Handle With Care - Book 4 in "What is Life" series

Chapter 5

"Lauren Woods," he said happily, "its been way too long."

"Paul McCartney," she responded, "I didn't know how badly I needed to see you until here you are right before my eyes."

"I'm happy to be here, I have been in LA for a few years now, as you know, and I am very fond of this building."

Lauren looked at the ground. I was taking a backseat in this interaction. I wanted them to have their moment but I didn't care too much to be speaking with him. I have plenty of love and affection to give my old friend but I didn't find it particularly necessary at the moment.

"Do you remember the first day you came here with Linda and I?" He asked her.

"Of course I do," she gulped and then changed the subject to Ethan, "now my son is here; his son."

"He looks just like Glyn, it is amazing," I heard him say to her.

He was right about that. Everyday I see Ethan and feel like it's a mini Glyn living under our roof. Maybe that was Lauren's biggest blessing.

After a few more minutes of talking and catching up, Lauren ended up visiting with some other old colleagues of Glyn's and I was left alone with Paul.

"How is she... really?" he asked me.

I didn't feel like I owed him the truth and all of its complexities. I settled for simple.

"She's fine," I said to him.

He had a look on his face like he didn't believe me and then we stood there in silence for a moment.

"Well thanks for inviting me and telling me you guys were here. It's good to be able to see her," he said.

"Oh but you don't fancy seeing your old band mate?" I asked him as a joke.

"Oh.. is Ringo here?" He shot back with a joke of his own and pretended to look around.

This got a chuckle out of me. I did love Paul like a brother despite our differences.

"Did you hear we might get inducted into the hall of fame this year?" He then asked me.

Of course I heard this. He acts like he is still the band manager of the whole deal and like I couldn't possibly have heard this news without him being the one to tell me.

"And?" I asked him.

"I will not go," he said, "I want you and Ringo to go... maybe Yoko can be up there for John but I won't go."

Here come the dramatics.

"Well once I get my invite and everything is announced I will be there. Whatever you decide is what you decide," I rolled my eyes.

I have to remember to call Ringo and discuss our plans for that night. He might be interested to learn we might not have to stand on a stage giving a speech with our band manager, Paul.

"I'm just trying to make sure you guys feel comfortable there," he said, "I know the legal battles have been a struggle."

"Okay, that's enough conversation for me," I admitted to him. I didn't want to get into it.

Being near Paul has been something I no longer desired. When I'm with Jeff or Bob or Tom I am an equal. When I am with Paul I am inferior and he superior.

I quickly found my wife and asked her to make her rounds saying goodbye. She did this as I watched Ethan. Then she spoke to Paul once more. Her and her good heart still cared about Paul and his family, especially her old best friend Linda who she probably wishes she was able to see today.

When we finally got back to our home I was extremely happy to decompress from being in the public eye today.

"What did you and Paul talk about?" She asked me when we sat down to relax.

Lauren knows how I feel about Paul and she understands.

"He said if the Beatles get into the Hall of Fame this year he won't go so Ringo and I and... Yoko could be comfortable."

"Oh boy," she said, knowing it was typical Paul to say this, "will Yoko be allowed up there?" Lauren asked me.

"Well it's only fitting - she was the true fifth Beatle you know," I joked, "I'll never forget how attached she and John were at the hip at all of our rehearsals back then."

"I remember that well," she laughed with me. Back then no one really knew Yoko and her and John being so attached didn't help her gain friends. None of us knew her.

Currently, she is thriving. She has her son Sean and they are happy together in New York.

"Well I can't wait for you to be in the hall of fame," she smiled, "the kids and I will all be there and you accepting the award will be such a dream come true. This is the year of George Harrison."

"The one and only," I winked at her.

"God forbid we named one of our sons George," she said, "I don't know what I'd do if there were two of you."

"Ollie is my clone," I reminded her.

"I think it's time we get back to the kids," she suggested and I agreed with her.

I needed to get back. My album was in the works and in good hands with Mo at the helm. And I was the handler of the tape that had the recorded demo of the song the guys and I wrote and sang together.

It won't be often that we would all be together like we were the other day and so I knew we'd have to plan something down the road if we all really wanted to make something happen together.

For now the world would have to wait. Our song will go unheard for the time being.

....

It wasn't until we returned and were home a few weeks when my album was released and had great reviews. Right as I was riding the high of the success of all my hard work the official invitation came from the Rock and Roll hall of fame.

I immediately rang Ringo and we started deciding how this was all going to work. We didn't have John and we aren't going to have Paul. We knew we needed to honor John. It wasn't his fault he wouldn't be on the stage accepting the award that he deserved more than any of us.

He was taken from us; he was robbed of this experience.

We decided Yoko, Julian and Sean would stand up there with Ringo and I and we'd all say a few words. We had another month before the event and many of my friends would be there to help us play our music.

It was going to be a Beatle reunion of sorts only it never can be. Not without John.

If he were alive today maybe he would have talked some sense into Paul but to us that didn't seem possible. He was as stubborn as they come.

I got into bed with Lauren that evening feeling like a million bucks.

"I'm married to a hall of fame inductee," she teased me.

There was no better feeling than knowing Lauren truly was proud of me. She has been here since I was just George the guitarist of the Beatles and always makes me feel like I am the greatest musician of all time.

I am in her eyes.