My Michelle.- Complete Story!

Chapter 43 - Scotland.

Michelle and Paul tentatively began to build their relationship together.  Press interest in the couple increased, as it was very clear that Paul had now returned to the family home. Comments were made about Michelle being a fool to have him back and whether Paul could ever be trusted. They rode the storm, supporting each other, knowing that eventually all the fuss would die down and they would be left alone. However, Michelle’s resolve to allow him to stay became badly strained after massive press intrusion into their home life. Someone had somehow obtained photographs of the family at home inside the house. Photographs which neither Michelle or Paul knew had been taken. Michelle’s anger and shock on discovering that they had been taken through the windows of the house by an unscrupulous member of the press.

“This is so wrong!!” Michelle was furious. “How dare they do this to me and my children? What have I done to deserve this?”

“Michelle…” Paul tried to comfort her.

“This is your fault! Look what you’ve done to us!” she shouted back at him. He anger shocking him. “This is because you couldn’t keep your damn trousers on!” She began to cry. “This isn’t going to work Paul! I can’t and I won’t let the children be dragged through this! I think you should leave!”

“Michelle please…” Paul looked at her, stunned, “I’ll do anything for all of you ….please…don’t let the press split us up!”

“What other choice do I have Paul? This isn’t fair on the children!” Michelle looked at him and shook her head sadly. “No Paul. It’s over. I can’t do this anymore.”

Paul looked at her, desperate for a sign of hope for them. “We’ll move,” he said suddenly, “permanently I mean. Scotland…anywhere you want where we can be a family. Please Michelle.”

She looked at him, stunned. “Move? Are you serious? How can we? Your work is in London. We’d never see you…or is that what you want?”

Paul took her hands. “Look at me please Michelle. Look. A few weeks ago I made you a promise. I told you that you and the children were the most important things in my life and I mean it. I would do anything for you and them so we can all be together. We’ll move to Scotland and live there. You’ve always said how much you’d love to bring a family up there. As for work, I’ll quit the band!”

“You’d quit? So we could be together as a family? Seriously?”

He nodded. “For you Michelle I’d do ANYTHING and everything it takes. Please Michelle!”

Just a month later the whole McCartney family moved to the house in Scotland. A planned permanent move which Michelle had found it harder than she had expected as Rose had decided not to join them. She knew she would miss the woman’s friendship dearly. For Paul, he found explaining the plan to George Martin, Brian Epstein and the band heartbreaking. They understood why and accepted his decision, on the promise that it was a break for a while and not the end of the band completely.

Life settled into a stable comfortable routine. Michelle and Paul were now living as husband and wife again and spending all their time with their rapidly growing children. Michelle found life a delight. Having Paul to herself, getting to know him and be with him again was everything she hoped for. As a family they grew their own vegetables and taught the children about growing things. They gained more animals to the already growing menagerie, including the twelve chickens Paul had always wanted to keep!

He still ‘dabbled’ with his music, as he described it. There was usually a guitar in whatever room he was in as well as the piano which graced the large dining room. The children, now aged three and two, enjoyed music and both Paul and Michelle made up songs for them and sang to them on a daily basis. Sometimes, in the evening when the children were safely tucked up in bed, Michelle and Paul would work together on a piece of music, adding words to a melody and enjoying playing together. Paul began to recognize how talented she was as a writer and would tell her so.