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

Chapter 11

We finished the album in exactly 3 weeks and we were all so proud of it. Tom and I got past our differences and I reminded him that I've always loved him and wasn't going to blame him for anything.

In honor of finishing, all of the wives and kids were flying in for a celebration that Lauren planned at Tom's house.

Sandi Lynne was flying in with Darry and Annie and for that I was grateful. After three weeks of writing and recording and being away from my wife, I was happy to return to some normalcy with my kids.

Before heading to the party, I decided to go meet with someone I have been neglecting. I told myself over a month ago at the Hall Of Fame ceremony that I was going to be friends with Paul again and make a commitment to that.

He was thoroughly surprised to see me when I arrived.

I wanted to let him in on the situation and gain advice and clarity on what I should do.

"You did what?" He was completely shocked at this turn of events. It was a lot to take in.

Lauren and I seemed so happy to everyone around us. No one would suspect there was a rift.

Paul was surprised when I showed up but then was grateful. He wanted to thank me for the remarks I made at the Hall of Fame ceremony. He regrets making the decision he made to not be there.

That is when I unleashed this news on him.

"Tom and Lauren.... Huh?" He was in disbelief, a trance almost.

"How did you and Linda stay so happy after all of these years?" I asked him. They had just as many children running about and their love never faltered.

"Well Linda isn't Lauren. She isn't hard headed and passionate when it comes to her feelings about those around her. She is much more reserved and chooses a path and sticks with it."

"But I mean for real, if she is really choosing Tom Petty over me.... What's to say she doesn't fall in love with you next?"

I was just making a point, I thought it funny.

"I think you just let her be, and you do what you please as well. Maybe that's all you both need. There's worse people to love out there than Tom Petty."

"It's not Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for nothing," I tried making a joke.

Paul rolled his eyes at me this time.

"I just think Lauren has been through too much pain in her life. The amount of tragic events that have taken place is too many to count. All starting with Darry."

I thought back to her manager and good friend and couldn't believe it's been more than twenty years since his passing. That was the first time she started to grow numb to the world and branch out. Next was her friend Annie and almost losing Glyn in the same car accident. Then losing our second child.

The list goes on and on and includes being shot herself and losing John. Carrying twins for nine months and only taking one home. Then Tom overdosed and survived and then Glyn didn't.

It was more pain than anyone could imagine.

"She seems to want to be a family with Tom and Ethan," I said to him, "like it's somehow fulfilling."

"Tom and her have been close all of the years, haven't they?" Paul asked me, wondering if this was out of the blue or not.

"Ive seen the way they look at each other," I said to him, "every time he would visit they were inseparable. All I did was push them into being together."