Disclaimer: I own nothing of RENT or the song Love, Me. They belong to their respected owners. Nuff said. I can say, however, that I own my original characters (Roger's grandfather (Ivan) and grandmother (Edith))
Italics are lyrics, thoughts and flashbacks
A/N: I bought this song on iTunes and instantly fell in love with it, so much that this story was born.
Summary: AU: Fifteen-year-old Roger and his mother are sorting things after Roger's grandfather passes away. Set to the song Love, Me by Collin Raye. One-Shot.
Genre: Family/General
Rating: K+
Fifteen-year-old Roger Davis looked in the box in front of him, tears in his eyes. His grandfather, Ivan, had passed away a month ago, which was hard on him.
"Hey, mom? What's this?" Roger asked, pulling out a folded piece of paper from the box and handed it to his mother. Irene Davis looked at the paper in her hand and smiled before handing the paper back to Roger.
"It was a note that your grandmother wrote to your grandfather." She explained, getting up from her spot on the floor. Roger stood up and stretched before following his mother out of the attic and walked down the stairs, clutching the letter in his hand.
I read a note my grandma wrote
Back in nineteen twenty-three
Grandpa kept it in his coat
And he showed it once to me
He said, "boy you might not understand
But a long, long time ago
Grandma's daddy didn't like me none
But I loved your grandma so
We had this crazy plan to meet
And run away together
Get married in the first town we came to
And live forever
But nailed to the tree where we were
Supposed to meet instead
I found this letter and this is what it said:
If you get there before I do
Don't give up on me
I'll meet you when my chores are through
I don't know how long I'll be
But I'm not gonna let you down
Darling wait and see
And between now and then
Til I see you again
I'll be loving you
Love me."
Roger remembered reading those words hours before his grandma, Edith, passed away. Looking up at his grandfather, he saw tears streaming down the older man's face. In all of Roger's fifteen years of living, he'd never see the older man cry. Roger saw his grandfather go to Edith's coffin and from where he was standing, he could hear his grandfather talk to his grandmother.
I read those words just hours before
My grandma passed away
In the doorway of the church
Where me and grandpa stopped to pray
I know I'd never seen him cry
All my fifteen years
But as he said these words to her
His eyes filled up with tears
"Roger?" Mrs. Davis called into Roger's room. Roger turned off the flashlight and pretended to be asleep. He heard his mother come into the room and sit down on his bed. Roger turned away from his mother so that she couldn't see him cry. He felt her run a hand through his hair and sing a little to him. Roger could never get enough of his mother's singing – he loved it.
The funeral was set for the following week and all of Roger's cousins, aunts and uncles came to the funeral.
"And now Roger Davis will sing a song." The pastor told the congregation. Roger stood up, brought his guitar case with him and walked to the front of the church. His hands shook as he opened his case and brought out his guitar.
"Hi. I'm Roger and I'm going to sing a song I wrote called Love, Me." Roger told the congregation, adjusting the mic in front of him.
"… If you get there before I do
Don't give up on me
I'll meet you when my chores are through
I don't know how long I'll be
But I'm not gonna let you down
Darling wait and see
And between now and then
Till I see you again
I'll be loving you
Love, me
Between now and then
Till I see you again
I'll be loving you
Love, me." Roger sang, trying his best not to cry. His voice wavered on the last note, but no one noticed.
Two months after the funeral, Roger and his mother moved to New York City, where they currently reside.
