My Bijou! A Maylor Love Story

Light Another Cigarette...And Let Yourself Go...

A/N - I am not British and have a basic knowledge of the school systems.  Please remember this is fiction!

10 January 1980

Surrey

Roger's POV

I wanted a cigarette desperately but fought the urge as I watched Brian on the telephone.  He was looking up at me and I knew he could tell I was struggling.  Since I had been ill for almost two weeks I had not had a cigarette.   Brian asked me to consider this as an opportunity to try and quit.  Being a smoker had made my cough much worse and it took me longer to get over it.  My voice was still recovering though I sounded more like myself.  I was concerned about it being in good form for our return to recording next month in Munich.  But right now we were dealing with something more important. 

"Yes...it has to be two dozen tiger lilies...."  Brian told the florist on the phone.  He was tapping his fingers on his desk as he spoke.  "Is that doable?"  he asked them.  I watched him listen to their answer and hoped it could be arranged.  Brian looked up at me and nodded.  "Thank you...and I understand the extra cost...that isn't a problem..." he replied in the phone.  "I need the card to read as follows: 'With love from Tiger Lily' ..."  I picked up my glass of water and took a large drink as Brian listened to the florist.  "That's it...yes...and send the bill to the address I gave you...thanks..."  Brian hung up the phone and smiled at me.

"So it's all set?"  I asked.  He nodded as he stood up and walked over to me.  We embraced each other and Brian sighed.  

"It's a shame we can't go...but I understand why she asked us not to...it makes sense..."  

"At least we got the flowers we wanted..."  I replied. 

"You okay?"  he asked me for the millionth time.  I am okay.  But I am sad.  When Angie, Tiger Lily's Great Aunt, called to tell us Ellie died it wasn't entirely unexpected.  She was terminally ill and had lived longer than we would have thought.  Angie told us the funeral plans but then asked that we not attend.  She was afraid it would generate questions and someone might recognize us.  We didn't want anything to take away from the service so we opted to not go.  Brian had called to confirm the funeral time and then contacted a florist to arrange for a large bouquet of tiger lilies to be sent as a tribute to our daughter's grandmother.  Now it was arranged so we would try and move past this moment.  

"I am good...really..."  I assured him.  "A death is not exactly how I wanted the new year to begin..."  I explained.  Brian knew what I meant.  With so many good things happening for us it felt extra sad.  We shared a brief kiss and Brian pulled away to go check on the kids.  I wrung my hands a bit as I tried not to think of having a smoke and wondered if there were any biscuits in the kitchen.

11th January 1980

"Are you ready?"  I asked my daughter as we got out of the car at her new school.  She was wide eyed as we surveyed the building and the grounds.  We had found a new school that we felt might be a good fit for her.  I hated the idea of my child going to some posh institution but Brian had received a solid education at a fee paying school and wasn't too affected by it.  His parents didn't have a lot of money and he attended on scholarship.  I myself had gone to the cathedral school in Truro and it too had been on scholarship.  I couldn't truly knock the system entirely but didn't want my child becoming one of those horrid people who looked down on people of less financial standing than herself.  We also didn't want her drowned in a sea of heavy religious indoctrination.  The fact that most religions considered homosexuality heresy would only upset and confuse her.  I took her hand as we walked into the building and went to the admissions office.  I still felt bad that Brian wasn't here.  We had talked about it and decided it was best that I take her on my own.  If he was there it would result in a lot of questions that we weren't prepared to answer.  When Tigs had gone to the school near our former home Clare had been the one who was the main contact.  It was the local school and a nanny wasn't something anyone batted an eye at.  Since this was  a different type of school we had to apply and I knew I needed to be the one there on her first day.