All You Need Is Love

Happy Christmas

YEAR: 1963

"PAUL!" John was banging on the front door.
"John," I opened the door, "ye do realize that-"
"Ye have a kid, I know, but ye need to see this." He handed me a newspaper with a picture of Paul and Heather.
"So? People knew what happened to me in America, who cares if they know how I got Heather."
"Read the article." I rolled my eyes.
"Oh my god," I looked up to John, "THEY'RE SAYING THAT PAUL'S CHEATING ON ME!"
"Yeah, I know."
"WHO IS THIS WOMAN!"
"Linda Eastman, a photographer from America, she's Heather's birth mother."
"Do ye think its true John?"
"No of course not," he gave me a hug, "so where is Paul?"
"Sleepin."
"Its the middle of the day!"
"Yeah, I know, he was up all night with Heather, poor thing wouldn't sleep, I think she's sick."
"May I see her?"
"No, she's sleepin."
"Alright, well then, see ye later, and please, don't kill Paul." I let out a laugh.
"Don't worry I won't."
I closed the door behind John and stormed into the bedroom.
"PAUL!" He sprung up in the bed.
"What is it love?" He rubbed his eyes.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?" I threw the newspaper at him. He picked it up and looked at the picture.
"Its a picture of me and Heather, so what."
"READ THE ARTICLE YE TWAT!"
"Do ye actually think I'd cheat on ye?"
"I dunno Paul. WHO IS LINDA?"
"Heathers birth mother, now calm down."
"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN JAMES PAUL MCCARTNEY!" He looked down at the bed.
"Don't call me James."
"THATS WHAT YER UPSET ABOUT! ME CALLIN YE JAMES?"
"I'm not mad, cause I didn't cheat!"
"Then prove it."
"Look, Linda's married, so am I."
"That means nothing Paul."
"So our marriage means nothing?"
"No, I didn't mean it like that."
"Then how did ye mean it Michelle?"
His eyes watered and his voice got shakey. I began crying, not wanting to say another word.
"Paul I'm sorry."
"Don't bother Michelle." He walked past me and into the living room. I rushed out and followed him.
"PAUL!"
The front door slammed behind him, I fell to the floor, crying. I could hear Heather screaming from her room. I slowly picked myself off the floor and walked into Heather's room.
"Shhh," I picked her up and a smile came to my face, "it'll be alright love."

It was 3 days before Christmas, a Christmas I wanted to remember forever, but now, all I want to do is forget. Paul didn't return that night so I slept alone, took care of Heather, alone. I woke up the next morning, he was still gone. I went on with my daily routine. Made breakfast for Heather and I, gave Heather a bath, tried to get her to walk, watched some cartoons on the telly, read her a silly children's book. Since it was Christmas eve, she helped me make some sugar cookies for 'santa'. We didn't have a tree, or stockings, and I felt bad. It was her first Christmas and she was spending it without her dad, in a home that was not filled with joy. Poor thing. I hope Paul comes home soon.

I laid in bed that night, thinking to myself, then I heard someone in the living room. I walked out of my bedroom, thinking I was getting robbed, but I was wrong. I saw Paul, my beautiful Paul, setting up a Christmas tree, in the corner of the living room. I snuck up behind him and gave him a hug. I placed my head on his back and began crying.
"Thank ye for comin back." He grabbed my hands and kissed them.
"I could never leave ye." I wiped the tears from my eyes.
"What are ye doin?"
"Its Heather's first Christmas, house should look nice."
He turned back to the tree and began putting ornaments on. I picked up a few and began helping him.
"Paul, I'm so sorry."
"Don't."
"Paul! We need to talk about this!"
"What is there to talk about?"
"Nothin! I'm just tryin to apologize. I should trust ye."
"Michelle, I trust ye, even though ye have given me many examples why I shouldn't, I still do."
"When have I cheated on ye?"
"When ye kissed John?"
"HE KISSED ME!" I put down the ornaments and picked up the tinsel, "and why are ye bringin that up? That was what, 5 YEARS AGO!"
"Name one time I cheated on ye." I looked to the ground. "Michelle!"
"Ye haven't! Just with all the reporters sayin ye are, it just gets me nervous and paranoid."
"WELL YE SHOULDN'T BE!"
I heard Heather crying. I opened my eyes, it was a dream. I looked over to the other side of the bed, it was still empty. A tear escaped my eye. I looked over to the window, the sun filled the sky.
"Merry fuckin Christmas." I whispered to myself.
I remembered Heather was crying, I got out of bed and walked into her room. I picked her up from her crib, she began kicking my stomach. I set her down on the floor, she stood up and began walking. I gave her a smile and followed her out of the room. She stumbled into the living room.
"DADDY!" She yelled.
I looked up to find Paul, asleep on the couch. I began crying tears of joy, I looked around, the house was decorated, little wrapped boxes were under the little decorated tree. I walked over to Paul and woke him up. He lazily opened his eyes and gave me a smile. He slowly sat up on the couch.
"Merry Christmas love."
I immediately wrapped my arms around him and gave him a tight squeeze.
"Thank ye for comin back." I whispered in his ear.
"I can't live without ye, ye know that."
I sat down on the couch and placed my head on his shoulder.
"I love ye so much."
"I love ye too."
As Paul and I were talking, we could hear Heather tearing open a gift. She was just her little bug eyed self, opening gift after gift.
"Here," Paul handed my a small box, "I'm sorry for the way I acted." I gave him a smile and opened up the box. It had a beautiful pair of diamond earrings inside.
"Paul, they're beautiful!"
"I thought you'd like 'em."
I went to the bathroom mirror so I could put them on. I walked back out and headed for the tree and picked up Paul's gift.
"Sorry for the way I acted," I handed him the gift.
"Plane tickets? Where are we goin?"
"Hawaii."
"When?"
"Next week." He got up from the couch and hugged me.
"Thank ye! Its goin to be a wonderful trip! But how can we afford it?" He let out a giggle, I nudged him in the arm.
"Don't be cheeky."
"Thank ye, I love it." He gave me a quick kiss. "Come on love, get dressed."
"Why?"
"John and Cyn invited us over for breakfast."
"Oh alright, c'mon Heather." She stood up and waddled over to me, grabbing my hand while walking to her room.

A few minutes later we were down at John's apartment.
"JOHN GET THE DOOR!" Cynthia yelled while John opened the door.
"Merry Christmas!" John said happily.
"Merry Christmas John."
I walked in and gave him a hug. Heather slowly walked in and wandered over to the tree and picked up a gift.
"NO HEATHER!" Paul picked her up, "those aren't for you."
"Sowwy daddy."
"It's alright princess." He gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"Why did ye call her princess? Yer the princess."
"Oh shut up."
"C'mon, ye still love me!"
"I do." He gave me a kiss.
"Actually," John budded in, "that gift was for her."
"Oh," he handed the gift back to Heather, "sorry sweetheart, open it."
She smiled and took the gift from Paul's hands and walked into the corner of the room, where Julian was playing.
"So," Paul sat on the couch with me, John, and Cynthia, "are we all goin to Ringo's?"
"Yeah, we were gonna leave around noon."
"Alright," Paul looked over to Jules and Heather, "Julian doesn't like people, does he?"
"Not really, he's kind of a nowhere man, sitting in his nowhere land."

We all left for Ringo and Lucy's around noon and arrived around 12:10. When we got there John knocked on the door. Ringo opened the door with a big, dopey, grin on his face.
"Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas Richie!"
John walked in while russling Ringo's hair. We all followed John in, Jude and George we already there, sitting at the table.
"I got some gifts for Jules and Heather." Ringo handed each of the kids a gift. Julian just stared at it, Heather, of course, just ripped hers open.
"What did ye get sweetheart?" Paul asked.
Heather struggled to stand but eventually walked over to me. I picked her up.
"Its a plush octopus!"
"Yeah," Ringo scratched his head, "I thought she would like it."
Lucy walked in, heels clicking loudly on the floor.
"Merry Christmas!" She smiled and set down a plate of sandwiches, George immediately grabbed one. "Did Jules open his gift yet?"
"I don't think he knows how."
John let out a laugh and set down his son in the corner so he could be the nowhere man he is. John helped Julian open his gift. It was a little plush dragon, Julian didn't seem to care.
"Its wonderful Ringo!"
"Thank ye Cyn."
"Hey don't ye boys have some interview to do?"
"Shit! That's right! Thank ye for remindin us Lucy." Ringo went up to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"See ye later."
"He has to get on his toes to kiss 'er!"
"Fuck off Lennon!"
"RINGO!"
"WHAT?" Paul and I motioned over to the kids playing in the corner.
"Sorry," se smiled his dopey smile, "well let's go!"
"Bye love." Paul gave me a kiss before leaving.
"Bye, have fun."
"Bye Cyn."
"Bye John, don't be an ass!"
"No promises!"

The boys left to do their interview at BBC. We found a radio to listen to them. Throughout the interview they answered questions. John and Paul mainly answered questions about song writing and their families. Ringo and George didn't say much, answered a few questions here and there. At the end all the boys had something to say.
"Have a very Merry Christmas!" Ringo exclaimed.
"Merry Christmas everyone!" John said happily.
"Merry Christmas to my lovely family and friends and all our loving fans." Paul said nicely.
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS!" George proudly shouted.

The boys got home about 20 minutes later. We all hugged them and congratulated them. Lucy and Jude had finished making dinner and sat it down at the kitchen table. We all ate and enjoyed the rest of the night. It turned out to be a very happy Christmas.