Rosa & Roy
`·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.· ☆ `·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.·
After leaving her mother's nest In year 51, Rosa went out in search of a place to stay and a life to enjoy. With the help of a benevolent soul, Beverly Duckworth, not only did she have a place to stay, but she also attained a job working as a bartender, and made a great friend. At the time, Beverly was dating Michael Barthel, and one day, she dragged Rosa along with her when she traveled to another city to watch Mike perform. Backstage, Rosa was introduced to Mike, but when his elder brother Roy made his introduction, Rosa immediately fell for him.
Unfortunately, it wasn't simple for Rosa to act on her feelings, as Roy had a girlfriend. Still, her and Roy exchanged phone numbers and they became fast friends. Roy confided in Rosa that he and his girlfriend rarely spoke, and they hadn't done so for almost an entire year. After hearing this, despite Rosa's morals, she began working hard to win Roy's heart.
At last, Roy told her that he would find a way to speak to his girlfriend. Once he did so, Roy and Rosa talked things over and began mutually dating.
Unfortunately, it wasn't simple for Rosa to act on her feelings, as Roy had a girlfriend. Still, her and Roy exchanged phone numbers and they became fast friends. Roy confided in Rosa that he and his girlfriend rarely spoke, and they hadn't done so for almost an entire year. After hearing this, despite Rosa's morals, she began working hard to win Roy's heart.
At last, Roy told her that he would find a way to speak to his girlfriend. Once he did so, Roy and Rosa talked things over and began mutually dating.
Just before Christmas, Roy took Rosa to Stockholm to meet his mother and see her perform. After that, Roy invited Rosa to Amsterdam to spend Christmas with his step-mother, his father and all of his siblings. In an attempt to make a great impression, Rosa bought presents for every single member of the family. From her new boyfriend, she received a shocking gift of her own: a McLaren F1.
Rosa wasn't used to living in luxury that way and at first she felt strange with accepting the present, but soon she was introduced to the world of wealth... slowly growing accustomed to it. |
Hasty Steps
The following year, as Roy and Rosa's relationship progressed, they began spending more and more time together. Eventually, they wound up living together though neither of them had formally asked the other. Somewhere between missing the bond of belonging to a family and having friends who were adopting children or getting pregnant, Rosa began to long for a family of her own. Though she was young, she didn't care; she wanted a child. Roy, on the other hand, was thinking logically and convinced Rosa that it was better that they waited. In order to help quench Rosa's baby fever, Roy asked his step-mother for his two youngest sisters to spend time with them in London.
Leyla and Saphirra Tiara (age 5 and 2) stayed with Roy and Rosa from day 36 of Year 52 to Day 2 of Year 53. Rosa and Roy had grown so accustomed to life with them that Rosa had almost forgotten that their stay was temporary.
Leyla and Saphirra Tiara (age 5 and 2) stayed with Roy and Rosa from day 36 of Year 52 to Day 2 of Year 53. Rosa and Roy had grown so accustomed to life with them that Rosa had almost forgotten that their stay was temporary.
On Christmas night of Year 52, Roy came home bearing gifts. It was a large box that contained a wedding dress--a clear indication of what was to come. A couple of days later, Rosa started feeling sick. At first, she blamed the cold weather, assuming that she was coming down with the flu, but on her 18th birthday, later that week, Rosa found herself particularly emotional. Even with all of the the New Years' Eve fireworks and celebrations, Rosa remained on the couch the entire day, cuddling with Leyla and Saphirra Tiara.
Around midnight, Roy called to tell Rosa that he was on his way home and he wanted to go on a date with her to celebrate her birthday and the new year. Rosa quickly got dressed, trying to muster as much energy as possible, and joined Roy at the restaurant. Not having much of an appetite, dinner was difficult, but just before they decided to head back home, Roy got onto one knee and proposed. |
A New Life
The following evening, while Roy was still at work, Rosa left Leyla and Saphirra Tiara in the care of her best friend Amy and decided to finally visit the doctor. Just as she'd suspected, she was pregnant. With a new year beginning, a wedding to plan, and the knowledge that Roy had been adamant about waiting to have a child, Rosa panicked with the news of her pregnancy. Sure, she'd seen it coming--she'd wanted it--but the reality scared her. That night, she didn't say a word to Roy when he returned home.
In the morning, Rosa awoke feeling queasy as usual. To her dismay, she realized that Roy had already left the apartment, leaving behind a note to let her know that he was at the gym. Annoyed with him for leaving so early on a day he didn't have to work, Rosa packed the kids into the car and drove to the gym. By the time she arrived at the gym, she felt surprisingly at peace about telling Roy about her pregnancy, but then she realized that Roy was talking to someone. When Rosa noticed her step-mother-in-law, her heart dropped like a stone. Kristel was back in London, which meant that they had to give up Leyla and Saphirra Tiarra. As the girls ran to their mother, Rosa literally burst into tears. Luckily, Kristel was there to comfort her. Rosa then turned to Roy and said as quickly as possible: "Honey, I'm pregnant." When a smile took over Roy's face, Rosa fell into his arms, laughing and crying happy tears. They were going to be a family.
In the morning, Rosa awoke feeling queasy as usual. To her dismay, she realized that Roy had already left the apartment, leaving behind a note to let her know that he was at the gym. Annoyed with him for leaving so early on a day he didn't have to work, Rosa packed the kids into the car and drove to the gym. By the time she arrived at the gym, she felt surprisingly at peace about telling Roy about her pregnancy, but then she realized that Roy was talking to someone. When Rosa noticed her step-mother-in-law, her heart dropped like a stone. Kristel was back in London, which meant that they had to give up Leyla and Saphirra Tiarra. As the girls ran to their mother, Rosa literally burst into tears. Luckily, Kristel was there to comfort her. Rosa then turned to Roy and said as quickly as possible: "Honey, I'm pregnant." When a smile took over Roy's face, Rosa fell into his arms, laughing and crying happy tears. They were going to be a family.
On day 16, Roy and Rosa were married in a chapel in Porto. The weeks before had been stressful, with the constant bridal dress altercations, the increased mood swings, and the millions of preparations, but at last they were married. Rosa felt blessed to have Roy's entire family there supporting her.
|
Ode to Roy, |
The '"Barthel Curse"
Rosa had been dreaming of having a baby girl, but as the day of the gender reveal ultrasound approached, Roy constantly tried to warn her of the "Barthel Curse." Even Roy's mother and stepmother attested to the Barthel's long history of boys. Rosa and Roy's first child was no exception.
Following their honeymoon in Buenos Aires, Rosa and Roy moved into a flat in Paris, where right away, Roy began building a nursery for their unborn son. On the morning before St. Kobe 53, Rosa went into labor. Roy was already out working, and Rosa was aware of the busy schedule he had planned for the week, but what she wasn't aware of was that he'd have his phone off and no other means of contact. Rosa endured the pains of labor with her friend Angel by her side, until at last, her first born (Rico) made his way into the world. Shortly after, an endlessly apologetic Roy arrived at the hospital. For a while, Rosa remained angry with him, but the anger was quickly replaced by the love she had for her very own family. |
`·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.· ☆ `·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.·
In year 54, in the midst of Rico's wild attempts to pull himself up and make his first steps, Rosa and Roy found out that they were having another baby. Meanwhile, they were also preparing for their very first tour. Shortly after their first wedding anniversary, they had their first big fall-out. In Rosa's hormonal condition, she took Rico and few to Johannesburg to spend time with her best friend Angel, and Angel's infant son, Gabriel. There in Johannesburg, Rico kept uttering "dada" and though they were just babbles, Rosa couldn't help but feel guilty for fleeing with Roy's son. To this very day, Rosa can't remember exactly what the fight was about, but during the time of their brief separation, Roy stood up for Rosa in a way that cost him a visit from the Red Robes. Ever since that day, Rosa has thought of Roy as her knight in shining armor.
The day after Christmas of Year 54, Rosa drove to Rio--to her next performance destination--all on her own. After 13 hours of driving, she was exhausted and couldn't wait to get into bed. But as she was checking into a hotel room for the night, her water broke. 16 hours later [due to a bizarre popo glitch], the second Rosewell-Barthel boy, Lorenzo Tyler Barthel, was born. |
Excitement & Chaos Welcomed
As the years drifted by, Rosa found herself feeling more and more distant. With the constant touring, and Roy always working to take his career to the next level, life became rather monotonous. In addendum, there was a sudden baby boom, all of the babies being girls. This triggered Rosa's longing for a daughter once again, goading another uprising of baby fever. In Nashville, a couple of days before Day of the Dead 56, Roy and Rosa began trying for another baby, and after a bit of time, Rosa became pregnant again.
Pink and Blue
In the beginning of Year 57, Rosa's friend Sofia asked Rosa if she was interested in adopting a little girl (her ex-husband's daughter). Although Roy and Rosa were already expecting a little one, they agreed that there was still a place in their home and their hearts to welcome another child. Amanda was just 3 when Rosa first met her, but On Valentine's Day, the 4-year-old Amanda was admitted visitation time with the Rosewell-Barthels. The following night, Rosa went into labor at her friend, Apple's house. As Apple had many children, Rico, Lorenzo and Amanda were well entertained while Rosa was taken to the hospital.
Much to Rosa's surprise, after giving birth to Bella, she slowly slipped into the hands of Baby Blues/postpartum depression. It annoyed her even more that Roy couldn't seem to understand her emotions, so she sank even deeper. When her friend Apple realized how overwhelmed Rosa was becoming, she invited her and the kids over for a sleepover and took Rosa to the spa while her husband watched the kids. Afraid of putting her burdens on Roy, Rosa didn't want to explain things further to him, but Apple persuaded her to do so. Once Rosa spoke to Roy, she was on her way to recovery.
|
(From Rosa's Blog) |
The New Rosa
The distance between Rosa and her family seemed to be growing larger and larger. For a while, the children stayed with Apple's family while Rosa toured, and while she thought it would give her more time to spend her free hours with Roy, it didn't change a thing. With the combination of missing her children, including her newborn, and being consumed by work-related things, Rosa began to yearn for her freedom again. Her friends were wreaking havoc in her life, causing drama constantly taking advantage of her, and finally ,she had enough. Wanting to get Roy's full attention once again, she decided to cut her hair. A change. On St. Kobe's after visiting many of her friends, she settled down in a hotel for the night and stared at her reflection while she drowned her cares in alcohol.
On New Year's eve, she decided to turn over a new leaf and strive to make things better again. |
(From Rosa's blog) |
`·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.· ☆ `·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.·
Blissful Days
On Roy and Rosa's 5th anniversary, the couple began to patch their marriage up. Their careers had been established and they began actively making time for each other and for their family. This worked in their favor because on Day 24, Amanda's 6th birthday, they welcomed her officially into their family. The adoption papers were signed, and at last, they could legally take their daughter anywhere without facing problems with the law.
On Day of the Dead that year, it became obvious that Roy was making an effort to show Rosa how much he cared about her. It was known that Roy was afraid of the crypts and was no fan of shooting zombies, but on this particular day, he surprised Rosa by showing up in the crypts to support her. The next day, Roy, Rosa, and the kids moved out of their small apartment in the slums and into a lovely Villa in the Kensington Residential neighborhood. Unfortunately, soon after, their tour began again.
Late one night, Roy and Rosa lay in bed, discussing the dreams they'd had for the future when they were first married. Roy mentioned that they'd always wanted to have 4 children, and though they did have 4 children, Rosa had given birth to only 3. As crazy as it seemed, they were both excited to try once again for a girl. Perhaps the 4th time was the charm.
On Day of the Dead that year, it became obvious that Roy was making an effort to show Rosa how much he cared about her. It was known that Roy was afraid of the crypts and was no fan of shooting zombies, but on this particular day, he surprised Rosa by showing up in the crypts to support her. The next day, Roy, Rosa, and the kids moved out of their small apartment in the slums and into a lovely Villa in the Kensington Residential neighborhood. Unfortunately, soon after, their tour began again.
Late one night, Roy and Rosa lay in bed, discussing the dreams they'd had for the future when they were first married. Roy mentioned that they'd always wanted to have 4 children, and though they did have 4 children, Rosa had given birth to only 3. As crazy as it seemed, they were both excited to try once again for a girl. Perhaps the 4th time was the charm.
Around that time, Roy's brother Mike was engaged to a woman by the name of Bryana. She fit in right away, already wanting to learn more about her relatives, and already offering a hand in times of need. Bryana became pregnant before the wedding and Rosa immediately warned her of the "Barthel Curse". Meanwhile, Roy and Rosa were having a hard time conceiving.
At last, they were pregnant again. While Bryana was having a girl, Rosa found out that once again, she was having another boy. This little one, however, was in no rush to be born. What seemed like a long time after his due date, he was finally born on Day 41 of Year 59. He was named Jari Bryan Barthel after his kobemother Bryana. |
`·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.· ☆ `·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.·
Year 60 began on a rather mild note, but soon scandal began to brew within the family. Bryana and Mike were divorced within 2 weeks of marriage, Mike felt betrayed, and suddenly Rosa was expected to forget all about Bryana and her niece Maggie. When Rosa refused to let go of her good friend, the woman she considered a sister, tension quickly formed between Roy and Rosa.
Soon, more arguments spawned, and it became a matter of control. Being a free spirit, Rosa refused to let Roy dictate who she could and couldn't be friends with, and after a while of constant arguments, they separated for a while. When Rosa looked at her children playing so contentedly together, she couldn't imagine tearing her family apart. So, ss Year 61 approached, the two began to patch things up again, mainly for the sake of the kids. |
(From Rosa's Blog) |
Family Drama
Rosa remained close with Bryana and with her new husband, Teun. This angered Roy even more, but Rosa refused to rip the kids away from those they'd spent so much time with. As far as she saw, there was no harm in it--and it was unfair for the children to be punished for their parents' sins. Amanda, who rarely opened up to anyone, had quickly grown close to Teun's son, Niels, and there was no way Rosa would take away someone Amanda had grown to trust.
In Year 62, while Roy and Rosa weren't getting any better. Still, they were trying to fix things, which was hard with the remaining negative feelings they still harbored for each other. Even so, much to their surprise, Rosa became pregnant for the 5th time. Rosa hoped that it would give her and Roy a second chance, but it seemed that wasn't the case as their arguments skyrocketed. A few weeks after finding out that Rosa was pregnant, Roy and Rosa were divorced.
With the increased stress in addition to the pregnancy, Rosa wound up in the hospital repetitively. On Christmas Eve, she was in the hospital once again. Surprisingly, Roy stepped up and told Rosa he would take good care of her. On Christmas night, they spent hours on end, talking things through. The following day, Rosa went into labor and delivered the 5th Rosewell-Barthel, Elias Jeremy Barthel. From birth, Eli looked so much like his father that Rosa took one look at him and burst into tears.
In Year 62, while Roy and Rosa weren't getting any better. Still, they were trying to fix things, which was hard with the remaining negative feelings they still harbored for each other. Even so, much to their surprise, Rosa became pregnant for the 5th time. Rosa hoped that it would give her and Roy a second chance, but it seemed that wasn't the case as their arguments skyrocketed. A few weeks after finding out that Rosa was pregnant, Roy and Rosa were divorced.
With the increased stress in addition to the pregnancy, Rosa wound up in the hospital repetitively. On Christmas Eve, she was in the hospital once again. Surprisingly, Roy stepped up and told Rosa he would take good care of her. On Christmas night, they spent hours on end, talking things through. The following day, Rosa went into labor and delivered the 5th Rosewell-Barthel, Elias Jeremy Barthel. From birth, Eli looked so much like his father that Rosa took one look at him and burst into tears.
`·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.· ☆ `·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.·
As year 63 began, Rosa still had not completely recovered as far as her health was concerned. She tried her best to move on--imagine life without Roy and try to live without him--but her mind and heart seemed stuck on him. As the day that would've been their 10th anniversary passed, they both confessed that they still had feelings for one another.
During dinner sometime that year, Roy unexpectedly popped the question for the second time in his life. Elated, Rosa immediately said yes. The following year, they were remarried. For weeks, Rosa worked on the perfect wedding vows, writing them in Dutch to surprise Roy. At last, she had the 'perfect' words composed--something she's still proud of.
During dinner sometime that year, Roy unexpectedly popped the question for the second time in his life. Elated, Rosa immediately said yes. The following year, they were remarried. For weeks, Rosa worked on the perfect wedding vows, writing them in Dutch to surprise Roy. At last, she had the 'perfect' words composed--something she's still proud of.
(Rosa's wedding vows) |
(Rosa's wedding vows [translated]) |
After the wedding, Roy and Rosa honeymooned in Paris, spending lots of time talking and making compromises. During a game of Truth or Dare, Rosa dared Roy to go shout to the world how much he loved her. Just as he'd done when they first met years ago, Roy stepped onto the balcony of the hotel suite and shouted to the world how much he loved his wife. Once again, they were on the way to a lifetime together.
`·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.· ☆ `·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.·
As the years went by, somehow Rosa and Roy began to drift apart again. In year 67, it became quite obvious to Rosa that the spark that her and Roy once had was quickly dying. She began arranging several family activities to feel some sort of closeness. Still, it seemed that no amount of camping could make her feel connected again, especially when Roy didn't show up.
However, Rosa realized that while she was beginning to feel quite detached from Roy, she didn't want to leave him. A year later, nothing had changed. Desperate, she continued arranging activities to do with him, even going so far as to suggest sightseeing in NYC. When you’ve been with someone for 15 years, he becomes a part of you—like an arm or a leg. And just like an arm or a leg, if separated from the body, it feels like it’s still there… No matter what. Surprisingly, after sightseeing in NYC, Roy and Rosa began to rekindle the spark they once had. Again, things seemed hopeful.
|
(From Rosa's Blog) |
`·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.· ☆ `·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.·
For the last time, it became more and more apparent that things weren't going to get any better. Once again, Roy and Rosa seemed to be drifting apart, Rosa constant felt ostracized from Roy and the rest of his family. Despite all her desperate efforts to regain their closeness, all her plans seemed to be backfiring.
It seemed that despite her efforts, it was a one-way road, and traveling alone left her frustrated and exhausted. After feeling ignored for long enough, just before New Year 72, Rosa and Roy talked about getting divorced again. As hard as it was for the two of them to part, the decision was unanimous. |
(From Rosa's Blog) |
Currently, Roy lives in Amsterdam and is closest with their children Lorenzo and Jari. Rosa is re-married and living in Melbourne with her husband, Teun, and their daughter Aubrey. Roy and Rosa rarely speak these days, if at all.
`·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.· ☆ `·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._.·