I'll Cry Instead

Chapter 28

"Look, Dear, I know this is hard for you girls to hear, seeing that you love Paul so much," Sally started as she managed a small smile at the thought of the endearment that her daughters had shown to the Beatle, although her smile vanished when she began her next words, "But I just heard on the radio that the blizzard should be gone by tomorrow, which means that the telephone lines will most likely be fixed as well, at least that's what the reporters are saying."

Jackie's heart seemed to sink into her stomach as she watched Cathy bawl her blue eyes out, which, in all honesty, Jackie wanted to mirror.

Paul, the sweetheart Jackie had fallen in love with in a matter of a few days, was going to leave? No, it couldn't be true. But, then again, Paul was going to have to leave at some point and Jackie knew that, although it didn't make it any easier for her to fathom.

"Is that really true, Mum?" the teenager whimpered as she eyed the sleeping, adorable Paul.

"Gosh I don't wanna say goodbye to that cute face of his..." she then thought inwardly with a sigh.

"Yes, I'm afraid it is. That's what the meteorologists are saying," Sally replied solemnly as she frowned in sympathy for her daughters...and for herself; she was going to miss the sweet lad too!

"No, but I don't want him to leave," Jackie couldn't help but weep as she knelt next to the unconscious Paul.

"Me neither!" Cathy chimed in, a strangled sob escaping from her lips as she too knelt next to her Paulie.

"Aww, I'm sorry, girls, but he has to go back to being a Beatle, and he's still sick. He needs a real doctor to look at him," Sally bemoaned as she patted her children's backs.

"Wait, so that means my doctor skills weren't enough?" Cathy cried as she wrenched around to meet her mother's eyes with a hurt countenance.

Sally, realizing how her words had sounded, took Cathy into her arms and cooed, "No, no. That's not what I meant. I just meant that Paulie is very sick and needs more than just one very good doctor to take care of him."

"But that means he has to go and I don't want him to go!" the child wailed whilst she looked at Paul.

"Yes, but Paulie would have to go whether he was sick or not, Dear. He is a famous Beatle, after all," the mother winked as she ruffled Cathy's hair before giving her a hug.

Jackie, as Sally was embracing Cathy, was beginning to cry as she watched Paul breathe ever so slightly, completely unaware of the current situation. She truly loved him more than she'd ever loved anyone, and the last thing she wanted to do was say goodbye to him.

"I'm going to miss him so much," Jackie began to sob as she rested her head on the arm of the couch.

Upon hearing her child's broken voice, Sally instantly wrapped her into a hug as well.

"There, there," she soothed. "I'm going to miss him too, you know. He's a very good lad."

"He is," Jackie agreed as she recalled how kind Paul had been when he'd listened to her tragic past experiences.

The two girls sat crying in their mother's arms for what seemed like years before Sally spoke up in a happier tone as she pulled away from Jackie to meet her wet eyes.

"I've got an idea, Jackie," she smiled as she gave Cathy a tissue, for the poor girl was sniffling terribly from her crying fit.

"What's your idea?" Jackie inquired as she wiped away a stray tear.

"Why don't you give Paul our telephone number? Then he can talk to us still, even if it's not in person," she explained as she then leaned towards Jackie's ear in a mysterious manner. "And you two can talk as well," she whispered with an all-knowing smirk.