A/N: This is my first "songfic", inspired by Madonna's "Little Star". The lyrics touched me so much I decided to incorporate them into a story involving Roger and his mother. As a forewarning, it's a tad sappy :X
I don't own anything except the plot. Roger's POV, oneshot.
Never Forget Who You Are
I'll never forget the day my mother died. She had been suffering from cancer for the past two years, and after her diagnosis, the only time I saw her was when I visited her in the hospital. I was six years old, and didn't quite understand what was going on; all I knew was what the doctors told my dad, which was that she "was very sick" and that she "didn't have much time left", whatever that meant. Whenever I would visit her, her deep blue eyes would light up, and I'd hear her familiar "Hi Roger! How was your day?" As I would tell her, she'd listen intently, adding "mm-hmm"s or "yeah, go on"s occasionally. Afterwards, we'd play UNO or Old Maid for at least an hour, and before I knew it, visiting hours would be over and I'd have to leave her for the night. We were always both upset when I had to leave - my visits meant the world to her, just as seeing her meant the world to me. The fact that I didn't see her often made those times together even more special for the both of us.
The day she died, I was sitting in the waiting room by myself, trying to memorize my times tables, when my father came shuffling slowly down the hallway. I could tell he was upset by his messy appearance, tear-streaked face and puffy, swollen eyes. Very carefully, he sat down next to me and began tentatively. "Rog, I just spoke with the doctor…Mommy is…"—he paused and took a sharp breath—"…well, she's…she's dead." He spoke the last word in disbelief, as if he didn't know what it was or what it meant. My reaction wasn't drastic, or loud. I just began to quietly sniffle and sob, as my father put his arm around my shoulders, crying softly with me for several long minutes, before pulling a small, folded piece of paper out of his pocket. "The doctor gave this to me – he said that Mom wrote it for you," he said, handing it to me. I opened it and read the contents – it was a poem.
Never forget who you are, little star
Never forget how to dream, butterfly
God gave a present to me
Made of flesh and bone
My life, my soul
You make my spirit whole
Never forget who you are, little star
Shining brighter than all the stars in the sky
Never forget how to dream, butterfly
Never forget where you come from
From love
You are a treasure to me
You are my star
You breathe new life
Into my broken heart
May the angels protect you and sadness forget you, little star
There's no reason to weep, lay your head down to sleep, little star
May goodness surround you, my love, I have found you
Shining bright
Never forget who you are, little star
Shining brighter than all the stars in the sky
Never forget how to dream, butterfly
Never forget where you come from
From love
Roger,
If ever you feel alone, I'll be there to comfort you, whether you realize it or not. You have no idea how proud I am of who you are. I know I won't be able to see you grow up, but I have more faith in you than you or even Dad knows. I love you, Roggie - stay strong.
Love forever,
Mom
Even though I only knew her for six years, my mother left a profound impact on my life. It's amazing how much you can touch a person, even if you're only with them for a finite period. She has sustained me, kept me going, and helped me through some of the most difficult and trying times of my life.
She is my greatest hero.