The Arch of Love ~ Paul McCartney

Epilogue: Real love

Scotland, Early April '68, 3:52 PM

Life was good. Even though it was really busy, it was amazing. Often when I was sitting on the bus home from work, I found myself smiling without a legitimate reason to. No, I was just really happy. I woke up with the person that I loved, lying right next to me. The first thing I did in the morning was scooch closer and give him a kiss. Whenever I would get home, whether it be my flat or his house, I made sure to kiss him hello. Life was brilliant, because I got to spend it with Paul.

My love life had never been easy, nor had it been very exciting. The only exciting thing about it was that I had had an affair with Paul. Twice. I never had a boyfriend and though I enjoyed spending the night with someone as much as the next person, nothing ever came out of that. But when I first met Paul as an adult, back in 1961, something clicked. From that moment on, I knew he was the person for me.

Loving him was as easy as breathing. Sure, we fought like any couple would, but we laughed a lot and we always made up. We agreed on things without having to explain ourselves. We matched.

I knew life was changing, but I didn't mind it. Fran and Matthew had finally decided on a wedding date and thus a date to move out of the flat. I had told Paul about my worries of not being able to afford living there alone and he had just about laughed in my face. Within a week we had agreed that I would move out of the Notting Hill flat too and would move in with him. It was as easy as that.

Life as part of the Beatles girls was going on too. All the girls had accepted me as part of the group, despite being used to having Jane around. So when the boys had planned a trip to India to study with the Maharishi, I was welcomed along as if that had been a given from the beginning.

Paul and I stayed in India for a month and then returned to England, only to pack up and leave for Scotland straight after. I hadn't been in Scotland before. Paul had hid in Scotland in December and work had kept me away back then, but not this time. No, Paul and I had agreed to not spend a night apart anymore and the hospital just had to deal with that. With a trip to New York next month to meet Paul's photographer friend in the plans, I was sure that they were going to deal with it, whatever the outcome.

The farm Paul had, was beautiful. He was still fixing it up, but most rooms were not too drafty anymore and the gorgeous scenery made up for the slight discomfort of living there. I knew I could call this place my home if Paul would let me.

We stood there, his arms around my waist, his head on my shoulder, facing the sea washing in, in front of us. We must've stood like that for half an hour, just frozen in thought, enjoying each other's company, feeling completely comfortable with each other and with our surroundings.

'Picture it, Arch. You, me, this, forever? You in?' Paul offered as he let go of my waist.

'Hell yes!' I agreed with a grin on my face. I was still looking at the sea in front of me while I felt him moving away. I could definitely picture it. The nearest town was only a couple of miles away and there was a hospital where I could work. As long as I was with Paul, I didn't mind leaving St. Mary's behind in London. St. Mary's had torn us apart in '62 and I wasn't going to let that happen again. I was ready to take the leap now.

'I mean it, love,' he said. The slight shift in his tone surprised me. I turned to look at him and my jaw dropped. He was kneeling, with one knee deeply buried in the mud. God, he was actually doing this. 'Marry me, Archie. I love you and I don't want to spend any more time without you being mine forever. I know we've only been dating for a short while, but I'm sure you are the one for me. Cor, I think I've known since we were twelve. If you hadn't gone off to boarding school, I would've made you mine a long time ago.