The bedroom shyly lit up, with sunlight piercing the window as the morning showed up after its long nap. The white light made every single detail clearer to the eye, reflecting on the freshly repainted walls. The shadow of the massive wooden wardrobe looked less threatening, and almost became more comforting. It all felt like the prettiest spectacle of the early hours of the day.

On the bed, under this natural spotlight, an even more stunning sight offered itself to those who were lucky enough to witness it. Long honey-coloured layered strands were flowing like a silent river on the pillow, framing a pale face with sideburns that were sweet to the eye. One of the cheeks was buried in the locks, but its owner was not able to notice it, since his eyes were peacefully sleeping. A short nose overhung two slightly opened pink lips. Under them was a neck connected to a warm and bare chest, discreetly moving up and down as it breathed. An arm was resting across the stomach, showing a little belly button; softly stroking its ulna bone, the white bedcovers hid the long legs gracefully bent on the mattress. It only showed a hip and the whole right side of the body. The right arm was curled next to the head, and the palm was facing the ceiling, while the fingers were lazily bowed.

The whole scene made a pair of green eyes sparkle: with her dishevelled black hair falling on her shoulders and framing her cheekbones, Aria was contemplating the man she was fond of. She had been awake for almost an hour, and since she could not manage to get back to sleep, she got up and sat on the aged wooden floor. Her slightly pointy chin was comfortably settled between her curled knees.

This morning was uncommonly peaceful: not even a slight squeaky noise could be heard in the whole flat, and for once, the fridge did not make its awful creaking sound. The capital city was rather quiet outside, and the birds did not seem fully awake yet. The only sounds in the bedroom were Aria and Roger's soft breaths, which sounded like muttered lullabies.

Aria gently pressed her head against the wall and took a deep breath, unexpectedly feeling like she had not breathed for so long. The corner of her pink lips rose at the sight of Roger's head tilting twice as he frowned, certainly plunged into an intense dream. His slightly hoarse voice croaked before the room fell silent once again.

The young woman's green eyes never left Roger even for a second. She was hypnotised in a certain way, deeply wishing she could go to him and encircle him with her thin arms, pecking every spot of his skin she could reach. Unfortunately, she could not bother him while he was sleeping. Firstly because he looked like the purest angel that could ever exist; secondly because his work with the band was getting more and more intense and was heavily weighing on his nerves and physical energy. Aria could not stop him from making music, he was only starting and was enjoying every bit of it so far. How could she even deprive him of his passion?

In the middle of the general silence, a high-pitched voice rose from another room, calling Aria's name. It startled her, for she got used to this peaceful environment; however, she jumped on her feet and tiptoed to the room the voice sounded from, closing her bedroom door, careful not to wake her angel.

She quickly met the source of the noise. Her expressionless lips turned into a broad grin, as she picked up the child who previously was sleeping as well. Aria tenderly pressed Janine, her two-year-old daughter, against her chest, pecking her soft and chubby cheek. Just like her mother, the little girl had coal-black hair; unlike her mother, she had bright blue eyes and not green ones. Janine's blue eyes caused her to be often mistaken for Roger's child, but she was not, though Roger was a kind of father to her since Aria and him started a relationship. He only was not her biological one.

Janine rubbed her sleepy eyes with her tiny fists and looked at her mother. The latter smiled and tickled her nose with hers. “Time for breakfast, isn't it?” she whispered, to which the little girl nodded with a shy grin. Aria carried her out of the room, and when she stepped in the corridor, her whole face lit up. Roger was awkwardly standing under the doorframe, only wearing his fancy boxers, keeping his fingers wrapped around the doorhandle. His honey hair was all messy, and his right cheek had marks because of the locks he slept on; his drowsy big baby blue eyes were wandering all around him, as though they were looking for something. When they landed on Aria and Janine, his small mouth stretched into a loving smile.

Aria giggled quietly and walked up to him. The first thing he did was to give Janine's cheek a stroke with his finger, and kiss her temple. Then, he turned to the girl's mother, who kissed his dry lips. “Time for breakfast for you too, I guess!” she smiled. “Did you sleep well, treasure?”

“I did. I wonder how long it had been since I last had a full night's sleep. It feels so good!” he yawned, stretching his back. “What 'bout you?”

“I woke up a long ago, to be honest,” she answered him, bringing him to the kitchen. “I don't know, I couldn't sleep all of a sudden.”

“I hope I didn't move too much last night. I know that sometimes I wiggle like a worm under the sheets, so... just making sure.”

“No, it's okay, you've been a good little boy this time.” Roger chuckled and tenderly took Janine from her mother's arms to settle her on her high chair. He cleared his throat before smiling at the little girl.

“And you, dear, did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

“I'm glad to hear that,” he said, pecking her on the forehead. “And were your dreams nice?”

“Yes...”

Roger softly laughed and stroked the child's hair, before helping Aria prepare a plate of toast, putting butter and jam on the table with round-ended knives. Then, he warmed milk in a tiny saucepan, pouring it in Janine's feeding bottle. He turned to Aria and gently kissed her shoulder. “D'you want me to give the milk to Janine?”

“You can leave her the bottle, she knows how it works now. Thank you, darling.”

The fair-haired young man stepped to Janine and gave her the bottle, watching her a few seconds to make sure she would not choke on the milk or anything. As nothing happened and the little girl was perfectly self-sufficient, Roger walked back to his girlfriend and helped her with the last toasts.

The two lovebirds sat at the table, facing each other with Janine on their side. Aria took two clean cups for themselves, along with a teapot; she poured the hot beverage in each cup, and Roger thanked her with a heart-melting smirk. They silently grabbed toasts, opening the jars of jam or buttering them. Meanwhile, Janine was lazily drinking her milk, staring into space.

When the last bite of toast was taken, the jingling sound of cutlery on plates sounded in the tiny kitchen. Roger coughed and stretched his back, tilting his head backwards as far as he could, exposing his pretty stomach to Aria, who lopsidedly smiled. She looked at Janine, who had emptied her bottle. She congratulated her daughter and kissed the back of her little chubby hand, when she felt a warm, thinner hand taking hold of hers. She spun round and saw Roger sweetly smiling at her, his big blue eyes staring into her soul.

“You look stunning this morning,” he started, “not that you don't the other ones. But you're breathtaking.”

“Exaggerating again.”

“Nah. You're my lovely black swan.”

“And you're my cute Goldilocks.”

“Hey! That's no nickname for a talented drummer like me,” he pretended to brag, contracting his imaginary massive biceps. “But okay, I'm your Roggieboo if you wish.”

“No, I don't like that nickname,” she guffawed. “You're my Roger. That's quite enough.” Both started to laugh, and Janine was about to fall asleep again. Aria smiled heartily and picked her up from her chair, and silently took her to her bedroom, tenderly stroking her daughter's hair, followed by Roger. Once in the bedroom, he pulled the sheets so she could lay the child down on the mattress, and then tucked her into the bed. Roger reached out for Janine's favourite teddy bear and gave it to her, earning a smile from the little girl. The two lovebirds stayed with her, humming her songs until she fell asleep once again.

Aria took a look at her watch and gasped. No wonder why Janine was so exhausted: it was only half past seven, and she did not even notice it.

Roger tenderly grabbed his lover's hand and led her out of Janine's bedroom, closing the door behind them. He emprisoned her in his arms and pulled her against his warm chest. She stood on tiptoe and ran a hand through his blond mane, closing her eyes as their lips met. Their foreheads then found themselves pressed against each other. “Happy first anniversary to us,” he mouthed.

“Wait, is this D-day already?” she gasped. “Oh shit, I wanted it to be the first thing I'd say to you when you wake up, I'm so sorry, my dear.”

“Oh my goodness, I feel so offended!” Roger mocked. “It's okay, my love. Did you really think I'd be mad at you for that? I know you didn't completely forget.”

“I hope you do. So, happy first anniversary to us,” she repeated, her smile growing. “I love you, Roger.”

“I love you too, Aria,” he breathed, pressing his lips against her and gently squeezing her against him. “By the way, I'm taking you out tonight.”

“What about Janine?”

“I knew you would be worried about her, and the last thing I want is to leave her alone at home. And I don't think she'll be comfortable at the restaurant. So I asked Deaky if he would like to take care of her with Veronica. You know how she loves being around children, and I think John would be very good with her.”

“I don't know, Rog.”

“Don't think that I want to get rid of Janine,” he said, brushing a lock of her hair out of her face, “I would never do that because she's a pure jewel. No, it's just that I thought that you'd like to spend an evening without her for the first time since you've had her.”

“I know you wouldn't get rid of her. But you see, like you said, I never spent an evening without her, so I'm kinda worried.”

“I understand it. I give you some time to think about it, okay? If you don't want to leave her at Deaky and Veronica's, then we'll bring her with us, that's not a problem.”

Aria pouted and looked up at the ceiling for a few moments, wondering if it was a good idea or not. After all, she could spend some time with herself and Roger only, and how long had it been since she last took some time to titivate herself?

“Okay, let's leave her at Deaky's,” she nodded. “It'll enable me to take a break.”

“Yush!” Roger smiled in victory, putting his hands up in the air.

“Shush, Janine's sleeping! Let's go back to the bedroom or let's go to the living room.”

“The bedroom seems okay to me.”

“No naughty things in there, I warn you.”

“That wasn't my intention, honey. 'Kay, I may be horny and naughty most of the time, right now I feel more like cuddling with you and telling you how much I love you.”

Aria slightly blushed and took his hand, taking him to their bedroom. On the mattress, the bedcovers were rolled in a ball. Perhaps Roger found himself entangled in it when he woke up and struggled with it before he finally got out of bed – Aria noticed it happened quite often, for Roger wiggled like a worm in his sleep.

Roger grabbed the bedcovers and spread them properly on the bed, helping Aria slither under them. He snuggled against her and tenderly pecked her neck. With a giggle, she stroked his long honey strands. They did not share a word for at least one hour, comfortably nestled against each other, enjoying the moment and almost falling asleep.

~~~ 

Two hours later, Aria opened her eyes and quickly realised she actually drifted off. Roger was awake, but it was obvious he had been sleeping too. They kissed and stroked each other's face, sharing smiles and romantic words they were not used to pronouncing everyday. Roger's affection was all she needed at the moment. His thin fingers were running through her hair; sometimes they found themselves entangled in it, since she had not combed them yet.

Aria cleared her throat and got even closer to Roger.

“Perhaps we should get out of bed. I think Janine will soon be up, and I long for a good warm shower.”

“We can take it together if you wish.”

“Naughty boy.”

“It doesn't have to be a horny kind of shower, you know,” he chuckled, his long blond strands slipping on his shoulder. “And if you accept, please let me take care of you, I love doing that!”

“What did I say already? Oh, yes. Naughty boy.”

The two of them laughed and their sweet lips met for a gentle kiss that spent shivers down their spine. In the child's bedroom, Janine called for Roger and Aria. They heard it and broke their kiss to smile widely.

“The princess is up!” Roger exclaimed. “Let's take care of her.”

Before Aria could even open her mouth, Roger jumped on his feet and reached out his hand for her to take. She did, and he helped her up, sliding an arm around her graceful waist. They walked up to the other bedroom, and saw Janine sitting on her bed, her thumb in mouth. Roger suddenly imitated the sound of an airplane and stretched out his arms on both side, pretending to fly, before picking up the little girl and making her fly too, more gently though. Aria laughed and watched them, a glimpse of deep adoration sparkling in her emerald eyes.

Roger took the lowest voice he could speak with and imitated a pilot. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. The plane will soon land in London, England. The weather is rather nice for once, and the temperatures are unknown, because I don't want to put my arm out of the window to check. We hope your trip with Air Janine & Roger was pleasant, and that we will soon see you again on our planes.”

The little girl tilted her head backwards and burst out laughing, her little fist clutching his shoulder. He put her down on the floor again, though he did not let go of her armpits. After a few thoughtful seconds, he picked her up again and pressed her against his chest. “Nah, I won't let you go.”

“Come on, you two,” Aria called them with a grin, “it's time for showers!”

“Mum, hungry,” Janine babbled.

“It's true that you had breakfast quite early, darling,” Roger shook his head. “You can take your shower if you want, Aria, I'm taking care of the little princess.”

“Are you sure?”

“Completely,” he smiled. Aria nodded and kissed both of them before disappearing in the bathroom. Roger took the child to the kitchen, covering her cheek with kisses. He sat her on her high chair again, giving her a toy to keep her waiting. Then, he proceeded to cut an orange in two and squeeze it to fill a small glass with the juice of the fruit. He put a lid on it and gave it to the little girl, who thanked him and started to drink. Then, he took a bowl and put cereals in it, not filling the bowl at all, and pouring milk over it. He grabbed a spoon and sat before Janine, feeding her with them.

Meanwhile, Aria got out of the bathtub after a hot shower, which made some spots of her skin turn a bright shade of pink. She quickly dried herself, put on some clothes, brushed her hair and teeth, and jumped out of the bathroom. She headed for the kitchen, finding Roger, his chin rested on the palm of his hand, smiling at Janine, who was babbling incomprehensible things; he nodded a few times, faking to be surprised by some things she said, and giggled from time to time when she seemed to be telling jokes.

Seeing him taking care of her like that made Aria's heart leap in her chest. She knew that Roger was young, just like her, and that most of men their age would never bother dating somebody with a child because of the responsibilities it would add to their lives. It was not Roger's case. He had been extremely nice and caring towards Janine since the first time he met her. Knowing that Aria was a young mother never repulsed him. Though he could not help her all the time because of the tours and the studio work, she felt a huge relief when Roger told her he would do his best to help her raise her daughter. He even promised that as soon as he would earn more money with the albums and all, he would buy themselves a house, and he would pay for Janine's education and needs.

She entered the kitchen, and Roger looked up, his grin not fading away, but widening. Aria leant down to peck him on the forehead and tousle his hair a little; then, she hugged her daughter. She noticed the empty bowl and the glass of juice. “Roggie took good care of you, didn't he?”

“Yes!” the child joyfully answered. Aria laughed and kissed her again.

“It's time for a bath, now!” she said, sniffing loudly. “Oh, you stink! You're a stinky little monkey!”

“Hey,” Roger interrupted, laughing, “she's a princess! Show some respect!”

“Hey, Janine, is Roger a prince?” Aria whispered to the little girl, who bit her fist. The latter shook her head and laughed.

“No!”

“Really?!” Roger exclaimed, his eyebrows raised. “Okay, you're a stinky little monkey! Cute little monkey!” He laughed and started to tickle her, making her wiggle on her high chair. He picked her up and ran to the bathroom. “Time for you to be washed! Ew, stinky little monkey!”

The little girl was having fits of laughter, her tiny arms wrapped around Roger's neck. Aria ran behind them and turned on the tap, letting the water pour in the bathtub. Roger went out of the room to get a clean towel, and she took off Janine's pyjamas. She turned off the tap, seeing there was enough water for the little girl. She picked her up and sat her in the water, splashing some all over her body, making strange noises so Janine would not take the bath as a punishment.

Roger came back with a purple towel, while Aria was washing Janine's back. She rinsed her daughter's body and stared at her with a smile. “Who smells like roses now?”

“Me!”

“Yes, you do!” the young mother laughed, taking the towel her boyfriend was handing her. “Thank you for the towel, sweetheart.”

“You're welcome,” he replied. “So, little monkey, was your bath nice?”

“Hey, she's not a monkey anymore, she became a real princess!”

“Oh, please accept my apologies, your Majesty!” he bowed down. They all laughed, and Aria dried Janine, before clothing her with a lovely blue dress. She combed her silky black hair and looked at her baby with pride. “Rog, look how pretty she looks!”

“Ooh, this is what I call a real princess!”

Janine blushed and Aria took her to the living room, leaving Roger alone for his shower. She sat on the rug with the child on her knees. They both started to play with toys left near them, making up stories with fairies and other witches.

Roger brushed his teeth, already dressed, and looked at himself in the mirror, noticing the circles under his eyes. He shrugged and spat the toothpaste, rinsing his mouth five or six times. He proceeded to wipe his mouth on his towel and hang it at the door to let it dry. He got out of the bathroom, switching off the light; he went to the bedroom and opened the window to refresh it, doing the same for Janine's room. He made the little girl's bed, settling her teddy bear on the pillow, so it would look as if it was asleep. He noticed a small pile of white paper with felt pens next to the bed: he grinned and took them, bringing the whole to the living room where his two favourite girls on earth were.

Aria hugged her daughter, stroking her back. This day, for no reason, she wanted to be as close as possible to Janine; perhaps it was because she was leaving her at John's house for the evening. That could be a reason.

The blond young man knelt down beside the two others, kissing Aria's cheek. He showed the paper and the felt pens to Janine and tickled her side for two seconds. “Do you fancy drawing something?” The child nodded and Roger took her to sit her at the coffee table. He ran up to the kitchen to get napkins he would spread on the table so the pens would not leave marks on it. Aria joined Roger, and each of them took paper and pens to draw meaningless things, simply enjoying each other's company.

Trying to find what to draw, Aria stopped and tapped her chin with the green felt-tip pen she was holding. She stared at Roger, who was helping Janine drawing a castle, though he was not good at drawing. He was widely smiling at her, encouraging her when she added something to their 'masterpiece', and kissing her hair from time to time. The corners of Aria's lips rose: she was certain that if Roger had children, he would be a very good father to them. With Janine, he always was caring, worrying so much he would not sleep at night if she caught a cold, he would stay with her if she had nightmares and would reassure her if she was scared of anything; however, he could also be strict if she did anything bad, without really yelling at her, since he understood she was only two. If Janine broke anything in the house, Roger would explain what was wrong and tell her to be careful. For her second birthday, he wrote her a song he sang for her as a lullaby, and covered her with toys, clothes and kisses. Aria could see how much Roger loved her, and it was as if he was her real father.

Aria wished he was.

 ~~~

Roger closed the door of his car, checking the rear-view mirror so he could catch glimpse of John and Veronica standing at their door, waving at the car with Janine in their arms. The other couple waved back, and they drove away from the Deacons' house.

Aria sighed and looked down. Right before they left, Janine had started to cry, not wanting them to go. It broke her mother's heart, but also Roger's. His eyes were a bit teary and it bothered him when he wanted to focus on the road. When he stopped at traffic lights, he let his tears flow down his cheeks and wiped them away immediately. He felt Aria's hand stroking his hair, and turned round to kiss her lips tenderly.

“It was needed, my dear,” she mouthed, “she won't be with us forever in her life. Sometimes she'll have to leave for school or things like that. It's a sort of training, I guess.”

“Yes... You're right, I don't know why I'm worrying like that, I fully trust Deaky and Veronica.”

“They'll take good care of her, you'll see.”

“I know,” he smiled, “I know.” The lights changed, and Roger kept driving. A few minutes later, they reached the restaurant he booked a table at, and parked the car before it. Roger got out of the car first, flattening his black trousers he put on for this special occasion. He had tucked his white buttoned shirt in it, and a black tuxedo jacket was covering his slim shoulders.

He bypassed the car to open Aria's door, reaching out his hand; she took it and stepped out, careful not to walk on her dress. She was wearing a long red one, a bit shiny at the top because of sequins, and thin straps encircling her shoulders kept it in place. She was wearing black stilettos with it, and a thin red cardy. Her hair was elegantly combed in a wavy and messy low bun. When she showed up in the living room after she got ready, her look pleased him so much he was agape.

Roger's hand slipped in Aria's, and he leant in to press his lips against hers. They shared a loving smile and went up to the front doors of the restaurant, which a doorman opened for them as they walked in. Once inside, a man wearing a tuxedo welcomed them, checked his list for Roger Taylor, and led them to their table.

The decoration of the main room was quite pleasant to look at. The walls themselves were huge old paintings of Venice, with traditional gondolas sailing on the Grand Canal, romantic scenes on narrow streets, or even the famous carnival on the St Mark's Square. Big stone column held the ceiling, dark red curtains bedecked some corners of the room, and false ivy fell along the walls, bringing even more beauty to the paintings, almost becoming parts of the many landscapes.

The two lovebirds' table was situated near the middle of the room. It was a small circular table covered with a bright white tablecloth, surrounded by two red velvet chairs, shaped like very ancient ones. A candlestick was lit up in the center of the tablecloth; there were two plates for each, the smaller ones on top, with the cutlery on the sides. Wine glasses stood by them, waiting to be filled with red or white liquor.

Aria was looking all around her, her mouth agape. Her fingers were clutching her tiny black handbag, Roger's arm around hers. They crossed the room and sat down after they put their coats on the back of their chairs. A waiter immediately came to them with a notepad, holding the list of wines he could serve them. He politely smiled at them.

“Good evening, would you like some wine?”

“Sure,” Roger replied, before turning his head to Aria, “what kind of wine would you like to drink?”

“Oh, I don't care, I don't know much about wine. Choose what you want, dear.”

Roger nodded and took a look at the wine list, listening to the waiter's advice about how to choose the right wine according to their tastes. He eventually chose champagne to celebrate their one year mark; the waiter nodded and took large hurried steps to the kitchen.

Aria tenderly took Roger's hand on the table and lovingly gazed at him. “This place is completely crazy.”

“I know, that's why I wanted to bring you there for our first anniversary. I hope we'll come back.”

“Our first anniversary... That's funny how I have the impression it all started yesterday, but also that we've been together far longer than just one year.”

“I understand,” he chuckled, “I have the same feeling. I would like to be with you forever, but that's up to you. Do you really want to have a blond potato with you everyday?”

“A blond potato?” she repeated, giggling and her cheeks blushing. “You're so adorable. And yes, I do. I'm ready for this, I think.”

“Nice!”

Roger's lips stretched into a broad smile. At the same time, the waiter came back with an ice bucket in which a bottle of champagne was dipped. He took it out and popped the cork, pouring the fresh and sparkling beverage in two flutes he brought with him. He also gave them two menus, explaining some things about the special menu of the day. Then, he left the couple alone so they could enjoy their champagne and choose what they would have.

Aria took her flute and raised it before her, soon imitated by Roger.

“To our one year mark,” the young man muttered.

“To our one year mark.”

They clinged their glasses and took a sip of their champagne, letting the fine bubbles slip on their tongues. They nodded at each other to say it was rather delicious. Their fingers intertwined and their cheeks turned brighter shades of pink, as love floating all around them, stroking their hair and making their hearts beat faster.

Roger ran a hand through his messy honey mane, gently scratching his scalp. His baby blue eyes were planted in her emerald ones, his lips lit up his face by smiling one of those tender smiles that make you feel like somebody is hugging your heart. The sweet wrinkles that formed at the corners of his lips highlighted his beautiful cheekbones.

“Our manager called,” he started “he said our album's having a huge success, especially Killer Queen. It means we'll be paid more than now, and... I'll finally be able to buy a house for us three. If you want to move with me, obviously.”

“Are you serious?” Aria's eyes sparkled.

“Apparently they want us in Japan next year!”

“OH!” she exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands. “But Roger, this is incredible!”

“Isn't it?”

“Congratulations, my love!” she smiled, her eyes getting teary as she squeezed both of his hands.

“So, will you move with me in a new, spaceful house?”

“I'd be glad!”

Roger thanked her, blushing, and looked down for a few seconds, his jaw tensing up a bit until his eyes landed on her again. He gulped and stroked her thumb.

“I also wanted to ask you something else. You know that I love Janine very much, don't you?”

“Of course I know it, darling.”

“You see, she's the loveliest little girl I've ever seen, and when I'm on tour I often think about her and I wonder if she misses me when I'm away.”

“She does.”

“And... You probably noticed that sometimes when we're with her doing something, I often run out of the room for a few minutes before I come back.”

“Indeed, but I thought you were going to the toilet.”

“Actually, no. I lock myself in the bedroom and I cry. She's so wonderful – and you are too, of course – and whenever she does something like walking, talking, drawing, or even just playing, I get very emotional because I'm so proud of her,” he said before pausing, his eyes getting teary. “I'm aware that I might sound very stupid, because I've only known her for approximately a year now, and I'm not her father.”

“Hey, Roger, honey, you're not stupid at all. Actually, I'm glad you feel that way, because many guys would simply throw me away because I have a child and the father is somebody out there, nobody knows where. But you didn't, and you are so patient with Janine, you give so much of your time for her, this is absolutely incredible to me. You know, she considers you as her father. I didn't tell you, but one day when you were on tour, she woke up in the middle of the night and called for Daddy Roger.”

Roger's lower lip trembled as he imagined Janine calling him daddy. Aria reached out a hand and stroked his cheek.

“Aria... Here is what I wanted to ask you. I can't do it if you disagree, you see? I love Janine as if she was my daughter, and I love you like I've never, ever loved anybody else. I'd like to make you both happy. I want to have you by my side all the time. I want to pay for Janine's studies and all, and I want to buy her things she might need for her education. That's why...”

He paused, sipping at his champagne so he could gather enough courage to say the words that had been haunting his mind for weeks.

“I would like to adopt Janine,” he finally said. Aria's eyes widened, and she let go of his hand to cover her mouth with hers. Tears rolled down her cheeks, making her makeup flake a little. Roger was staring at her, not knowing how he had to understand her reaction.

“You... You'd like to become Janine's father... officially?”

“I would like to, yes. I remember you once said you wanted her to have a real father who would actually care about her and not leave you like that other bastard,” he said in a trembling voice. “I would like to be that person. To be the one who would take care of her and raise her with you. I know I'll often be away because of our concerts and our conferences, but also our recording sessions, but I think I'm ready to take this responsibility. And perhaps that one day... we could... have another child together. I won't give up on Janine if it happens, don't worry.”

Aria giggled and abruptly stood up, startling Roger. He stared at her with widened eyes, fearing that she was about to take her coat and run away, but no. She did run, but only to bypass the table and encircle him with her arms, pressing her slightly wet lips against his. Roger slid his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer. Other customers were watching them, whispering things between one another, and they were aware of the scene. However, they did not pull away from each other.

After a few joyful sobs, Aria cupped Roger's face with her hands and planted her emerald eyes in his.

“I want Janine to have a real father. I want this father to be you, Roger Taylor.”