This chapter takes place 2 years later. Cassandra is 15 and Roger has quit the show to concentrate on his own music before it's too late. Mark, Hanna and the twins are still living with Roger and Alexandra, but it's not because of anything other than the fact that they want to be close to their friends. Zach and Cassandra are still friends and Alexandra is still representing television stars and working with pediatric AIDS charities. The song included in this chapter is Billy Ray Cyrus' new song, Ready, Set, Don't go. He wrote it for his daughter Miley, the star of the show Hannah Montana. I'm a huge Hannah Montana fan because of my 12 year old daughter and her obsession with the Disney Channel and they've been showing the video for the song a lot and it's a really beautiful song that made me think of Roger and Cassandra immediately. I hope you enjoy it and download the song. I get the chills every time I hear it. It's beautiful.
"That was great princess. Take 10." he smiled looking over at Cassandra as she took her headphones off.
"Really daddy? You think so?" she asked smiling at him as she went over to him.
"I know so princess. You have really got a future in music." he smiled as she sat on the futon in his studio.
"Yeah well, it was inevitable. Look who my dad is." she smiled looking over at him crossing her legs. "How's the songwriting going for your album daddy?" she asked looking up at him.
"Oh princess, you know me. I have a hard time when it comes to writing songs for myself." he told her leaning back in the chair.
"It's OK daddy, you'll get it. I'm gonna go upstairs and make myself a sandwich." the 15 year old smiled leaning down to kiss her father on the cheek.
"OK sweetie." he smiled looking up at her before getting up to go to his desk. He picked up his guitar and started strumming a familiar tune. Musetta's Waltz. "Dammit, why the hell is this so hard?" Roger yelled frustrated, when Alexandra came down.
"Roger, why are you yelling?" she asked handing him the glass of lemonade she brought down to him.
"I'm having a hard time writing songs for my album. Years ago it seemed so much easier." he said looking up at her as he set his guitar down next to him.
"Baby, calm down. It'll come to you. Just do what you used to do years ago." she smiled sitting on the edge of his desk.
"I used to write songs for my girls years ago." he smiled getting up to stand in front of her.
"So do that." she smiled wrapping her arms and legs around him.
"You think you're a wiseass, don't you?" he asked smiling up at her.
"I know I'm a wiseass, but you know I'm right." she smiled leaning up to kiss him.
"Thanks Baby." he smiled kissing her before sitting back down and starting to write. Alexandra hopped off of the desk and started back upstairs.
"What was Roger yelling about?" Hanna asked standing in the kitchen making a sandwich.
"Songwriting. Now that he's starting to write for himself, he's having a hard time. I just had to remind him what he used to write about." she smiled taking a piece of provolone cheese.
"His girls, huh?" she smiled looking up at her.
"Yep." she smiled looking over at her.
"Dad'll get it." Cassandra smiled looking up at her.
"Yeah well, without the show to write for, it's gonna be a challenge." Alexandra said looking down at her.
"He'll get it. He just needs to relax." Hanna smiled looking over at her.
"Yeah, I wish someone would tell him that." Alexandra laughed taking a bit of Hanna's sandwich.
As Roger sat in his studio, he picked up his guitar and started strumming a melody. "She's gotta do what she's gotta do. And I've gotta like it or not. She's got dreams too big for this town. And she needs to give 'em a shot. Whatever they are. Looks like she's all ready to leave. Nothing left to pack. There ain't no room for me in that car. Even if she asked me to tag along. God I gotta be strong. She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life. As ready as she's ever been. Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes. The prize is hers to win. She's waitin' on my blessings before she hits that open road. Baby get ready, Get set. Don't go. " he started before picking up his pen and starting to write the lyrics.
"Baby, that was great." Alexandra smiled standing in the doorway before wiping her eyes.
"Hey Baby. You really think so?" he asked looking up at her.
"Yeah, is it about Cassie?" she asked walking towards him.
"Yeah. She's growing up so fast." he smiled looking up at her.
"That she is Baby. There's nothing we can do about it either. Pretty soon, she's gonna be on her own pursuing her own dreams." she smiled running her fingers through his short hair.
"I hope so. She's really gonna go places with her music if she wants to." he smiled looking up at her.
"She will Roger. We raised her to follow her dreams no matter where it takes her." she smiled getting up and going to him. "Roger, she's a good girl." she smiled taking his guitar from him before sitting on his lap.
"I know she's a good girl and that's because of you Baby. You are a great mother Alex." he smiled looking up at her.
"Roger, we're raising her together. The way she's turning out is because of you just as much as it's because of me." she said looking down at him.
"Alex, we both know that my career has taken up a lot more of my time than I would have liked it to." he said looking up at her.
"And mine hasn't? Baby, that doesn't matter. You've given your daughter something I could never give her. Love for music. She's gonna be a musician and that's because of you. She never got to hear me sing. All of her inspiration is because of you." she smiled looking down at him.
"Baby, all I ever wanted to do was provide her with a good life and make sure she knows that I love her and her mother more than anything in the world." he smiled leaning up to kiss her.
"You've given us the best lives anyone could have hoped for." she smiled wrapping her arms around his neck to hold him tight. "I think that song should be on the album, just the way you wrote it." she smiled looking over at him.
"What acoustically?" he asked looking up at her.
"That's exactly the way you should do it. Roger, it's perfect." she smiled looking down at her.
"Do you think Cassie'll like it?" he asked looking up at her.
"I think she's gonna love it Roger." she smiled looking down at him. "But how could she not. The father she worships more than anything in the world wrote it for her." she smiled looking down at him.
"Daddy, that's the most beautiful song I've ever heard." Cassandra smiled looking over at Roger as he played the song for her.
"You think so?" he asked looking over at her.
"Yeah daddy, it's amazing." she smiled getting up to hug him.
"Well, I always write the most amazing songs for my little girl." he smiled hugging her tight.
"That song is for me?" she asked looking up at him.
"Of course it is. And when you're career takes off, I expect you to leave me and your mom in the dust." he smiled looking down at her.
"Daddy, you know I'll never leave you, right?" she asked looking up at him.
"Princess, you better go. I don't want you stuck here for the rest of your life. You're incredibly talented. I don't want you to give up on your dreams. Whatever they may be." he said looking over at her.
"But daddy, I don't want to leave you and mom. I want to be able to be here for you guys when you get sick." she said looking up at him.
"No Cassandra. Your life is yours. Your mom and I did what we wanted to do with our lives and we want you to do what you want with yours. You're too good a girl to stay here taking care of us, do you hear me?" Roger asked looking down at his daughter.
"But daddy..." she started before he cut her off.
"Cassandra, promise me you'll get out and see the world. Please princess." he pleaded looking down at her.
"OK dad. I will." she said looking up at him.
"I mean it Cassie. I want you to go out there into the world and do things with your life." he said looking down at her.
"I will daddy. I promise." she said looking up at him. "Dad, mom said she used to sing. Have you ever heard her?" she asked looking up at him.
"Not in person, but I heard a tape of her and she was incredible." he smiled looking over at her.
"How come mom had to stop singing?" she asked looking up at him.
"What did she tell you?" he asked looking over at her.
"She didn't tell me anything. She just said she can't anymore." she answered looking up at him.
"It's a long story. You have no idea how badly I wanted to sing with her when I first met her." he told her looking down.
"Daddy, is the reason mom can't sing anymore the same reason why you guys had to adopt me?" she asked looking over at him.
"Yeah. But I regret her not being able to sing a hell of a lot more than I regret adopting you." he smiled looking up at her.
"I'm glad you guys adopted me too, dad." she smiled hugging him again.
"Are you ready Roger?" Mark asked as Roger sat on a stool in front of a microphone, holding his guitar with headphones on his ears.
"Yeah Mark. I'm ready. Roll it." he called out smiling up at him. As the tape rolled Roger started playing the song he wrote for Cassandra. "She's gotta do what she's gotta do. And I've gotta like it or not. She's got dreams too big for this town. And she needs to give 'em a shot. Whatever they are. Looks like she's all ready to leave. Nothing left to pack. There ain't no room for me in that car. Even if she asked me to tag along. God I gotta be strong. She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life. As ready as she's ever been. Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes. The prize is hers to win. She's waitin' on my blessings before she hits that open road. Baby get ready, Get set. Don't go. She says things are fallen into place. Feels like they're fallen apart. I painted this big ol' smile on my face. To hide my broken heart. If only she knew. This is where I don't say what I want so bad to say. This is where I want to but I won't get in the way. Of her and her dreams. And spreadin' her wings. She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life. As ready as she's ever been. Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes. The prize is hers to win. She's waitin' on my blessings before she hits that open road. Baby get ready, Get set, Don't go. She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life. As ready as she's ever been. Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes. .The prize is hers to win. She's waitin' on my blessings before she hits that open road. Baby get ready, Get set, Please Don't go. Don't go. Don't go. She's gotta do what she's gotta do. She's gotta do what she's gotta do." he sang looking up at Mark.
"Roger, that was... WOW. This song is really gonna make it big." he smiled looking over at him.
"I hope so. I think it's the best one yet." he said looking over at him before putting his guitar down and taking his headphones off.
"Yeah, I think so too Roger." he said looking over at him.