If I Could

{30} - Beautiful Dreams

Five months later

"I love you", Roger cooed into Belle's ear, his words leaving a faint but sincere smile on her face. They were both lounging on Belle's bed, she was living with her father again and she couldn't understand how she had managed to move back, but she wasn't going to think about it now. The room was silent save for Roger tapping his fingers on her bedframe, playing along to a beat Belle couldn't hear since she was pressing her ear against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was peaceful, being together, and she found more comfort in his presence alone than she did anywhere else.

"I got you a present", Roger said as he looked down to Belle. "Do you want to know what it is?".

"Of course", she chuckled as she slowly pulled her head away from his chest. "Tell me what it is".

Roger took a little brown box out of his pocket.

"It's a promise ring, my love", Roger uttered as he opened the box in front of her.

Belle's eyes widened in delight, proceeding to look at him in total amazement.

"I can't believe it, Roger", she chirped. "I've always dreamt of something like this, because it means that... you love me, right?".

"I do love you", he whispered. "It's the first step that means we'll always be together. I just want you to promise me you will wear this ring even after we get engaged".

"Of course", she nodded. "I will wear it for the rest of my life".

"But there's only one question I need to ask you before I give you this ring", Roger murmured, looking somewhat concerned.

"What do you want to know?", she frowned.

"Do you hate me?".

Belle gasped, closing her eyes for a second as a sign of disbelief. Why would he ask such question when he was about to give her a promise ring? It made no sense to her.

"What?", she spat, opening her eyes this time, and the only thing staring back at her was own reflection against a big picture window. She rubbed her eyes and turned to her left side, only to find her husband, Rami, sleeping next to her. She took a deep sigh, it had happened again - she had dreamt about Roger Taylor.

Belle placed her hand over her now evident seven-month baby bump as she propped herself onto her elbow so she could stand up. She was tired of feeling this way - constant reminders of the love she still had for Roger never left her alone, dreams that got more realistic every time never failed to impress her, but what does it matter, she was a pregnant woman who was married now, there wasn't much she could do except try to find a way to put up with her own feelings.

Belle rose to her feet, tiptoeing on her way out of the room. She quietly closed the door, turning the corridor's lights on but frantically turning them off again. The new house she had just moved in with Rami was decorated with long picture windows that displayed a majestic view of the clear morning sky. She stopped to stare at it, and her mind immediately became filled of memories as a child, when she couldn't sleep and Freddie would take her outside only to spend several minutes stargazing. It was a distant but vivid memory that had reminded her once again that Freddie had been an excellent father. He had just turned 43, but he had not always been forty-three. He once was a callow young father, but he never let it show. The fact that he never let his inexperience affect her upbringing was a fact that astonished her, but most importantly it was a fact that inspired her to do the same thing for her child. She smiled as a sign of reassurance, until her husband's voice made her turn around.

"I finally catch you awake", Rami said as he closed the bedroom's door and walked right past by her, not even stopping to look at her as he sat in one of the kitchen island's stools. "I almost forgot how you looked like when you're awake".