Disclaimer - I own nothing of RENT, except for my original characters and storyline. Everything else belongs to the wonderful Jonathon Larson. 'Nuff said. I also don't own the song lyrics I use in my stories. They belong to their respected owners - again 'nuff said.
Italics are thoughts and song lyrics.
A/N: I have no clue how this story came to me. I hope everyone likes it.
Summary: AU: Five years after Mimi dies, Roger finds himself falling in love again. RDxOC. Takes place in 2008-2009. Part two of two. Please read The Greatest Thing You'll Ever Learn before reading this one. Rated T for language and sexual content.
Genre: General/Romance
Rating: T
Sara Davis woke up from her deep sleep and tried to get comfortable. She looked down at her stomach and could see the bump peeking beneath her nightgown. She was in her third trimester of pregnancy and her little baby would not let her sleep. Sara had gotten a good hour's sleep the night before. Roger had joked that the baby was a night owl, like its mother.
"Everything okay?" he asked, flipping on the bedside table lamp. Sara nodded and placed Roger's hands on top of hers so that he could feel the baby moving. Roger kissed Sara's forehead, bent over and kissed Sara's stomach and held her in his arms. Sara made herself comfortable and rested her head on Roger's chest before finally falling asleep.
The next morning, Sara slept in while Roger made her breakfast. The two of them had married six months ago and decided not to go on a honeymoon, since they couldn't afford it.
Once he was done making breakfast, Roger set up a TV tray and had Sara lay on the couch. He kissed her forehead and wrapped a throw blanket with sunflowers on it over her to keep her warm. As much as Sara wanted to go to work, she didn't feel like going in. She had Roger call in for her while she had breakfast. Sara had gotten a job at a music store where she not only sold sheet music, but she taught piano lessons. She had been taking a piano class at the community college, and did very well in it.
After Sara had her breakfast, she went to the bathroom. She really couldn't keep anything down, so she would eat as much as she could. Roger really wanted to stay home with Sara, but he had a job, too - he was a full-time music teacher at the four elementary schools, the middle school and the two different high schools. He started work at 7:00 am and didn't get home until 6:00 pm. Sara, on the other hand, worked from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Roger kissed Sara on the cheek and headed to work. Sara had convinced him that she would be okay by herself. Roger took one last look at his wife before heading out the door.
Around noon, Sara was taking a nap when the phone rang. Getting off the couch, she went to answer the phone.
"Hello?" she said into the receiver.
"Sara? It's Joanne. How are you doing?" Joanne's caring voice was on the other line.
"Hey Joanne. I'm all right." Sara answered, sitting back on the couch.
"Would you mind if I came over to keep you company?" Joanne asked.
"Not at all, but I thought that you had to work today." Sara told her friend.
"It's my day off." Joanne told her.
"Sure, c'mon over." Sara said after awhile.
"I'll be there in fifteen minutes, give or take." Joanne told her.
"Okay. See you then." Sara said goodbye and hung up the phone. She decided to throw some other clothes on besides her pajamas. She put on a plain light blue maternity shirt, jeans and a pair of clean socks. She then went into the bathroom to brush her teeth, her hair and to clean her glasses.
Exactly fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Sara went to answer it and smiled when she saw Joanne standing in the doorway.
"Hey sweetie. How've you been doing? How's the baby been treating you?" Joanne inquired, giving Sara a hug. Sara laughed at her friend and returned the hug.
"Okay. Roger and I went to the doctor yesterday and the doctor told us that we're expecting a girl." Sara answered, looking down at her stomach. Because both she and Roger had HIV, the doctor had prescribed Sara pre-natal vitamins, along with 3 month's prescription of AZT.
Joanne stayed a little while longer before going to get some groceries for Sara and Roger. Sara smiled and thanked her friend for doing that. After Joanne left, Sara changed her shirt to one that Roger had gotten her. It was yellow with 'Bun in the Oven' in black block letters on it. She also changed into her favorite navy blue sweatpants. She then went back to the couch and flopped down on it, turning the TV to 'American Idol.' Joanne dropped off the groceries and told Sara that she was going to visit her sister the next day, so she had to go home and pack. Sara thanked her friend again and fell asleep on the couch.
Mark and Maureen came to visit Sara an hour before Roger came home from work. Maureen was in her last trimester as well. It turned out that Sara and Maureen's babies were due within a week of each other, so they had decided to throw a double baby shower, which would be held that weekend.
Roger came home an hour later, instantly went to Sara's side and kissed her on the lips. Sara smiled against his lips and kissed him back, taking in his sweet taste. Maureen cleared her throat loudly, making the couple laugh.
"Do you know if you're having a boy or a girl?" Mark asked as he and Roger started dinner while their wives talked about their baby shower.
"We're having a girl, but we don't have a name picked out." Roger told his friend as he cut up green peppers into tiny pieces. The two of them were making homemade pizzas. They were putting cheese and pepperoni on one and peppers, pineapple and onions on the other.
"We're having a boy." Mark told his friend. Roger smiled, set his knife down and hugged his friend. Mark also set down his knife and returned the hug, patting his friend on the back. He then went back to cutting up the onions, which was making him tear up. Roger laughed and took over cutting up the onion while Mark took out the cheese and pepperoni pizza from the oven.
"I love your shirt, Sara." Maureen complimented. Sara smiled and took a moment to see what shirt she had on.
"Thank you, Maureen. Roger got it for me." Sara told her. Maureen smiled and placed a hand on Sara's stomach. She could feel the baby moving and smiled.
"Your little one is very active, isn't it?" Maureen joked.
"Yes, she is. She kept me up half the night." Sara answered.
"Aww! You're having a girl! Do you have any names picked out?" Maureen inquired. Sara laughed and told Maureen that they didn't have any names picked out yet.
"I'm definitely going to have a C-section, doctor's orders." Sara said, smiling when Roger sat down next to her and buried his face in her hair. Mark sat down next to Maureen, two pieces of cheese pizza on his plate. Maureen instantly took one and ate it quickly, making Sara and Roger burst out laughing. Roger handed Sara a piece of cheese pizza. Sara took her time eating it, but she was more interested in the conversation.
It was ten o'clock by the time that Mark and Maureen left to go home. After they left, Roger looked over at Sara, who was lying on the couch. She placed her headphones over her stomach and turned on some classical music while she read a murder mystery. Roger got his guitar and strummed a gentle melody on it. Sara put her book down and turned off her CD player. Roger put his guitar away and sat down next to Sara, putting her feet on his lap. He removed her socks and gave her a foot massage. Sara smiled and relaxed, enjoying the massage.
"Roger! It's happening!" Sara called four weeks later. Roger jumped off the couch and went to Sara, who was at the door with her hospital bag.
"Are you sure this time?" Roger asked. Sara nodded and Roger rushed over to her. He then collected her in his arms and carried her down the three flights of stairs. He then rushed up the stairs to get Sara's suitcase and his phone. He dialed all their friend's numbers as he hailed a taxi. The cabdriver helped Sara into the cab while Roger put the suitcase in the trunk and climbed in the back next to Sara.
"Okay, honey. Nice, short breaths like we practiced in Lamas class." Roger told his wife, squeezing her hand. Sara nodded and did her breathing exercises.
"First baby?" the cabdriver asked. Roger nodded and dabbed the sweat from Sara's forehead.
"Congratulations." the cabdriver said, looking in the rear-view mirror at Sara. Her breathing was labored and sweat was pouring down her forehead.
"Miss, we're almost to the hospital. Calm down." the cabdriver soothed. Sara nodded and squeezed her eyes shut.
"Contraction?" Roger asked his wife. She nodded as tears streamed down her cheeks. Roger kissed her forehead as the cabdriver pulled into the entrance near the hospital. Roger thanked him and helped his wife out of the cab and into a wheelchair while the cabdriver handed Roger the suitcase. Roger fished a twenty from his pocket and handed it to the cabdriver. The driver thanked Roger and got back in the cab and drove away.
"Okay, hun. Let's get you into a gown and this baby out." Roger told his wife, his voice calm. Sara nodded and winced as another contraction seared through her. Her water had broke in the cab, so Roger knew that this baby would be coming soon.
Five minutes later, Sara was preparing for her C-section while Roger changed into scrubs. He then walked to the viewing room of the room where Sara was and saw his friends and family sitting in chairs. The only ones who were missing were Mark and Maureen. They had their son - John Michael - a week earlier, so they wouldn't be there for Sara and her baby.
Roger entered the room and went to Sara's side. He sat in the chair that was next to her and took one of her hands in his, rubbing his thumb up and down her knuckle. On the overhead system, a soothing melody of Pachebel: Canon In D came on. Roger hummed a little bit of it, but stopped when he heard crying.
"Daddy, come and cut the cord of your daughter." the doctor told Roger. Roger felt tears in his eyes as he cut his daughter's umbilical cord. He could hear her screaming at the top of her lungs while the nurses weighed and cleaned her.
"What's her name?" one of the nurses asked.
"Madison Elizabeth Davis." Sara croaked. Roger walked over to his wife and kissed her forehead.
"That's a beautiful name." Roger told his wife as the nurse placed Madison in his arms. Madison was wrapped in a pink hospital blanket and had a matching cap on her head. She had fallen asleep, so Roger was happy about that. He saw brownish-blond curls erupting beneath the cap and kissed her forehead as he handed her to Sara.
While the nurse wheeled Sara to a hospital room, Roger went to the waiting room to tell his family the news. He saw Joanne, Kristi, Ruthie, Kathleen, Nicholas, Daniel, Lee and Helena sitting on the hard plastic chairs. When they saw Roger, all their eyes turned to him. Roger's eyes filled up with tears when he saw that Collins and Patrick weren't there. Both of them had passed away from HIV within a week of each other. That had happened when Sara was in her first trimester.
"Hey everyone. Sara had her baby - a healthy beautiful little girl named Madison Elizabeth. She's six pounds, eleven ounces and sixteen inches long. Sara's good, but she's really tired, so I'm gonna say only two people at a time." Roger told everyone happily. They all nodded and agreed that Kathleen and Nicholas should go first. Roger led the way to the room where Sara was in and stood aside so that they could see their niece.
Roger stood outside the door of Sara's hospital room, when Kathleen came to see him. She smiled and told him to come inside. He rolled his eyes and entered the room. Sara was lucky and managed to get a private room. It was a large room - it was painted an eggshell white with a mural of a brightly colored carousel on both walls. In the middle of the room was a couch and two armchairs pushed against the walls. In the far corner near the window, was a wooden rocking chair. Sara was lying on the bed near the door. She was bottle-feeding Madison and gently rocking her. Roger sat down at the foot of the bed and watched his wife for a bit.
"May I hold her?" Kathleen asked. Sara nodded and handed Madison to her sister. Nicholas looked over Kathleen's shoulder at the beautiful baby.
Once all the visitors had gone, Sara fell asleep. Roger placed Madison in her bassinet and climbed in behind Sara, taking her in his strong arms. He kissed the top of her head and had her lay down next to him.
Roger woke up at midnight, after getting forty-five minutes of sleep. He started to go back to sleep when the sound of a baby crying. Getting out of bed, he walked over to the bassinet and picked Madison up. She was crying softly, so Roger just held and soothed her. After ten minutes of singing to her, he put her back in her bassinet and went back to bed.
The next time Roger woke up, the sun was streaming through the hospital windows. Sitting up in bed, he noticed he was shirtless and laying next to Sara, who had her back to him, her hospital gown half-way off her body, along with the blankets. Roger retied her hospital gown, got out of bed and went to the corner of the room where his daughter was.
"Hello sweetie." Roger whispered, not realizing how little she was in his arms. Looking down at her, he kissed the top of her head and gently sang to her as Sara continued to sleep.
An hour later, six people that Roger recognized as his brothers and sisters entered the room, being as quiet as they could. Roger hugged his sisters - Regina, Rita and Roberta before he hugged his brothers - Richard, Robert and Ronald. All the girls in the family had reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes like their mother, while the boys had blond hair and green eyes like their father.
"Oh my goodness - Roger. She's adorable." Regina whispered as she held little Madison in her arms. Roger smiled and went to wake Sara up so that she could meet his siblings.
"Rog, you don't have to do that." Roberta told him.
"Let her sleep." Robert piped up. Roger agreed with his siblings and talked to them about how they were doing. It turned out that Roberta, Rita, Robert, Regina and Ronald were getting married within two months of each other - except for Regina (she is marrying a man named Max) and Ronald (he is marrying a woman named Sophia) - they were getting married in the same month.
Sara woke up fifteen minutes later and was surprised to see people all around her. Roger introduced his siblings as the room nurse came in to check on both Sara and Madison. Rita handed Madison to the room nurse and then stepped back to join her brothers and sisters.
Once the nurse was done with Madison, she examined Sara. Roger sat at Sara's feet and squeezed her hand when the nurse put the stethoscope to her chest. He was holding Madison while his brothers and sisters got out doughnuts, orange juice and apple cider from large brown paper bags.
"Sorry it's a little cold." the nurse apologized. Sara just smiled and made herself comfortable.
The nurse finished her examination of Sara and left the room, grabbing a doughnut on the way out.
Roger's siblings ended up staying for an hour before Kathleen, Nicholas, Lee, Daniel and Helena entered the room. Roger introduced Sara's family to his family. Kathleen and Robert hit it off right away, whereas Nicholas looked a little uncomfortable with so many people in the room. He took the kids to get some breakfast from the cafeteria, just as Joanne entered the room.
"Everyone, I'm sorry to say that there are too many people in here. Only three visitors at a time - there are now twelve people - not including mom, dad and baby." Sara's doctor pointed out when he came in to give Sara and Roger the okay to go home. Kathleen, Nicholas, Lee, Helena, Daniel and Joanne left, making the room a little more comfortable.
Roger's siblings left fifteen minutes after Kathleen, Nicholas, Lee, Joanne, Daniel and Helena left. Sara got out of bed and went to use the bathroom while Roger changed and fed Madison.
Half an hour later, the three of them headed to their new house - it was a two-story brownstone house that they had bought when Sara first found out she was pregnant. They had moved some of the stuff - like the furniture, wedding presents and baby presents - to the house while they waited for the loft to sell.
"Welcome home, Madison. This is where you're going to live until you're thirty." Roger teased as they pulled into the driveway. Sara was so happy that the sun was shining and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. They had invited all of their friends over for a nice dinner that evening, but none of them could make it.
The three of them entered the house and took Madison on a tour, which she slept through. Roger took her out of her carrier and placed her in her crib, which was in the nursery. Sara spun the carousel horse mobile above Madison's crib, smiling as it played a gentle tune of the carousel waltz from her favorite musical, Carousel.
Sara went to check out the backyard while Roger went to the bathroom and Madison took a nap. She was surprised that it was so large, but she was happy to find a volleyball court on one side and a basketball court on the other. Sara then slid the screen door shut just as Roger came out of the bathroom. He put an arm around her waist and soaked in all her beauty.
The two of them headed to the living room and sat down on the couch. Roger brushed Sara's hair away from her face and was about to kiss her when the doorbell rang, which woke Madison up. Sara climbed off the couch and went to answer the door as Roger went to tend to Madison.
When Sara opened the door, there were two men standing before her. One of them had dark features and wore a blue shirt, black pants and sandals. The other one, however, was light-skinned, had red hair, hazel eyes and wore a black shirt, black pants and sneakers.
"Hi! We're your neighbors - Anthony and Adam." the dark-skinned one introduced himself.
"Hello Anthony and Adam. I'm Sara Davis - my husband is upstairs with our new daughter, but they'll be down shortly. Would you like to come in?" Sara asked. The two of them nodded and entered the house.
They sat down on the couch as Sara went to pour coffee for the adults and fix a bottle for Madison.
"Here, hun, let me help you with that." the lighter-skinned man - Adam - spoke up and went to the kitchen to help Sara.
"Thank you." Sara thanked him, bringing two coffee mugs out to the living room while Adam carried the other two. At that moment, Roger came down the stairs carrying Madison. She was dressed in a yellow sleeper with a teddy bear on it. She was fast asleep in Roger's arms.
"Honey, these are our neighbors - Adam and Anthony. Adam and Anthony, this is my husband, Roger and our daughter, Madison." Sara introduced the men to each other. Roger smiled and carefully shook each one's hand as he held Madison.
"She's very precious." Anthony spoke up.
"Thank you. She's two days old." Roger told him. Anthony looked at Adam lovingly. Adam smiled at his partner as Roger sat down next to him.
"So, what do you two do?" Sara asked, taking a sip of her coffee.
"I'm a hair dresser and Adam is a fashion designer." Anthony replied.
"What about you two?" Adam inquired, smiling when Roger let him hold Madison.
"We're both into music - I teach piano and Roger is the music teacher for the elementary, middle and high schools." Sara told him. There was a long awkward silence.
"So, are you two living together?" Roger asked after a while.
"We're best friends." Adam responded. Roger nodded his head and adjusted his position in his chair.
"I also play guitar in my spare time." Roger announced. Sara saw Adam and Anthony's faces light up like Christmas trees.
"Oh do play something!" Adam squealed. Roger nodded and went to get his guitar. He was wondering what song to play when Sara entered the room, a tired expression on her face.
"Rog, I don't feel good." Sara whimpered. Roger nodded and walked over to her, hugging her tightly.
"Did Adam and Anthony go home?" Roger inquired. Sara shook her head weakly and changed into her pajamas. Roger exited the master bedroom and walked over to Adam and Anthony.
"Um, guys - Sara's not feeling well, so…" Roger started awkwardly. Anthony nodded and handed Madison back to Roger as Adam went to get their coats. Roger waved goodbye to them and when they were gone, he went to check on Sara. She was curled in a ball towards the middle of the bed and was fast asleep. Roger went to put Madison in her crib and then walked back to his sleeping bride. He took everything off, except his boxers and socks before climbing in next to Sara. He kissed her forehead and was surprised at how hot she felt.
"Baby, wake up." Roger whispered, gently shaking her awake. Sara moaned and looked over at him. She was paler than ever and Roger could see beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
"What is it?" she asked sleepily.
"I'm worried about you - you look so pale and-" Roger started to say when Sara went into a coughing fit. Roger ran to the kitchen and filled a Styrofoam cup with water before going back to the master bedroom. Flipping on the bedside lamp, Roger felt tears come to his eyes - there was a few droplets of blood in Sara's hand.
"Honey, we have to go to the hospital." Roger told her, getting her out of bed and helped her change into a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. He then went to call Joanne to see if she could watch Madison. Joanne said that she would be there in twenty minutes.
"Joanne's on her way to watch Madison." Roger told Sara as he tried to keep calm. He hoped that she would be okay - he didn't know if he could live without her.
Twenty minutes later, Joanne arrived as Roger headed out the door with Sara. He promised to call Joanne to let her know what was going on.
When they arrived at the hospital, Roger told the nurse at the nurse's station what was going on with Sara. She nodded and walked over to where Sara was and felt her forehead and took her temperature while asking her questions.
It turned out that Sara had pneumonia, but she caught it in the early stages, so she was going to be okay. She would have to spend a week in the hospital while she recovered and was restricted to one visitor at a time. While Sara settled in her hospital room, Roger went to call Sara's sister and his friends and let them know what was going on.
Roger was playing a song for Sara from his favorite musical, Whistle Down the Wind, when there was a knock on the hospital door. Roger went to answer it and saw a man he had never seen before standing in front of him. The man had black hair that was short in the back and long in the front. He had piercing blue eyes with just a hint of green in them. The man stood about 5'6 and wore a red zip-up sweatshirt and baggy blue jeans. On his feet, he wore a pair of dust-colored sandals. He carried a large white teddy bear and two balloons.
"May I help you?" Roger asked the man, helping him with the balloons.
"I'm Gavin - Sara's brother." the man introduced himself.
"I'm Roger - Sara's husband." Roger told the other man, shaking his hand.
"How's my sister doing?" Gavin inquired, walking over to Sara's bedside.
"It's hard to say - she has pneumonia, but she caught it in the beginning stages." Roger answered, looking down at his sleeping wife. He brushed some hair away from her face as Gavin put the bear on one of the empty hospital chairs.
Gavin ended up staying for a little bit longer before going to visit Kathleen and Nicholas. Roger wanted to ask about Jasmine, but Sara had made him promise not to say anything to anyone about it.
After Gavin left, Roger went back to playing the song from Whistle Down the Wind. It was called Try Not To Be Afraid and he knew that Sara would love it. He heard Sara stir and went to help her sit up.
"Whatcha doin, babe?" Sara asked, eyeing Roger's guitar.
"I was working on a song. Would you like to hear it?" Roger asked. Sara nodded weakly and Roger helped her get comfortable.
"It's called Try Not To Be Afraid, from my favorite musical Whistle Down the Wind." Roger told her, playing the first chord of the song.
"Try not to be afraid
So many things can happen
But nothing's ever quite as bad
As it might appear
I'll give you all I got
You know I can protect you
And try and stop you shedding
Even one more single tear
Shelter from the storms
Refuge from the world outside
Safety from the dangers
Escape from all the disappointments
That time has passed
Healing of the wounds
The vanishing of nightmares
An end to endless tortured night
Untroubled sleep at last
This is the vow I've made
I'll see it all come true now
And all you have to do for me
Try not to be afraid
I swear I'll be with you
This promise that I made you
You will always be with me
Think of everything you've got
Try not to be afraid
Try not to be afraid
Try not to be afraid." Roger crooned, holding Sara in his arms. He gently rocked her as he sang. Gently lying her back in bed, he kissed the top of her head and let her sleep while he sat by the bed, not leaving her side for anything - just to use the bathroom and get something to eat from the cafeteria downstairs.
A week later, Sara was released from the hospital. As a welcome home party, Roger invited everyone - including Adam and Anthony - over for a volleyball and basketball tournament. He was also going to cook chicken and hamburgers on the new grill his step-father had given him for a wedding present.
"Whoo! Girls win again!" Sara announced, her brown hair gleaming in the sunlight. She high-fived Maureen as they traded sides with the guys. The people that were on Sara's team were Maureen, Rita, Roberta, Kathleen, Joanne and Kristi. They were playing against the boys - Roger, Mark, Adam, Anthony, Robert and Richard. The rest of the guys - Ronald, Nicholas, Lee and Daniel - were playing basketball. Ruthie and Jasmine had volunteered to watch the little ones, with Gavin watching the two of them like a hawk. Roger couldn't believe how much Jasmine looked like her mother only her hair was a shade darker than Sara's. But the thing that Roger thought was very interesting about Jasmine were her eyes - she had one brown eye and one blue eye.
After everyone had left, Sara and Roger sat on the front porch watching the sunset. Roger kissed Sara on the lips and drew her closer to him. Sara returned the kiss and felt Roger's hands snake their way up her shirt. She stood up and turned around in the doorway, shooting Roger a seductive look. He instantly hopped off the porch chair he was sitting on and lunged at Sara, kissing her all over as they made their way to the master bedroom.
Sara took her hair out of her ponytail and shook her head so that her hair fell freely to her shoulders. Roger was behind her, kissing her neck up and down, his hands on her stomach, rubbing it in a circular motion. Sara extended her neck and felt Roger's hands go under her shirt. She then turned around so that she was facing him.
The two of them made their way to their bed, clothes flying off in all directions. Roger laid Sara on top of the covers and looked down at her.
"You are so damned beautiful, you know that?" Roger asked.
"I would have to agree with you, Mr. Davis." Sara told him playfully. She was fiddling with the waistband of his boxers, but Roger shook his head. She stopped fiddling with his boxers as they climbed under the covers. Sara had everything off except her underwear, bra and socks. Roger was wearing only his boxers.
"What is it?" Sara asked, putting a hand on his arm and traced his tattoo. He had gotten a new one - on his left forearm of a heart with Sara's name written on the outside of the heart. Sara had overcome her fear of needles and had gotten a tattoo herself - it was between her shoulder blades - she had gotten a moon, sun and three stars.
"Sar, I need to talk to you about something." Roger started, his voice serious. Sara had a feeling in her gut that he was going to leave her.
"O-kay." she said, unsure of what to say. Roger took a deep breath and looked lovingly into Sara's large brown eyes. Sara had decided to get contacts when her glasses broke in her first trimester.
"You know I love you very much, right?" Roger asked. Sara nodded and bit her lip to keep from crying. "Well, now that we have a baby, I think that we should take it easy, you know?"
"I understand. I thought that you were going to leave me." Sara told him, tears streaming down her cheeks. Roger shook his head and took Sara in his arms, kissing her tears away.
"I love you too much to leave you - you know that." Roger told her, kissing her forehead. Sara nodded and kissed his cheek before falling asleep. As she slept, Roger stroked Sara's hair and kept thinking how lucky he was to have a wonderful person like her in his life.
A year later, Sara was knitting a scarf she was working on for Roger when she felt her stomach and frowned. She knew that the baby she had been carrying had died - she hadn't felt it move in a while. Getting up from the rocking chair, she knocked on the door of Roger's inspiration room - the extra room off the nursery. Roger opened the door and looked at Sara, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"We lost it." Sara told him before he could ask what was wrong. Stepping out of the room, he put a hand on Sara's stomach and moved it around, just making sure the baby was sleeping and it wasn't Sara's imagination running away with her. He removed his hand and shook his head.
"Let's go to the doctor's." Roger told her, his tone sad. Sara nodded and followed him out the door - this was the second baby they had lost. Madison died when she was a couple months old from complications from HIV. Roger and Sara didn't bother to throw any of her things out or give them away - hoping that they would have another baby to love and cherish.
Arriving at the doctor's office, Sara tried to hold back tears as Roger filled out paperwork and held her in his arms. What seemed like an eternity later, the nurse called them back to one of the back rooms. The nurse had Sara remove her shirt and bra before lying on her back on the table. Roger helped Sara with everything and tried to also hold back his tears.
The doctor came in and greeted Sara and Roger warmly. They greeted him back as he took Sara's vitals and asked her questions. Sara did her best to answer the doctor's questions while Roger gently squeezed Sara's hand. A room nurse entered with an ultrasound machine and the special gel twenty minutes later. Roger stood up and went from holding Sara's hand to stroking her hair. The doctor shook his head sadly as he looked at the ultrasound - the Davis' baby - their little boy - had died. Sara let out a sob as the doctor talked to the couple about scheduling a C-section to take the baby out. The appointment was made for the following day at three o'clock in the afternoon. The couple thanked the doctor as Roger helped Sara sit up and get the ultrasound gel off of her.
The next day, it was just Roger and Sara there for the C-section. Sara was getting changed into a hospital gown while Roger changed into light green scrubs. Sara smiled at him as he entered the operating room and stood next to her. All the doctor asked them was if they were ready and it was silent after that. Sara cried when the doctor showed the Davis' their dead son. Roger felt tears stream down his cheeks as he cut the cord. They decided not to name him, but they decided that they wanted his ashes. The doctor nodded and sewed Sara back up before taking their son to the crematory. Roger was crying by the time he had changed out of his scrubs and took a seat in the waiting room while Sara changed out of her hospital gown and into regular clothes.
When they got home, Sara went to the master bedroom and stayed there the whole day. Roger sat on the couch and watched a home video of Madison before she died.
When the video was over, Roger went to the kitchen and heated up some dinner in the microwave. Sara had told him she wasn't hungry and for Roger to leave her alone. He could understand why she was upset - they had just lost another baby. He was upset, too, but he was more concerned about Sara. She refused to eat, sleep with him, go outside or see anyone. Their friends had stopped inviting them out with them, which was totally fine with Roger. He wanted to spend more time with Sara than his friends any day.
A couple months later, Roger had his new album finished and was promoting it at the Life Café. All his friends came, including Benny and Alison. They sat at the table that was occupied by Sara, Mark, Maureen, John, Joanne, Kristi, Ruthie, Gavin and Jasmine. Kathleen and her family had moved to California when Kathleen was offered a higher position as an attorney for a high-profile movie star. They had moved when Sara had first found out she was pregnant.
Besides the table full of Roger's friends, the café was packed. There was only standing room when Roger started his first set of songs.
"Hello everyone." Roger greeted the crowd. Sara and everyone at her table applauded loudly. Roger smiled and blew a kiss to Sara.
"I'm Roger Davis and welcome to my concert. I will be signing stuff after the show, so stick around. Please respect the following rules - no flash photography, no wrappers and please turn off your cell phones."
He strummed Musetta's Waltz while people turned off their cell phones and took a moment to open their candy wrappers. Once they were finished, Roger stepped up to the mic again.
"Let me tell you a little about myself before I start singing. I'm the youngest of six kids. I've been writing music since first grade and performing since I was in eighth grade. I'm happily married to the most beautiful woman in the world - Sara Davis." Roger indicated to Sara and everyone applauded as she stood up and quickly sat back down.
"Sara and I had a daughter, Madison, but we lost her when she was two months old. We recently lost our son, who was a still born. It hit us pretty hard, but I can't tell you how much Sara inspires me. She's kept me sane all the years we've been married and was there to pick up the pieces when our daughter died. Sure, she was upset, but she was more scared for me than herself. You see, I was a junkie for four years - from 1981 to 1985. She was afraid that I would go out and start using drugs again, but I didn't even think about doing that - I cared about my family and my music way too much to get high for no reason."
"Okay, I'm done with the dramatics. I'm going to be performing some songs off of my new two-disc album entitled You Are The Music In Me. Sara helped me come up with the title, since most of these songs are dedicated to her. The first song I'm going to start with is entitled Beautiful Disaster - dedicated to my first girlfriend, April." Roger smiled and sang the song. Sara felt herself moving to the motion of the song - especially during the chorus.
Once Roger was done with Beautiful Disaster, he sung Because of You, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Don't Let Go (a duet he sung with Sara), Edelweiss, For Good, From A Distance, Here I Am, I'm With You, Irish Lullaby, Kiss the Girl, Lay All Your Love on Me (again, sung with Sara), Look Through My Eyes, Love Heals, Model Prisoner and Music of the Night before taking a ten-minute break.
Roger smiled and went back on the stage after the break ended. Applause and loud cheers greeted his ears as he stood in the spotlight.
"This next song is one of my all time favorites - it's called Not While I'm Around. Enjoy." Roger told the audience and sang the beautiful song. When he was done, the audience burst into applause. Roger smiled and took a bow.
"I wrote this next song - On the Street Where You Live when I first met Sara. I couldn't get enough of her, so I started following her home every night - just kidding. Without further ado, here's On the Street Where You Live." Roger told the audience. He sang the song in its traditional format, but added a little bit of rock to the chorus. He went into One Song Glory, Ose Shalom, Peace Is and Peace Salaam Shalom, just giving a little intro to the song and not saying much more about it.
"I would like all of my friends at the tables near the stage to come up here, please." Roger told his friends. They all smiled and walked onto the stage as Roger talked about the song - Seasons of Love - and introduced the soloists, who were Joanne and Mark. By the chorus, they had the audience clapping and singing along.
After the song, everyone made their way to their seats, except Roger. He sang Send in the Clowns and Sirens. Joanne and Roger sang Sirens together because Sara had been ill when Roger had asked her to sing it with him, but she was happy that he chose Joanne to take her place.
"This next song is called So Close and I sang it at my best friend, Mark's, wedding. I have got to say that this is one of my favorite songs to sing because it's just so beautiful and the lyrics are wonderful." Roger told the audience as he tuned his guitar.
"I wrote this next song - Someday - for Sara and my wedding. The lyrics talk about the world becoming a better place someday. Hope you enjoy it." Roger told the audience. He strummed a gentle chord on his guitar before going into the song.
"Someday
When we are wiser
When the world's older
When we have learned
I pray
Someday we may yet live
To live and let live
Someday
Life will be fairer
Need will be rarer
Greed will not pay
God speed
This bright millennium
On its way
Let it come
Someday
Someday
Our fight will be won then
We'll stand in the sun then
That bright afternoon
Till then
On days when the sun is gone
We'll hang on
Wish upon the moon
There are some days dark and bitter
Seems we haven't got a prayer
But a prayer for someday better
Is the one thing we all share
Someday
When we are wiser
When the world's older
When we have learned
I pray
Someday we may yet live
To live and let live
Someday
Life will be fairer
Need will be rarer
Greed will not pay
God speed
This bright millennium
Let it come
Wish upon the moon
One day
Someday
Soon." Roger sang. There was a moment of silence before the whole café burst into applause. Roger took a bow before singing the last five songs without interruptions.
After he finished playing, he walked over to Sara and kissed her neck. Sara excused herself from the conversation she was having with one of the café patrons and smiled at her husband.
"You were wonderful tonight." Sara told him, kissing him on the lips. Roger returned the kiss and deepened it, but stopped when he heard people chanting his name. Giving Sara a quick kiss on the forehead, he went to tend to his fans.
By the time the whole thing was over, it was eleven o'clock at night. Mark, Sara, Roger and Maureen went out to a karaoke bar called Smokey Joe's. Joanne and Kristi had offered to watch John for the Cohen's while they went out and had a good time.
Arriving at the karaoke bar, Sara held onto Roger like a young koala clung to its mother. Upon entering the bar, loud, high-energy, pounding music reached Sara's ears as the bouncer asked to see their Ids. He nodded and let all of them inside.
"This place is loud!" Maureen yelled over the music. There were booths set up along the sides of the bar with a dance floor in the middle and a wet bar in the far back corner. There was also a stage set up with a karaoke machine towards the back. A waitress handed them a list of songs that they could sing and took their drink orders. Mark and Roger ordered beers while Sara and Maureen ordered Virgin Margaritas - a Berry Good for Sara and a Strawberry Delight for Maureen. They also ordered two appetizers of mozzarella sticks to share.
Once their drinks and the appetizers arrived, they started going through the list of songs. They each decided to do a group song, four duets and a solo. For their group song, they agreed on Don't Cha by the Pussycat Dolls. Roger and Mark decided to do a duet called Confrontation from the musical Les Misérables. Sara and Maureen decided to sing a song called A Boy Like That from the musical West Side Story. Roger and Sara chose All I Ask of You from the musical Phantom of the Opera as their duet. Mark and Maureen chose Til There Was You from the musical The Music Man for their duet. For their solos, they chose Listen from DreamGirls (Sara), Stars from Les Misérables (Mark), I Don't Know How To Love Him from Jesus Christ Superstar (Maureen) and Sunset Boulevard from Sunset Boulevard (Roger).
"Okay, ladies and gentlemen. It's now time for Open Mic. I'm your host for the evening Prince Eric. We'll start with the groups, then we'll do duets. After the duets, we'll do the solos. First up, we have Roger, Sara, Maureen and Mark singing Don't Cha by the Pussycat Dolls. After them, it will be Carolyn, Anna, Alex and Darlene singing…" the four of them didn't hear the rest of what Prince Eric was saying because it was drowned out by loud screaming as they walked onto the stage.
It was now the very last song of the evening. Sara was waiting to go onstage when she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She turned around and saw a beautiful black girl wearing a tight pink shirt and blue jeans standing behind her.
"Can I help you?" Sara asked, feeling a little uncomfortable.
"I think you're doing a good job. That blond haired cutie you came in with is so damn sexy." She started. Sara didn't know whether to laugh or be mad at the girl. Sara just looked straight ahead, but jumped when the girl placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm Tania by the way - Tania Quincy." the girl introduced herself.
"Sara. Sara Davis." Sara responded.
"Are you married to the blond haired cutie?" Tania asked.
"Yes." Sara answered.
"…And now give it up for Sara Davis singing Listen from the movie, DreamGirls." Prince Eric introduced her. Sara could hear the screaming and applauding of the crowd as she stepped onto the stage.
After everyone had sung, Roger and Sara took a cab back to their house while Mark and Maureen took a separate cab to their apartment. Sara fell asleep in the cab, so when the cab pulled into the driveway of the house, Roger handed the driver a twenty and got himself out of the cab first before gathering Sara in his arms.
Carrying her into the house, Roger opened the door and walked to their bedroom, not bothering to turn on any lights. Reaching the bedroom, Roger placed Sara on the bed and put her under the covers, fully clothed. Roger took off everything except his boxers and climbed in next to her, kissing her forehead before falling asleep.
Two months after having a fun time at the karaoke bar, Roger and Sara received some devastating news. Mark had been coming home from work when someone ran a red light, causing Mark to swerve. The same guy crashed into Mark and then another guy came and crashed on the driver's side. By the time that the paramedics got there, it was too late to save Mark. The other two drivers had minor injuries. Sara and Roger busied themselves by helping Maureen with funeral arrangements and whatever else they could do.
A month later, Sara and Roger were dressed in their best black outfits and were headed to the synagogue where Mark's funeral was to take place. Sara had on a black dress that came to her knees, black clogs and had her hair tied back with a thick black ribbon. Roger wore a nice plain black shirt, black pants and black shoes. On his head, he wore a black Yakama, which was in a basket near the front door of the synagogue.
After the funeral was over, everyone headed to the graveyard where all of Mark's family members were buried and threw dirt onto his coffin before it was lowered into the ground. Sara could not contain herself and started bawling when the rabbi started saying a prayer in Hebrew. Roger just rubbed her back gently, but nothing would calm her down.
Once everyone had placed dirt on Mark's coffin, they headed back into the synagogue for a luncheon. Roger and Sara ended up sharing a large table with Maureen, Gavin, Jasmine, Joanne, Kristi, Ruthie, a friend of Mark's from elementary school named Jenny, Cindy (Mark's sister) and Cindy's husband, Jerry.
"Cindy, I'm so sorry about your brother." Sara apologized as a waiter placed a shrimp cocktail in front of her. Cindy smiled at her and drank some of her shrimp cocktail. Jasmine and Ruthie smiled when a large glass of chocolate milk was placed in front of them.
While they ate lunch, there was speeches - including an extremely moving one by Roger, toasts and a presentation that showed Mark's life from birth to his last moments on earth. The luncheon concluded with Roger singing two songs he wrote for Mark called "Ose Shalom" and "Peace Salaam Shalom." Once he was done singing, there was a burst of applause as he returned to his seat. He smiled and wrapped an arm around Sara's shoulders and kissed her forehead.
After the luncheon, there was a reception at Cindy and Jerry's house. Sara and Roger decided to go back to their house and change before heading over to Mark's sister's place.
Sara and Roger laughed as they played volleyball with Maureen and Gavin. John - Mark and Maureen's son, had caught a cold, so Maureen's parents were watching him.
"Score again for the girls!" Sara exclaimed, high-fiving Maureen. She returned the high-five and sent the ball back over the net. Roger went to spike the ball, but missed. It ended up hitting Gavin in the head, which sent him flying backwards.
"Ow." Gavin whined. Maureen rushed over to him while Sara went to get an icepack from the house. Sara handed the icepack to Maureen and went to stand with Roger, who was on the other side of the volleyball court, a guilty look on his face.
"You okay?" Maureen asked, placing the icepack on Gavin's head.
"I am now." Gavin told her, smiling up at her. Maureen avoided her eyes as she helped him stand up. Gavin smiled back at Maureen as they walked to a bench and sat down upon it.
"Gavin, I'm sorry about hitting you in the head." Roger apologized as he and Sara walked over to join them.
"It's okay." Gavin said.
An hour later, Roger and Sara left the party and drove back to their house to spend some time together.
Four months later and good news hung in the air like sweetly scented perfume. Not only were Gavin and Maureen getting married, but Roger and Sara were expecting twins. Maureen asked Sara to be her maid of honor and Sara couldn't help but to say yes. Roger was serving as best man. Sara was three months pregnant, so she would easily fit into the dress, but if she started showing by the wedding, Maureen told her that she would talk to her dress designer and work something out.
Six months later, Sara and Roger were at the hospital, ready to deliver Sara's twins. Roger changed into scrubs while Sara got changed into a hospital gown. Maureen, Gavin, Jasmine, John, Joanne, Kristi, Benny, Alison and Ruthie all arrived at the hospital within minutes of when Roger called them to say that Sara started having contractions.
In the operating room, Sara squeezed Roger's hand as the doctor made an incision and removed the first baby - a boy - forty minutes later. The girl followed twenty minutes later. Sara felt happy tears stream down her cheeks as the nurse handed her the little girl and handed Roger the little boy.
"Oh my God - they're beautiful." Sara whispered as the nurse wheeled her to an empty hospital room.
"They look like their mother." Roger told her, smiling down at his son. They had decided to let the twins' godparents - Gavin and Maureen - name them.
While Sara got settled in her room and fed the twins, Roger went to get Gavin and Maureen from the waiting room. He told the others that they would have their turn with the twins.
Maureen held the little boy while Gavin held the little girl. Roger held Sara in his arms as he watched his brother-in-law and Maureen hold his twins.
"We would like you two to be the twins' godparents and we would also love it if you would choose their names." Roger whispered. Maureen nodded and smiled while Gavin carefully hugged Roger and whispered 'thank you' in Roger's ear.
"This is Andrew Daniel." Maureen announced.
"Julia Rose." Gavin told the couple.
"We love those names." Roger and Sara chorused.
Maureen and Gavin decided to let the others see the babies - they had to get home because John and Jasmine had homework to do. They hugged the couple and exited the room.
Joanne, Kristi, Ruthie, Benny and Alison entered the room and smiles lit up their faces when they saw the babies sleeping in Sara and Roger's arms.
"What are their names?" Ruthie inquired.
"Everyone - meet Andrew Daniel and Julia Rose Davis. Andrew was born first - he's six pounds, four ounces and sixteen inches long. Julia weighed in at seven pounds, six ounces and seventeen inches long. The doctor ran an HIV test on both of them - they both tested positive. The doctor said that he thought that they would live to see their year old birthday, but he wasn't for sure." Roger told the group of people in front of him. Kristi walked over and looked at the sleeping babies in each of the couple's arms and gently took Julia from Roger.
"Hey little girl. This is your aunt Kristi talking to you. You and your brother are very lucky - both of your parents love you very much and so do your new aunts and uncles. We're going to pamper and spoil you so much that you'll be sick of it." Kristi paused to wipe the tears out of her eyes. "I really do hope you two live longer than your previous siblings - your sister died when she was two months and your brother was a still born…" her voice trailed off as tears streamed down her cheeks. Kristi had become very attached to both Madison and the stillborn that Roger and Sara had lost. Joanne walked over to her partner and gently rubbed her back, kissing both of her cheeks and taking her in her arms.
Two days later, the four of them headed back to the house and were instantly greeted by Adam and Anthony. The two of them cooed over the twins as Roger unlocked the front door and opened it.
"SURPRISE! WELCOME HOME ROGER, SARA, ANDREW AND JULIA!" Several voices called out, startling both of the twins. Roger and Sara soothed the twins and stepped into the house. It was dark, but when they entered, all the lights were turned on. Sara smiled when Roger's siblings, Gavin and his family, Benny and Alison all smiled and greeted them. Julia continued to scream her head off as she was taken out of her carrier and passed from person to person. Andrew, however, slept through the whole thing.
"Shh. Calm down, sweetie. You're okay." Rita soothed when Julia was placed in her arms. Sara led her over to the rocking chair in the corner of the living room so that Rita could rock the little girl. Rita smiled and sat down in the chair. Roger went to get his guitar and sat down on the stool in front of the rocking chair. Rita turned little Julia so that she was facing her father.
"Over in Killarney
Many years ago,
Me mother sang a song to me
In tones so sweet and low.
Just a simple little ditty
In her good old Irish way,
And I'd give the world if she could sing
That song to me this day.
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-la-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry.
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-la-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby.
Oft in dreams I wander
To that cot again,
I feel her arms a-huggin' me
As when she held me then.
And I hear her voice a-hummin'
To me as in days of yore.
When she used to rock me fast asleep
Outside the cabin door." Roger sang softly, hoping that this lullaby would do the trick. Julia stopped her crying and started cooing happily.
After everyone had left, Roger put the twins to bed while Sara took a shower and went to bed. Roger had told her that he would take the first shift so that Sara could catch up on her sleep.
A month later, Sara was sitting in the living room with the twins while Roger was at work when there was a knock on the door. Getting up from the rocking chair, she walked over to the front door and opened it. Standing before her was a man Sara had never seen. He was short, had thinning black hair, a thick black moustache and looked to be in his early fifties. He looked professional and was dressed like it, too.
"Hello. Is Roger Davis here?" the man asked.
"He's at work, but he'll be home soon." Sara told him.
"I'll wait for him." the man told Sara, coming into the house. Sara rolled her eyes and closed the door behind her.
"Beautiful kids." the man commented when he saw Andrew and Julia sleeping in the pack-and-play next to the couch. Both of them had fallen asleep twenty minutes ago.
"Thank you. They're Roger's and mine." Sara said, sitting down on the couch. The man sat in the armchair across from the couch.
"I bet you're wondering why I'm here." the man started. He didn't wait for Sara to respond before talking again. "I'm Mitch Mitcherson and I represent Chandelier Records out in San Diego, California. The reason why I'm here is because I want to offer your husband a record deal. I was there at the Life Café when he was promoting his two-disc CD. I bought one and I absolutely love it. He has some real big potential, but I don't have to tell you that, do I?" the man asked, flashing Sara a wide grin. Sara was completely speechless and felt torn - she wanted the family to move to California, but all of her friends and family lived in New York.
Roger arrived home ten minutes later and saw an unfamiliar man sitting in the armchair across from the couch. Sara was nowhere to be seen.
"Um, can I help you?" Roger asked, a confused look on his face.
"No, but you can help me. I'm Mitch Mitcherson and I represent Chandelier Records in San Diego. I saw you at the Life Café when you were promoting your new CD. I listened to it and I love the sound of your voice. I want you to sign on with me." Mitch told him, handing Roger a business card.
"What does my wife think about this?" Roger inquired.
"She thinks it's a great idea." Sara answered, coming out of the nursery carrying Andrew. Roger walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Are you sure you want to do this, sweetie?" Roger asked. Sara nodded her head and kissed Roger's cheek.
"Wonderful! Mr. Davis, if you could sign here, please." Mitch told him as Roger walked back over to him. Sara saw him sign a contract and heard him mumble a few things under his breath.
"Everything's settled - all you have to do is pack your things and I'll do the rest - I'll even sell your house for you." Mitch told the couple. Sara and Roger thanked him and shook his hand before Mitch headed out the door.
A month later, everything was packed into boxes and the couple was saying goodbye to their friends. Sara felt tears stream down her cheeks as she hugged Maureen tightly, not wanting to let her go. Maureen ran her fingers through Sara's hair and promised that they would visit every Christmas, Thanksgiving and summer vacation. Sara nodded and went to hug Gavin while Roger hugged Maureen.
After their goodbyes, the couple plus the twins headed for the airport for a life changing experience.
"Oh my goodness! It's huge!" Sara told her husband as they walked through their new house. The movers were in and out of the house, bringing in the new furniture that Mitch had gotten them. They had put the twins in the nursery and were taking a tour of their new house. It had three floors, eight large bedrooms - two of which could be used for offices, a recording studio, two swimming pools - one inside and one outside, a large kitchen, a large dining room, ten bathrooms, a wrap-around porch, a volleyball court, a tennis court, a Jacuzzi, a hot tub and a basketball court.
"We are so using that later." Sara whispered in Roger's ear, pointing to the Jacuzzi. Roger smiled and kissed Sara's temple.
After the tour, the couple made their way to the master bedroom. Roger closed the door behind him and smiled at how beautiful Sara looked in the setting of the California sun.
"What?" Sara asked, smiling when Roger walked over to her. He placed his hands on either side of her face and kissed her passionately. Sara moaned with pleasure as they made their way to the bed. Roger placed Sara on the bed and instantly climbed on top of her. He was just about to unhook her bra when the baby monitor went off. Roger kissed Sara's forehead and told her he would go tend to the babies. Sara nodded and got under the covers. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.
Roger came back into the room and saw that Sara was fast asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, he stripped out of his clothes and climbed in next to her, taking her in his strong arms. He kissed the top of her head and fell asleep.
The next morning, Roger got ready to go the recording studio when his cell phone went off. Not recognizing the number, he answered it anyway.
"Hello?" Roger said into the receiver.
"Is this Roger Davis?" an unfamiliar voice asked.
"Yes. Who is this?" Roger wanted to know.
"This is Mitch. The limo should be there to pick you up soon." Mitch told him.
"Okay." Roger answered, hanging up the phone. He went to kiss Sara and the twins before heading downstairs. A few minutes later, there was the sound of a car door slamming. Roger grabbed an apple and opened the door, closing it behind him as he exited the house. Blinking in the sunlight, he saw a black limo waiting for him in the driveway.
"Holy…" Roger was lost for words, which was a first for him. The driver opened the back door for Roger and closed it behind him once he was inside.
"Hello Roger." Mitch greeted him. Roger greeted him back and saw five other people he didn't recognize. One was a heavily tattooed man who wore a leather vest and tight black pants. The guy sitting next to him was skinny, had short black hair, blue eyes, wore a purple tank top and jeans. There were two other guys who looked to be about Roger's age and a girl who looked to be about Sara's age. The two other guys were twins - Mitch told him. The girl was the heavily tattooed guy's sister.
"Roger, meet your band mates - Birds of Prey. This is Vulture." Mitch indicated to the heavily tattooed guy. "Crow." the guy in the purple tank top. "Hawk and Owl." the twins. "and Bluebird." the girl.
"Everyone, this is your new band mate, Roger. He, his wife and their month-old twins just moved here from New York." Mitch finished the introductions. They all greeted Roger and he hit it off right away with his new friends.
After they arrived at the studio, Roger made a quick phone call to Sara to see how she was doing. The phone rang five times and then went to the answering machine.
"Hey baby - it's me. Just calling to see how you're doing. I'm at the recording studio with Birds of Prey - this band I'm going to be working with. I'll call you again when we go to lunch. Give the twins a kiss for me and send them my love. I love you." Roger said into the machine before he hung up and went to join the band.
It turned out that Birds of Prey had heard a demo of Roger's CD and they absolutely loved it. Bluebird thought that it was sweet that Roger dedicated most of his songs to his wife.
The six of them played until two o'clock, when Owl announced he was hungry. They all piled into the limo and drove to a private café owned by one of Vulture's friends.
"What do you think Roger's band name should be?" Bluebird asked when Roger went to call Sara from his cell phone.
"He kind of looks like a canary, so what about Canary?" Owl suggested. Hawk rolled his eyes and playfully punched his brother in the arm.
"That name is for sissies and he don't look like no sissy to me." Vulture spoke up.
"What about Peacock?" Hawk suggested. Vulture shook his head.
"I've got it - Eagle." Owl spoke up after a minute. Everyone nodded in agreement and noticed Roger walking back to the table, an unreadable expression on his face.
"What's wrong, Roger?" Hawk asked.
"I think something's wrong with my wife - she hasn't answered the phone or returned my calls." Roger answered as he sat down next to Hawk on one side and Owl on the other. Bluebird reached across the table and gently squeezed Roger's hand.
"She's probably busy with the twins." Owl spoke up.
"Maybe." Roger answered.
They finished lunch and started to head back to the recording studio when Roger's cell phone rang. Sara was on the other line.
"I'm so sorry I didn't return your calls. I didn't recognize the number, so that's why I never called you back." Sara told him. Roger had put the phone on speaker.
"That's okay, babe." Roger told her, wanting to take her in his arms and never let her go.
"Oh, honey - say hi to the Birds of Prey." Roger told her, smiling for everyone to say their hellos.
"Your band?" Sara asked.
"The very same." Owl said into the phone.
"Who was that?" Sara inquired.
"That was Owl. The others are Vulture, Hawk, Crow and Bluebird." Roger answered. As Roger introduced them, he had the speaker say 'hello' so that Sara could identify their voice.
"Roger has a band name, too." Crow spoke up.
"What is it?" Sara wanted to know.
"Eagle." Roger told her.
"I like that." Sara told him. Roger heard the baby monitor go off in the background.
"I've gotta go - it's feeding time. Nice talking to you Vulture, Hawk, Owl, Crow and Bluebird." Sara told the band members.
"I'll see you at home later, sweetie. I love you." Roger told her, taking the phone off speaker.
"I love you, too." Sara told him and hung up. Roger smiled and hung the phone up.
"She seems like a lovely girl, mate." Owl told him. Roger found out that Owl and Hawk were from Liverpool, Crow was from Canada and both Vulture and Bluebird were from Texas. He also found out what their real names were - Owl (Michael), Hawk (Nicholas), Crow (Robin), Vulture (George) and Bluebird (Michelle).
The six of them finished recording around six and decided to go out to dinner with Roger and his family. Sara hit it off instantly with Bluebird, maybe it was because the two of them were almost the same age. Vulture, who was usually a tough guy, melted like butter when Roger let him hold Julia. Crow was taking his turn holding Andrew.
They ended up having a great conversation - Sara had things in common with Bluebird, so she spent all night talking to her. The band had decided not to do recording the next day, seeing as it was their day off. They invited Sara and Roger to go to Disney World with them, which they agreed to.
The next day, the seven of them headed to Disney World. Bluebird let Sara use her sitter, seeing as her kids were too young to go, too.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sara screamed as she and Roger went on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Roger laughed and put an arm around the back of the teacup that they were in. After the ride ended, the seven of them decided to go on the merry-go-round that had horses that looked like the ones used Sara's favorite movie "Mary Poppins." Sara climbed onto a light purple horse on the aisle as Roger climbed onto the blue horse next to her. Owl, Hawk, Bluebird, Crow and Vulture found ones near the back. Sara kissed Roger on the lips as the carousel started.
They ended up spending the whole day at Disney World and even got dinner at Goofy's Café that was near the park.
By the time Roger and Sara got home, it was almost seven o'clock. Roger paid the sitter while Sara went to check on the twins. They were fast asleep and holding hands. Sara kissed each of their foreheads before walking out of the nursery.
"I can't believe you're going." Sara sobbed into Roger's shirt two months later. He just stroked her hair and soothed her the best he could. Birds of Prey were going on tour to promote their new CD - In The Talons of Death. Sara had decided to stay home and watch the twins while Roger went on tour.
Sara sat in the armchair, watching TV when the phone rang. Sprinting to the kitchen, she picked up the phone and smiled when she heard Roger's voice on the other line.
"Hey angel - it's me." Roger told her. Sara could barely hear him over the pounding music in the background.
"Hi honey! How's the tour?" Sara asked, trying to speak up so Roger could hear her.
"It's wonderful." Roger answered.
"I miss you." Sara confessed.
"I know. I miss you and the twins, too." Roger told her.
"When are you coming home?" Sara wanted to know.
"I don't know, baby. We're in Japan right now and we still have Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the rest of Europe to cover before we come home." Roger answered.
"Andrew has his first tooth." Sara announced.
"Aww. That's wonderful. What about Julia?"
"She has two in the front. I feel so bad for them." Sara told him.
"I know, but it'll be over soon." Roger told her. There was a voice in Roger's ear, probably Vulture or Owl.
"Honey, I've gotta go - we're on soon. Turn the TV to channel 123 and you'll see us. I love you." Roger told her before hanging up. Sara hung the phone back on the receiver and turned the channel to one hundred and twenty-three. She smiled when she saw Roger and Birds of Prey on the stage, surrounded by screaming fans. Roger was wearing a black leather vest and tight black leather pants. He played a dark blue electric guitar and sung into the mic he shared with Vulture. Sara turned up the volume and danced around the living room, stubbing her toe on the coffee table. Swearing loudly, she went to put some ice on her toe when she heard Roger say her name.
"I would like to dedicate this next song to my wonderful wife, Sara. She decided to stay home with our twins while I went on tour with Birds of Prey. This song is called If Everyone Cared, and I hope you enjoy it." Roger told the audience as the rest of the band stepped off stage so that Roger could have the stage to himself.
"From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you'd be mine
But here we are, we're here tonight
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
And I'm singing
Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We'll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
(I'm alive)
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
When nobody died...
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
When nobody died…
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day when nobody died." Roger crooned into the mic. When he was finished singing, the fans near the front of the stage started screaming and applauding. Roger blew a kiss to the camera before walking off stage.
That night, Sara was reading a novel when the phone rang. Setting the novel down, she went to answer the phone. She smiled when she heard Roger's voice on the other line.
"What'd you think?" Roger asked.
"I loved it. You're the best husband in the entire world." Sara told him, realizing how much she missed him.
"That's because you're the best wife in the world." Roger told her.
"Aww. Thank you." Sara thanked him, adjusting the phone so that she could get a snack from the cupboard. She settled on package of low-fat chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk.
"What are you doing?" Roger asked.
"I was just getting a little snack before going back to my novel." Sara answered.
"What are you reading?" Roger inquired.
"Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. I've never read it before, so I went to the library and borrowed it." Sara told him.
"Tell me what you're wearing." Roger said.
"A blue tank top, a pair of sweatpants and I have my hair back in a ponytail." Sara told him. Roger closed his eyes and pictured Sara sitting in the armchair next to the couch, her nose buried in a book.
"Sar, I have an idea - how would you like to come here for the rest of the tour?" Roger asked a little while later.
"Rog, I would love to, but I haven't been feeling myself today." Sara told him.
"What's wrong?" Roger asked, his voice full of concern.
"Well, I can't stop throwing up and I've just been feeling lightheaded." Sara answered.
"Do you want me to come home?" Roger inquired.
"No. I'll be okay." Sara told him.
"You know I worry about you, sweetie." Roger said.
"I know you do, but I'll be okay." Sara assured him.
"Okay. You know that if you feel any worse, I'm just a phone call away." Roger told her.
"I know. You go have fun." Sara told him.
"I don't know if I can have fun if you're not feeling well." Roger told her.
"Really, honey. I'll be okay." Sara said.
"Okay, honey. How are the twins?" Roger asked, changing the subject.
"They're fine. Andrew is starting to look more like you every day." Sara answered. Roger felt himself smiling as Sara told him what she did that day before she got sick - she took the twins to the park and went out to a little café that she thought Roger would like. She started to say that someone mistook her for Angelina Jolie when she felt bile rise in her throat.
"Roger, I gotta go - I'm going to puke." Sara told him, putting the phone on the counter and sprinted to the bathroom. She made it just in time and threw up into the toilet for fifteen minutes. She then flushed the toilet, brushed her teeth and washed her face before walking back to the kitchen.
"Baby, you okay?" Roger asked, concern in his voice.
"Yeah. I better get to sleep. I love and miss you." Sara told him.
"I love and miss you, too. Get better soon." Roger told her, feeling tears in his eyes. He hung up the phone and turned to his band mates. They were all in the hotel they were staying in - The Red Carpet. They were sitting in the room that Vulture and Roger shared, but the rest of them had their own rooms.
"What's going on, Eagle?" Owl asked.
"Sara's sick, so I think I'm going to go home and take care of her." Roger told him.
"What about the tour?" Hawk asked.
"You guys will have to go on without me." Roger answered, going to the closet in the back of the room and packed his belongings.
"Roger, you can't leave. The band needs you." Bluebird told him, wrapping her fingers around his wrist. Roger broke free of her death grip and continued packing.
"Roger, if you leave, you're out of the band." Vulture threatened. Roger put everything back in the closet and went to the room he had claimed when they were choosing rooms and slammed the door behind him. He then picked up his acoustic guitar and played a song he was working on called I Can Feel You. He had written it for Mimi the week before she died and this song always reminded him of her.
"It's that feeling that someone
Is standing behind me
And I turn around and there's no one there
And it's the sensation
That someone just whispered
Yeah and I still hear your voice but you're not really here
Your memory is like a ghost
And my heart is it's host
I can still feel you just as close as skin
Every now and then
All by myself, in a crowded room, or my empty bed
There's a place you've touched
With your love no one gets close to
I can still feel you
I can still feel you
I can still feel you
I can still feel you
You said you'd love me forever
Then you said it's over
And left me without the missing link
I thought I'd forget you
But I guess I forgot to
And lately I've been too confused to think
When I reach for someone new
It's like I'm touching you
I can still feel you just as close as skin
Every now and then
All by myself, in a crowded room, or my empty bed
There's a place you've touched
With your love no one gets close to
I can still feel you
I can still feel you
I can still feel you
I can still feel you
In everything that moves
In everything I do
I can still feel you just as close as skin
Every now and then
All by myself, in a crowded room, or my empty bed
There's a place you've touched
With your love no one gets close to
I can still feel you
I can still feel you
I can still feel you
I can still feel you
Oh I can still feel you." Roger crooned, tears streaming down his cheeks. He didn't know it, but Bluebird was on the other side of the door, listening to him sing. She felt the pain behind the words and knew that Roger was concerned about his wife. Sighing, she knocked on the door and prayed that Roger would open it.
"It's open." Roger told the person on the other side of the door. He looked up and saw Bluebird enter the room. She sat on the bed next to Roger and smiled at him.
"I heard you singing and the song was so beautiful." Bluebird told him.
"Thank you. I wrote it for my girlfriend, but she died before I had it finished." Roger told her.
"I'm so sorry." Bluebird apologized.
"She was going so strong and then she got sick. She died within two weeks." Roger told her.
"What was her name?" Bluebird inquired.
"Mimi." Roger answered.
"Well, Mimi was lucky to have a boyfriend like you. You're sweet, caring and fight for the ones you love." Bluebird told him.
"Thanks." Roger thanked her. Bluebird pulled him into a hug and hugged him for a while. Roger hugged her back and was grateful that he had a friend like her.
The next day, the band was packing up all their stuff when Roger's cell phone rang. He answered it and felt his stomach drop - Sara was in the hospital. The band paid for Roger to take an early plane home and they would catch the next plane to California later.
As soon as Roger got off the plane, he took a cab to the hospital and felt tears in his eyes when he saw the twins and the nanny the couple had hired sitting in the waiting room outside Sara's hospital room.
"Mr. Davis, could I have a word with you?" the doctor asked. Roger nodded and felt tears in his eyes as the doctor led him to his office.
"What's wrong with my wife?" Roger asked.
"She caught a deadly virus and she can't fight it and she went into a coma this morning. I was looking at her charts and it says that she's HIV positive. This virus hits people with HIV the hardest, so I don't expect her to live much longer. I'm sorry." the doctor told him. Roger blinked the tears out of his eyes and thanked the doctor.
"Can I see her?" Roger asked. The doctor nodded and led Roger to Sara's hospital room. He indicated for Roger to go inside - he had to check on his other patients. Roger took in a deep breath and entered the hospital room.
When he entered, it was dark, but his eyes quickly adjusted. Sara was sleeping in the bed that was closest to the door. She was hooked to a bunch of machines, including a breathing machine. He could see that she was also hooked up to a heart monitor, a blood pressure monitor and a brain activity monitor. He sat down in the chair next to the bed and squeezed Sara's hand. He hummed a little bit of her favorite song "Concrete Angel" sung by Martina McBride.
"She walks to school with the lunch she packed
Nobody knows what she's holding back
Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday
She hides the bruises with the linen and lace
Ohhh
The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask
It's hard to see the pain behind the mask
Bearing the burden of a secret storm
Sometimes she wishes she was never born
Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flies to a place
Where she's loved
Concrete Angel
Somebody cries in the middle of the night
The neighbors hear but they turn out the light
A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate
When morning comes it will be too late
Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flies to a place
Where she's loved
Concrete Angel
A statue stands in a shaded place
An angel girl with an upturned face
Her name is written on a polished rock
A broken heart that the world forgot
Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flies to a place
Where she's loved
Concrete Angel." Roger crooned. When he was done singing, he rested head on the bed and let out a sob. Before he could stop himself, he was crying like a baby.
He ended up spending the night with Sara, so that he could be with her. Since no one was in the other bed in Sara's room, the nurse let Roger sleep there. Roger thanked the nurse as the two of them pushed the bed so that it was next to Sara's. The nanny volunteered to take Andrew and Julia to her house so that Roger wouldn't have to worry about them. Roger thanked her and kissed each of his children as they went with the nanny.
Roger didn't sleep at all that night - he was concerned about Sara to even try to sleep. He got his iPod out and played his newest CD for Sara while she slept, hoping that would bring her out of her coma, but it didn't work. He put his iPod away and looked at Sara and thought about how uncomfortable she must be hooked up to all of the monitors and whatnot. On the overhead system came a Toby Keith song came on that Roger loved - Me, Too. He had sung it at Maureen and Gavin's wedding.
Roger watched the sun rise three hours later, tears streaming down his cheeks. Sara's condition had worsened during the night and the doctor didn't think that she would live much longer. Roger didn't know if he could live without her. He was looking at a photo album that Gavin had mailed to him when Roger and Sara first moved to California. The album was filled with pictures of Sara from birth to the present. Roger was turning the page when a photo fluttered onto the ground. Roger picked it up and examined it. It showed Sara in English riding attire going over a jump on a large gray horse. Turning the picture over, Roger read the following caption:
Sara age fifteen and her gelding, Prince Caspian competing at the Rainbow County Fairgrounds. June 7th,1990.
Roger smiled and placed the picture back in the album. The rest of the pictures showed young Sara in school plays, with her parents and siblings, running in a Cross-Country meet, playing volleyball and soccer, swimming, dancing, opening presents on her birthday and Christmas, and with animals. There were even ones of Sara holding Jasmine, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Towards the back were two small video tapes taped to the album. Roger read the labels - one said "Twins" and the other was labeled "Sara's Last Horse Show." He asked the room nurse for a TV with a VCR so that he could watch the videos. She nodded her head and went to get one for Roger, returning five minutes later with one. Roger thanked her and put the tapes in the large tape that Gavin had sent as well. He decided to watch the one labeled "Sara's Last Horse Show" first. Pressing 'play', Roger settled against the pillows and watched the tape.
"Sara, smile for the camera." a younger Gavin's voice was saying. Sara moaned and placed the covers further over her head and turned away from the camera.
"Fuck you, Gavin." Sara swore as Gavin zoomed in on Sara's face.
"As you can see, my sister is a little cranky in the morning." young Gavin was saying. Sara sat up and stretched, blinking at the camera. She dove back under the covers. The camera's movements were shaky as Gavin tried to get his sister out of bed. The screen went black, but the image returned a few moments later. It showed Sara brushing a gray horse in an aisleway of a barn. The horse had its ears pricked forward as Sara continued to brush it.
"Sara, can you tell us who this is and what you're doing?" Gavin asked. Sara nodded and turned to the camera.
"This is my horse, Prince Caspian and I'm brushing him so that he can look pretty for his class." Sara told the camera. She then went back to brushing him. The screen went black again, but the image appeared twenty minutes later. Sara was dressed in all black riding attire as she cantered Caspian around the arena and over the first jump. Caspian soared over it as if he had wings and landed safely on the other side. As she finished her routine, the song Brown Eyed Girl came blaring through the speakers set up around the arena. There was a burst of applause as Sara and Caspian exited the arena and came over to Gavin. They waited for the results and Sara screamed when the announcer said that she came in second. She went to get her ribbon, still mounted on Caspian. The ring master pinned it to Caspian's bridle as Sara just sat there, looking elegant.
The image went black and white words appeared on the screen. They read - Caspian passed away three years after this video was taken. He was thirty-seven-years-old. May this horse rest in peace - he was such a blessing to this special teenager. It was her decision to put this horse down, which was very unselfish of her.
By the time the video ended, Roger had tears streaming down his cheeks. He ejected the VCR and put the other one labeled "Twins."
"Roger, don't do this. I look ugly." Sara's voice said. The screen was black, but turned to color when the lens cap was taken off. Sara was on the screen, dressed in a purple maternity t-shirt and sweatpants. She had her hands on her stomach.
"Aw, c'mon, honey. Our children will want to know what their mother looks like before they come into this world." Roger's voice told her. Sara rolled her eyes and turned, standing in profile. Sara's stomach stuck out under her t-shirt.
"Hello little ones - this is your daddy speaking - your mommy and I were so excited when we found out we were expecting twins. You'll be loved and cared for unconditionally, no matter what happens. Don't worry, your mommy isn't quite so cranky - she's in her last trimester and wants to see the two of you, and I do, too. I love you." Roger told Sara's stomach. The screen went black again and there was just crying in the background. An image didn't appear until an unsteady hand zoomed in on one of the babies. "This is aunt Joanne, handling a camera for the first time. We have Baby A - a boy." the camera then went to the bassinet next to Baby's A's. "and Baby B - a girl. Roger and Sara haven't named them yet, but I think they're going to let two very special people name them." Joanne whispered, walking out of the viewing room, the camera shaky in her hand.
The next image showed Sara feeding one of the twins and Roger feeding the other. Sara could be heard humming a lullaby as she fed the infant. Roger just smiled and rocked the baby he was feeding in his arms. Other than that, the room was quiet. The image faded and the screen turned blue.
Roger took the tape out of the VCR and looked over at Sara. Her heart monitor was beeping steadily, but Roger could barely hear it. Roger sat in the chair near the hospital bed and took one of Sara's hands in his.
Two days later, Sara passed away due to complications from the virus. Roger planned a small funeral that just had Sara's family and friends. Birds of Prey sang three songs that Roger had written for Sara at the funeral. There wasn't a single dry eye in the church by the time the band was finished playing. Roger vowed never to fall in love again, but to devote every minute of every day to his twins - Andrew and Julia. Maureen and Gavin moved to California to help Roger with raising the twins. John, Jasmine and the couple's newest addition, Jason, moved into Roger's house and stayed there until Roger passed away from the same virus that had taken Sara's life a year later. Before he died, Roger told Maureen and Gavin to adopt Andrew and Julia.
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun
And I say
It's alright
After a year of living in California, Maureen was discovered at a karaoke bar and was instantly cast in the revival of Fiddler on the Roof, playing the role of Golde. Gavin played Tevye, but was the understudy for Lazar Wolf. Julia and Jasmine were cast as Tevye's youngest daughters. Andrew, John and Jason, played children in the chorus.
Little darling
It's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling
It feels like years since it's been here
Kristi and Joanne welcomed a son into the world on Roger's birthday and named him after their good friend - Roger Samuel Smith. Ruthie and Roger get along very well.
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun
And I say
It's alright
Little darling
The smiles returning to the faces
Little darling
It seems like years since it's been here
With life, comes death - Kathleen and her family were killed in a hurricane while vacationing in Puerto Rico. All of Roger's siblings died in a boat crash while they were on a cruise. Kristi was mugged, stabbed and beaten to death while she was on her way home.
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun
And I say
It's alright
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
A month after Roger's funeral, Birds of Prey broke up, but they decided to stay close friends. Vulture, Crow, Owl and Hawk decided to get married and start families of their own. Bluebird, however, died from a drug overdose.
Little darling
I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling
It seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun
And I say
It's alright
As for the ones in heaven, they're happy that their families are doing so well down on Earth.
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun
It's alright
It's alright