I Learnt To Love In Liverpool | George Harrison ✅

♥ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐲-𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 ♥

I knocked gently on the door of Dhani's room. The door was ajar, but I just wanted him to know that I was coming in. He was sitting facing the wall, a toy train in his hand which he was rolling back and forth across the carpet.

"Hey, Dhan..." I said softly as I came further into the room and went to sit beside him, being very careful to keep my distance as I knew that Dhani didn't like to be crowded, and didn't like to be touched unless he initiated it, or he was in a very bad mood. I wondered if that moment was an exception to Dhani's usual rule, and if he wanted me to cuddle him. I resisted the urge to try as I might have done with Nancy or even Julian. Instead, I said, "what's up, son?"

Dhani sniffled, but he wasn't crying - it was obvious that he was trying to hold the tears back, though.

"Dhan?" I pushed again, somewhat hesitantly. "It's okay, y'know... I won't tell anyone if you cry."

Dhani raised his head and turned to look at me, still continuing to roll the train back and forth along the carpet.

My heart filled with love at the look on his face. It was one of utter sadness; as if he had been betrayed by the person he loved most. I sighed and opened my arms.

"Come 'ere, lad." Dhan crawled into my lap and I wrapped my arms around him, gently using my hand to push his head against my chest as I rested my chin on the top of his head and occasionally kissed his chocolate brown hair, which Emeraude and I had never managed to work out who he got it from; her or John.

"I-is mummy g-going to f-forget me?" Dhani sniffed, rubbing his nose against my rather expensive shirt... but I didn't care. In fact, this very rare display of affection from Dhani was very special to me.

"Forget you?" I echoed in surprise, "o'course not, Dhan. Your mum loves you - we both do. Why do you think she'd forget you?"

"She's got Jack, now." Dhani replied, "she always said I was her little boy, but now he's here, she won't need me."

I sighed, "Dhan, your mum'll always need you. You are her little boy, y'know. Don't ever think she'll replace you or forget you, because that's just silly talk. Jack'll need some extra attention since he's so little, but she'll make time for you, too." Everything I was saying was true.Em idolised all of our children, but she had always had time for Dhani since he was technically her first, and because he wasn't like other children. Despite quite often being annoyed with him, I knew that she was fiercely protective of Dhani, and she was usually annoyed with herself more than him because she felt like a failure because she couldn't understand him.

"Really, daddy?" Dhani asked.

I nodded, humming in reply. "I tell you what, lad, if you ever want some time with mummy, come and' tell me, an' I'll take Jack for a bit, yeah? That way you can have her all to yourself."

Dhani thought for a few seconds and then nodded, nuzzling further into my chest. I was anxious to return to Emeraude, but Dhani needed to be my priority for the moment.

"Dhan?" He looked up at me, and I continued to talk when I knew I had his attention, "it'd mean a lot to mummy if you could go say 'hello to baby Jack. She thinks you two'll be best friends." She'd never mentioned this to me, but I knew that Dhani needed a positive image of Jack in his head, or there'd be trouble to come later on.

"But Jack's a baby." Dhani rightly pointed out.

I hummed in reply, "but he's your baby." I struck upon gold and carried on, "Dhan, you're Jack's big brother. It's your job to look after Jack, just like it's Jules' job to look after you -"

"What about Nancy?"

"Nancy can look after herself." For a four year old, Nancy was the toughest kid I knew. I'd seen her argue with Heather despite the girl being three years older than her, and I'd seen her yell and scream at Zak so much that he cried and went running to Ringo. She was a lot like I imagined Em had been at her age, though I daren't admit it to anybody other than myself.

"Baby Jack?" Dhani asked me.

I nodded, "baby Jack... and he needs his big brother Dhani."

Dhani sat in silence for a few seconds, perhaps mulling everything over, and then he stood up and dashed back to the spare bedroom where Emeraude was.

Job well done, George, I said to myself.