am a happy man. 

"You awake?"   Brian asked me and I opened my eyes to find him watching me as he laid on his side facing me.  I smiled and nodded lightly to him.  "Happy actual birthday..." he told me sweetly as he acknowledged that today is in fact my birthday.

"I am officially 27 years old Bri..."  I remarked to him.  "I'm almost past my prime..."  I joked.  Brian's face held an incredibly cute grin and he leaned in and kissed my nose.