Break Me One More Time [McLennon]

in which it is the summer of '69

"I've been waiting for the right time," Ringo laughed. "It's big news, I was waiting for the perfect moment."

"Wait, they didn't know?" George asked Ringo.

"You did?" Paul asked George.

"Well," said George.

"Maureen and I, we went to the courthouse," Ringo explained to Paul and John. "We needed two witnesses for the marriage to be recognized by law. Maureen brought her parents along, and I brought George."

"Why weren't we invited?" John asked, unable to hide the fact that he felt a little offended.

"I rang," Ringo said. "You didn't pick up the phone," he added, shrugging his shoulders.

"Wait, what?" Paul asked. "We didn't... pick up the phone? Why didn't you just, I don't know... call back a little later? Or come round and ring the doorbell?"

"It was sort of a last minute decision," Ringo said, scratching the back of his neck.

"A last minute decision?" John asked. "To... get married?"

"Yeah, well..." Ringo said slowly and he trailed off.

"Wait, they don't know about that either?" George asked, sitting up on his float.

"No, but I've got a sneaking suspicion that they're about to find out," Ringo sighed. "I actually was planning to tell you today," he told John and Paul. "Was just waiting for the right moment. It's big news, real bigs new..."

"I thought Paul knew, at least," George muttered behind Paul, softly so that only Paul could hear it, and then it struck Paul what Ringo was about to say.

"I'm gonna be a dad," Ringo said, grinning at the water.

"Oh my god," said John, sitting all the way up. "Ringo. wow! Congratulations."

"Thank you," Ringo said, smiling.

Paul fought hard to swallow the lump in his throat. "That's — that's great, Ringo. Damn. Congratulations, man, really." He tried his best to sound like he meant it, and he he did mean it. He hoped that he sounded convincing. He really was happy for Ringo, genuinely happy for him. But at the same time, he was starting to panic, the walls of the pool were closing in on him, the water was starting feel more like ice, and he needed to get out of there immediately. "I'll be right back," Paul told his bandmates as he climbed out of the pool. He snatched his towel up on the way to the door, throwing it around himself as he burst into the house.

Paul practically flew through the kitchen and swung around a corner, then bounded up the stairs. He threw himself into the bathroom, slammed the door shut, and collapsed to the tile floor with his back pressed to the door.

He was already crying before he could get the towel up to his eyes. He pressed the towel against his face, sobbing grossly, barely able to breathe. He curled his legs up closer to his chest and tried to stop his body from shaking so violently, but to no avail.

Zak.

Paul cried out, sinking further down the door so that he was lying down on the floor.

Jason.

He rolled over onto his side, sobs still wracking his body, and pressed the side of his face against the cool tile.

Julian.

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault..." Paul choked into the towel. "All my fault..."

Sean.

He sucked in a long, slow breath, trying to force his body to calm down, trying to even his breathing out. For a short moment or two, he laid there, chest rising and falling slowly, evenly...