𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 | roger taylor

XXXVI

December 18, 1977

While every other day of the week is a mixture of working at the shop or spending days off with my daughter, Sundays are reserved for dinners with my parents. It's simply one of the many things I've accepted after they agreed to help me out financially. Along with letting them control practically every aspect of Audrey's educational career, it's a small price to pay for how generous they've been. My daughter gets to attend a great pre-school, I get to keep my job which I've come to adore, and my relationship with my family has been mostly healed. I'm nowhere near the favorite daughter, which is perfectly alright with me. They love Audrey to pieces, which makes up for it, and outshines their disapproval of me being unmarried.

My parents are definitely pleased that Roger and I are in contact again. They've never liked the idea of Audrey not having a father figure, but I think I've proved myself capable over the years, and they've begrudgingly let it go. I didn't plan on telling them immediately about the situation, but my daughter mentioned his name, and the rest was out of my control.

"Roger?" my mother had squawked, mouth open in disbelief. "Your Roger?"

"He's not- yes. The exact one," I'd mumbled, burying my face in my water glass. "We've been in contact, a bit."

My mother had gathered herself, and finally relaxed her shoulders, looking pleased. "Well. This changes things, doesn't it?"

"Not necessarily. We'll see what happens."

My mother loved to jump to conclusions, and at this one she leapt. It was her perfect ending to her less than perfect daughter's life. The father comes back into the picture, and the family is complete. If only it was so easy.

But, the most pleased about Roger's presence above all is my daughter. Even though he's away, she looks forward to their frequent phone calls. Mostly because talking on the phone fascinates her, but they cherish their little conversations, even if they're just blabbing or singing back and forth. I don't know how much she understands about his place in her life, and I've no idea how I'd explain it to her. I think for now, she knows enough. His love and dedication towards her is as clear as crystal, and she returns it naturally.

So he was right, then. It's hard for me to admit, but he knows how to prove his commitment when he wants to. If I had any doubts about him being in Audrey's life, they're surely gone now. From what I hear of tour life, it's busy and can be brutal at times. Yet he still finds time to call, almost like clockwork, which is completely out of character for him.

Maybe he's changed.

That could be a reasonable explanation. I've certainly changed in the past few years, why wouldn't he have done the same? Granted, we've lived completely different and separate lives. One of us is a famous musician, the other a single mother. I'm not sure to what extent that has changed him, but if he's sticking around, I'll have plenty of time to find out.

This is all crossing my mind as we pull up to my parents' house, the one I grew up in as a child and the one still standing today. Large and extravagant, it's a complete contrast to my more humble home. I see Audrey start to wiggle with anticipation as we park, her large blue eyes falling on the familiar house.

"Look at you!" my mother exclaims as she opens the front door for us, crouching down and holding her arms out for my daughter. Nothing puts her in a good mood like Audrey can. I watch her gladly run into them, the two smiling and laughing.

My mother stands, Audrey placed on her hip. She beckons me closer, planting a firm kiss on my cheek in greeting. "Come in. Food will be ready in thirty minutes."

As we enter, I notice my father hovering nearby, waiting for his proper embraces. He stands much taller than my mother, by almost an entire foot. His hair is now fully gray, cut short, with a bit of facial hair to match. Broad shouldered and with a softer heart, he balances my mother perfectly, while at the same time can too easily fall into her trap.