The World Turned Upside Down

Chapter Five (Part One)

“Thanks mate,” I said taking the hot mug from Will. We had taken a short break from working on a song we were currently quite excited about.

“How’s Chris?” Guy asked while he sat down with his own mug.

“Bloody tired, I honestly don’t know how long he can go on like this.”

“It’s a really fucked up situation.” Will said “You know we’ll do whatever we can to help you out,” he added.

“Absolutely,” Guy agreed.

“I know fellas, thanks. I’m really sorry because, first it was us getting together and then the babies and now this. You’ve done so much for us already” I apologized, running a hand over my face tiredly.

“No worries. We’re friends,” Phil reassured me patting me on the back while the other two nodded their agreement.

“And with all this, how are you taking it Jonny?” Will asked. “I mean, it must be difficult for you as well.”

I sighed “I’m doing what I can, you know. Chris’ constant travelling makes everything more complicated. Besides, I’m quite sure the children miss him. They’re now old enough to realise one of their dads hasn’t been around for more than a day.” One of my major fears was that the babies also got negatively affected by this.  “We’ve got a fixed daily routine and they expect him to be there, they notice. And it’s hard work doing all by myself.”

“If it gets complicated coordinating time at the studio with him in America, I can’t imagine what it must be like organising daily life with two infants alone,” Guy said and was pensive for a few seconds. “To be honest, I don’t think that woman had Apple’s best interest in mind when taking that decision. And I’m talking from experience here, I know what being a divorced parent is like but, despite our differences, we always do what’s best for our girl. That woman is just selfish!”

We remained silent. Guy didn’t talk much but when he did his level of accuracy was spot on.

“If she wanted to fuck up Chris’ life, she’s succeeding. He’s a total mess. He’s on edge all the time,” I admitted.

“We noticed that,” Will said, his gentle eyes showing true concern.

“I’m seriously worried about him. He’s been isolating himself at home, I don’t know how to help him,” I admitted. It was one of the few times I opened up about this. It was always difficult for me to talk about my problems but they were my closest friends and so I trusted them with them.

“Has he been attending any therapy sessions or doing yoga or something?” Phil asked.

“No, nothing. Playing music relaxes him, but when he’s beyond frustrated even that becomes difficult, you know how he is,” I explained. 

“Do we know!? He can be a real twat. I would have already punched him in the face,” Guy laughed lightening up the mood. “You are so patient with him Jon, I applaud you man, you are the one who has tolerated his mood swings for longer. He’s lucky to have you as his husband,” he concluded, unwantedly making my pain even greater. I kept my face as calm as I could so as not to betray the intense emotions inside me, but these guys knew me remarkably well.  Judging by the alarmed looks Phil and Will shot at Guy when they thought I wasn’t paying attention, they must have already found out about the rumors. I chose not to acknowledge this topic, at least not for now, and I was grateful they did not attempt to discuss it. Guy was still oblivious to it all, which was understandable seeing how he paid no attention to those things. 

“And with the kids? How is he coping with this?” Will asked, changing the topic.

“Thankfully, he’s been really good with them when he is at home. Doesn’t play as much, but he is always caring. I have never seen him taking it out on them, he’s a great dad. He loves them and I think he feels guilty for leaving them but also for being with them and not with Apple, quite complex; but he is always asking me about them when we talk on the phone. Despite everything that’s going on, he tries his best and puts all the energy that he’s got left to be a good dad to them. That’s a relief to be honest. If he had also distanced himself from them, I don’t know what we’d do.”

“That’s good, man, kids need both of you,” Phil said.

“I think they may help him take his mind off his problems, you know what I mean?” Guy added.

 “I think that might be true, now that you mention it,” I reasoned before sighing and continuing “Anyways, talking about the tots, let’s carry on so we can all get home on time, shall we?” I said and finished my tea.

“They are our bosses now, aren’t they?” Will said with a chuckle. We all laughed because it was completely true! Now that we were all parents or about to become one, in Phil’s case, those little ones dictated pretty much everything we did.

We went back to the studio for another recording session. Our work for the new album was coming along quite well, despite a few delays and changing of plans, but we were confident it’d be finished in a few months. We made the most of the days Chris was in London and tried to alternate between long sessions, sometimes even up to 2:00 in the morning and regular ones like today’s to spend quality time with our families. We had to hurry and get a lot done before our promotion tour kicked in, though.

As the hours rolled by we managed to complete our respective parts for one song and to start editing another one. By the time the clock marked 17:00, we had already wrapped up our day’s work with a new sense of accomplishment and we headed home in a satisfied mood.  

I waved goodbye to the guys and to one of our assistants and made my way home as soon as I could. Teresa had texted me in the course of the afternoon to let me know Violet was feeling a bit unwell. It was to be expected considering the week she had had but if there was something I had learnt in the past 13 months was that having a sick child worries you all the same, no matter if it was the aftermath of the flu or just a bout of coughing. I wanted to see her with my own eyes and make sure she was alright.