⇾ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 | 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐈

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙮-𝙉𝙞𝙣𝙚 ➪ 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙁𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙤𝙣

ꕥ September 16, 1966 ꕥ
21 weeks

We had just made it to Paris, France. I was looking around at the scenery around me, completely gobsmacked. I'd never seen anything quite like it. It felt like there was magic buzzing all around us. Paul's hand was in mine as we trailed alongside Brian, suitcases tugging along behind us.

My midwife had given me the okay to travel to Paris just two days ago and I'd spent all day yesterday getting ready, but it was still shocking to me that I was actually here. Never in my whole life had I imagined that I'd be standing right here, in the "City of Love," with none other than Paul McCartney holding my hand. What a mouthful. A mouthful that I still couldn't really swallow. Paul led me quickly out the door and into a car. I barely even acknowledged all the people that had crowded around us.

After we'd been published in the newspaper the other day, Paul had been caught by a reporter who was demanding answers. Was he really going to be a father? Paul answered them truthfully—as well as voicing his anger towards whoever had thought it was okay to publish it when it was clear he had wanted it to be private. Brian had scolded him for it, but he had told me over and over that he wasn't sorry for saying it at all. He didn't give a fuck who he offended. He had been the one who had been offended first!

Given all of that, pretty much the entire population and their grandmothers knew that Paul was having a child. They still didn't know with whom, but they knew what I looked like so it didn't matter if I was seen by the press anymore. One thing he had told the reporter was that he wasn't going to name me or the baby when it came. Some things were better left as a private matter. The reporter hadn't looked very pleased that Paul had refused to answer the one question that was plaguing everyone's mind, but Paul shut him up about it three times before the reporter finally put it behind him and accepted that he simply wasn't going to get an answer.

Once we were safely in the car, Paul in between Brian and I, we all let out a breath in relief. "They're fucking insane," I told no one in particular, really only just now noticing what we had just walked through.

Paul and Brian laughed. "Oh, you've no idea," Paul responded. "At least they're not after you."

"Maybe they are. I imagine they aren't huge fans of me." I laughed, leaning my head back against the headrest. I felt so lucky. I knew that I was. Thousands of girls would kill to be me, yet I still felt so ordinary. What made me so different? I grappled with the question everyday, but I still hadn't found a reason why I was any different from any of the other girls Paul could get.

Paul chuckled. "I suppose they might not be."

"What do you think of Paris, Juliette?" Brian asked me with a warm smile that I immediately returned.

"It's very beautiful," I told him.

"Wait 'til you see where we're staying," Paul told me with a wink.

ꕥ ꕥ ꕥ

"This building is huge," I told Paul as we climbed a staircase to the second floor of the fancy hotel we were in. I felt like a princess. I'd never been in a place so...lavish. I felt like I should have been walking around in a ball gown and not a loose sweater and some blue jeans.

"Isn't it pretty?" Paul asked me, keeping a tight grip on my arm as we climbed each stair one-by-one. By the halfway point, I was already out of breath, so his assistance was pretty much all that was keeping me upright.

The three hour train ride here had left me with a bit of back pain, so even though it was only 10 AM, I was ready to taker a nap and sleep it off. When we were just about to open our door and enter our hotel room, we heard someone call our Paul's name.

Paul turned to John with a wide smile, happy to see his friend. When John saw me, he waved enthusiastically. He ran to make it to where we were standing as we opened the hotel room door and he followed us inside. Our luggage was already waiting inside for us.

"How was the journey here?" John asked us. I looked around at the room in awe. It was the biggest fucking hotel room I'd ever seen. It almost looked bigger than my bloody apartment. "Better close that pretty little mouth of yours," John told me sarcastically. "A fly might find its way down your throat. A fly named Paul."

I gaped at John. We had been there for not even five minutes!. "You pig," I said to him with an intense frown.

"You've got guilty written all in your eyes, sweetie. Paulie's been keeping you company at night, hasn't he?"

I couldn't even attempt to hide how red my face went. John knew he had won and smirked at me. "That's what I thought," he replied. "So much for your devout Catholicism." John shrugged. Paul looked mortified standing next to me.

I rolled my eyes. "Thank you for that," I said to John.

He smiled and nodded. "You're most certainly welcome. It's what I do best."

"Well," Paul stammered, trying desperately to start up a conversation. "How's your movie, John?" Paul asked finally and I slipped away from them to sit down on the bed. I was bloody exhausted.

"Quite alright," he said, his voice trailing off as his eyes travelled over to me. "Something wrong?" he asked me. I looked up sheepishly to see them both staring at me now.

I shook my head. "Just a bit tired."

"It's ten in the morning," John stated and I frowned. "Well, my energy is being sucked out by this bloody baby." I fell backwards onto the bed.

Paul gasped and broke into a smile. "Guess what, John?" Paul said.

John cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"We have found out that our baby is a girl." Paul smiled in satisfaction.

"Have you?" John responded, and there was actually a small smile on his lips. "Julian will have a little girlfriend!"

Paul laughed. "Oh, I do hope they'll be soulmates."

"Like fathers, like daughter and son," John quipped.

"You're not my soulmate," Paul said sarcastically. "I think the mother of my child is."

I looked up and raised an eyebrow as the two of them smirked at me. "Can John leave now?" I asked. "So I can sleep?"

"Oh, poor thing," John said. "I'll leave you be, but I expect to see you downtown for lunch at 12:30." He wiggled a finger in my direction.

"Okay, we'll be there," I replied.

"Bye-bye, McCartneys," John tutted as he turned and left the room.

I slipped my shoes off of my feet and crawled up the bed, curling up under the thick comforter. A moment later, I felt Paul join me. "Do you like it here?" he asked me with a wide grin, resting his hands on my sides.

I nodded. "It seems very nice. You might have to take me back before the baby comes. When it's just us," I taunted.

"Hmmm...maybe we can arrange that." He leaned forward and placed a kiss on my lips. His soft lips felt so nice against mine. I never wanted him to pull back, but he did after just a few moments, which was much quicker than I would have wanted. "But for now, let's just focus on getting through this trip, alright?"

I giggled. "Alright."

He reached forward and brushed a strand of hair out of my face before scooting closer and wrapping me in his arms. A moment later, he began to sing and it sent me into a state of bliss.

When I'm walking beside her
People tell me I'm lucky
Yes, I know I'm a lucky guy.