Song - Knowing Me, Knowing You by ABBA
AN: Hey guys, if you're expecting a happy, uplifting chapter in keeping with the current season, I would advise leaving this chapter until after Christmas. I will be posting something festive for my other Roger fic in a few day's time though!
Victoria's POV.
Lola pushed her salad around her plate with the edge of her fork, the large slice of pepperoni pizza untouched before her. Whilst the bright, bustling exterior of a Pizza Hut, with its bright pink booths, balloons and ice cream factory section would usually be my child's favourite restaurant - indeed, she would normally have waffled down her pizza by now and have joined the throng of hyper children rushing around the play frame - today, she looked uncomfortable, as though she wanted nothing more than to go home.
She barely glanced at myself or Roger as she attempted to eat, instead whispering softly to her Uncle Deaky, her tiny hand wrapped around his own throughout the entire meal. It had been intended for the meal just to be Roger, Lola and myself on what was our last day in London, but Lola had insisted that Uncle Deaky tag along, and neither Roger or myself had the heart to refuse her request. Today had been hard enough for the child.
"Why did we have to talk to those people today, daddy?" Lola questioned softly, finally gazing up from her plate to gaze inquisitively at her father. Roger gulped softly, as he struggled to formulate an answer a three year old would understand.
"Sometimes when you're famous, like daddy is, people who listen to your music also want to know about your private life, about your family. So it's the job of people like that lady we spoke to earlier to find out that stuff and tell them" Roger explained gently. Lola screwed up her nose in confusion, clearly not satisfied by Roger's answer.
"Why did she ask if you and mummy are together? You were sat together" Lola continued to question, taking the journalists question in the literal sense as only a three year old would. She had sat quietly as the selected journalist had interviewed Roger and myself, seemingly bored despite the prospect of being photographed with the flashy camera, ignoring all attempts of the journalists to make her feel more at ease. Reid, the bands manager, had worked out a deal with the press that in exchange for an interview clarifying our familial situation, myself and Lola would be spared the relentless press intrusions we had endured the past few days, allowing us to drive home undisturbed. Even though it had been the best decision for our family, it had physically hurt to sit there and clarify that although we were a family, Roger and myself were no longer involved romantically.
"She meant a different kind of together, sweetie" Roger explained, his smile cracking, betraying his disquiet. "She meant together as in being in love"
"But you are in love" Lola pointed out. Roger shuffled anxiously in his seat.
"We are" he conceded with a pained smile. "But sometimes that just isn't enough"
"Will I live in London now?" Lola questioned softly, clearly having heard Roger and myself discussing our custody arrangement.
"Sometimes" he answered softly. "One week you'll spend in London with daddy, and then one week you'll spend in the North with mummy" he explained gently. Lola nodded softly, her lip trembling.
"And then when you start school in September, you'll spend most of the weekends with daddy, and the weekdays with mummy" I added cautiously. Lola nodded, her face a stubborn, emotionless mask. My fierce little daughter hated crying in front of people. Slowly, she reached out and tugged my sleeve.
"What if some weeks I don't want to go to London and I want to stay with you?" She mumbled, not intending for Roger to hear. A look of hurt crossed his features, though he didn't betray his emotion to Lola. We had both agreed that we wouldn't do that, that we wouldn't show how much this was hurting us, that we wouldn't make her feel guilty if she did eventually want to stay with one parent more than another. We both wanted the best for her.
