⇾ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 | 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐈

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙁𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙮-𝙁𝙞𝙫𝙚 ➪ 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝘾𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠

ꕥ January 15, 1967 ꕥ
39 weeks

The contractions held off until we got back home from the venue later that evening, but when they came, they came hard. They were growing rather consistent and were certainly a lot stronger than they normally had been.

Paul helped me up the stairs and into pajamas before we both crawled into bed and he positioned himself behind me, rubbing his hands along my stomach as I whimpered to myself with each and every pain. Maybe this meant that things were starting up. Maybe the baby really would be here in a few days.

Maybe I'd get to hold her, and cuddle her, and kiss her little cheeks. I'd get to watch her as she slept in my arms or as she wiggled around on a blanket. I'd get to hold her tiny hands and admire all of her miniature features. The more painful the contractions got, the more impatient I grew. I was just ready to meet her, for Christ's sake!

ꕥ January 16, 1967 ꕥ

The next morning, Paul took me to breakfast at a diner down the rod from the house. Thankfully, my contractions were back under control now. Every fifteen minutes or so, I'd get just a little pain, but it definitely didn't hurt as much as they had last night.

"Feeling better this morning?" Paul asked me as he took a bite of his pancakes, then, put down the fork to reach for a piece of bacon off the plate in between the two of us.

I nodded with a smile. "A whole lot better. You know, I really thought it was gonna happen. I'm so excited to meet her." My smile faltered. Just a little bit. "I'm still pretty scared, though."

"Why?" Paul asked me. "You're gonna be a fucking great mother. I know it, and you know it too! Everything will be just fine! The baby is healthy, and that's a good sign."

I smiled at him. He always knew how to make me feel better. It was one of the things that I loved most about him.

"Maybe it'll be within the next few days."

"Certainly should be within the next week."

I looked down at my belly, grinning to myself. "Hear that, little Mary? Your time is up! We're ready for you to come out!"

Paul chuckled and took a drink of his coffee. "I love you and your cute little optimism."

I blushed. "I love you too," I responded. Throughout my pregnancy, my bond with Paul had only gotten stronger. He treated me so well and was always there when I needed him. He was really the man I had been dreaming about my whole life. I just didn't even know it until now.

"Jesus, we could be parents tomorrow," he said. "We could be parents within the next few hours. Only God bloody knows now, doesn't he?"

I grinned. "If he makes me wait until my due date, I may need to have a word with him."

He chuckled. "I have a feeling it'll be soon."

"Do you?" I cocked an eyebrow.

He nodded. "My daddy sense is telling me so," he teased.

I widened my eyes, biting back a laugh. "Your what?"

Paul giggled. "One time, John told me that his 'daddy sense' was tingling. When he was still convinced that you were pregnant before we even knew."

"Yeah?" I asked with a laugh. "How did that happen, by the way? Is John like...not human?"

"I don't fucking know how it happened! The day after you left my flat, I just felt like...I dunno, I couldn't stop bloody thinking about you!" He rolled his eyes, leaning his head against his hands. "We had to stop a recording session because I kept forgetting lyrics."