⇾𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐖𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐃𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 | 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐈𝐈

Chapter Twenty-Three: Girls' Day Out

January 31, 1967

"Penny for your thoughts?"

John and I were laying on our sides, facing one another. My arms were folded under my head and I'd pulled a nightgown over myself because I was cold. The cold didn't really seem to bother John. He wasn't wearing anything other than his boxers.

"I dunno," I said. "They're kinda all over the place."

"Well," he prodded. "Tell me at least one."

"Well, I can't help thinking about how, y'know, we're gonna be parents. In only six months. That seems so far away, yet so close. It's terrifying," I admitted.

John brushed a strand of hair out of my face, a smile toying on his lips. "I know it is," he comforted. "I'm scared too. Sometimes it's all I can think about."

"It's always what I think about because every time I look down it's just, 'oh, yeah, there's kids in there. Two of them.'" We chuckled lightly. "Have tou thought about any names?" I asked curiously.

"Hmm," he said. Then, he nodded. "If it's a girl I want Julia. After my mum."

I smiled at the suggestion. "That's a beautiful name. I want Elizabeth for a girl. After my mum. Maybe we could do Julia Elizabeth."

John chewed on the idea for a moment. "That's perfect."

"And for a boy?"

"Uh—." Clearly he didn't know for this one. "Oh, I've got it!" he quipped. "How about John Jr.?"

"How about no?" I answered with a laugh.

"Oh, come on," he whined. "Why not?"

"John Winston Lennon Jr., John," I recited.

"And what about it?"

"He would have a reputation before he's out of the womb."

"Oh, fine. You know, sometimes I hate being famous."

"You and I both know that's a lie," I said.

He paused, then shrugged. "Yeah, you're right."

"How about Brian?" I asked him. "For a boy."

His face broke into a wide grin. "I think that's perfect. Or Samuel," he suggested, referring to Brian's middle name.

"What if it's two girls?"

"I...I'm not sure." He paused. "I like the name Avery," he said thoughtfully. "No reason really. I just do."

"Avery?" I repeated, testing it out. "I like that," I agreed. "That's a pretty name."

"Avery Elizabeth," he mused. "I like that."

"How about Avery Julia?" I asked amusedly.

"They're both beautiful," he said. "Oh, how about...wait for it...Luna?"

"That's...strangely enjoyable."

"It's brilliant." He rolled over onto his back, spreading his arms out across the bed and groaning. "So many options," he whined.

"We've got six months," I assured him. "We'll figure it out."

"But what if we don't?"

"They can have as many names as we want," I teased. "Well just use 'em all."

He leaned his head towards me and cocked an eyebrow. "I'm not quite sure that's how that works."

"Shhh," I said quietly. "Pretend it does."

"What if I don't wanna?"

"Well, you're gonna," I told him.

"Why should I?"

"Because I'm tired and you've got to accept that so I can go to sleep."

"Right," he laughed as I curled up closer to him and I felt his arms close around me, immediately sending me into a exhausted stupor. He reached next to the bed to turn off the lamp we'd had on.

"Oh hold me close, my true love / Kiss me tenderly / There is only one love / One alone for me / It's you /Always it's you / Always it's you," he sang into my ear. It wasn't twenty seconds before I was out cold.

February 1, 1967

I decided to sit out on the studio session the next day. Morning sickness had hit me particularly hard and left me feeling dreary and tired. John didn't try to put up a fight. In fact, he'd almost insisted upon it. He told me he would be back at seven and that we could go out to dinner that night.

He left at eleven after I had gone back to sleep. I woke up around noon with the urge to throw up, hoping desperately it would be the last time for the rest of the day. When I left the bathroom, I ran my hands through my hair, trailing over towards the kitchen to make a bowl of cereal before flipping on the TV and sitting down on the floor in front of our coffee table. I didn't know what I was watching, but I was suddenly enthralled nonetheless.

I sat through the whole program and then occupied myself by cleaning up a bit around the house. When I found nothing else to do, I went upstairs and got dressed, laying back down in bed when I'd changed. I picked up a book from the table beside the bed and opened it to read, running my hand through Boots's fur who had settled next to me.

I laid there for about 45 minutes before a knocking came on the door. I debated just staying in bed and waiting until they left, but in the end didn't have the heart to, so I pulled myself up and took my time getting downstairs, making it just as whoever it was knocked again.

I didn't really know who I expected to see, but it definitely wasn't Maureen, Jane, and Pattie.

"Hello!" said Jane enthusiastically.

My face broke into a smile. I was happy to see familiar faces. "What're you doing here?" I asked.

"Hello to you too," said Pattie with a laugh.

"We thought a girls' day was long overdue?" asked Maureen. Her belly was just starting to show, contrary to mine, which has been showing for a week or two now even though she was ahead of me.

"How'd you even know I wasn't working?" I asked with a laugh.

"A little birdie told us," said Jane, looking satisfied with herself.

"John?" I asked, almost unbelieving of it.

She nodded. "He came over to Paul's this morning jabbering about feeling bad?"

I rolled my eyes. "That's funny."

"Well, are you just going to stand there, or would you like to come?"

"Of course I would like to go," I said with an eager smile, turning to get my jacket off of the coatrack by the door.