Bright are the Stars that Shine

Chapter 10

Valentina closed her eyes as her mother ranted over the phone. It was bad enough she'd heard it from her father, but auntie Cynthia had made the mistake of answering the telephone and her mother was on the otherline.

  "Mommy-"

  "Don't you 'Mommy' me Valentina Mary McCartney. What were you thinking?" Her mother screeched and the young girl pulled the phone from her ear, "you know you're lucky Jack's on a tour, otherwise I'd tell your stepfather."

  She leaned against the wall and shook her head, even though her mother couldn't see the action. Although her mother and her stepfather Jack had been divorced for two years now, the man had been in her life since she was three and has primarily raised her with her mother.

"I feel like I'm losing my mind Mommy. I don't know what to do, help me please." She whispered and there was silence on the other end before her mother answered.

"You've got tell your father you're sorry."

  "I can't Mommy. I can't. I-"

  "Sweetheart, I understand you're upset. But your dad is your father. He gave you rules to follow when you moved in and you broke them. I know really like this boy, but it's just not a good time right now." Ella's voice softened, hearing her daughter sniffling over the line.

  "You were young when you married Nicky." Valentina pointed out, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, gimmicking when her mascara rubbed onto her pink sweater.

"That was different baby. I was an adult, I was twenty two. I hadn't been a underage young girl like you are. Can't you just wait until you come home and things are settled?" Jeanie reminded, and Valentina sucked her teeth.

  "He might not want me by then Mom! I can't lose him.... I've never liked a guy like I like Timmy. It's not like I've never had a boyfriend before! What's the big deal...."

  "Because that's what your father wants. You've got to leave that you can't always have things your way. I know right now Timothée feels like the sun and he moon and the stars all wrapped up in one, but if he really cared about you sweetheart he'll hold on okay? Do you want to come home? I can have Alex fly out so you don't have to travel alone..." more like babysit her so she wouldn't jump in a cab and drive off.

   "No Mom. I'm not ready to come home." She whispered, feeling like she wanted to crawl in a hole and stay there.

  "Well Valentina......" 

  Her mother sighed tiredly over the line and Valentina felt a small wave of guilt run through her, her mother had been sick and dealing with her health and she wasn't making it any easier for her.

  "If I send you home, you'll be unbearable and I don't know what kind of crap you'll get yourself into. You'll stay with your father for now," Valentina felt her spirits rise "But if you put one toe out of line, I will ship you to an all girls Catholic boarding school in Austria and you will stay there."

  "Yes Mommy. I won't get into trouble. I promise." Valentina swore, internally giddy. It wasn't exactly a lie, she didn't see being with Timothée as "trouble."

Unfortunately for her, after her confrontation with both of her parents, her opportunities to see Timothée were quite limited. Not to say that they didn't get to sneak around a little bit, but it wasn't as easy.

Paul never left her home alone, and didn't let her wander outside of house unsupervised. I hen she was at the studio, she was to remain in the sound booth with George Martin or assist Brian with filing and other crap.

  It was a few weeks later, that during one of their breaks, George Martin took Paul out of the studio to show him him something nearby about basses and cords that would interest the man and they would be out for a few hours.

   Valentina's eyes were immediately trained on the telephone once Paul was out of sight and earshot, but her gaze flickered to John smoking a few feet away.

  A few minutes went by of the coup gazing at each other until John suddenly stood rolling his eye

  "Go on, I won't tell. Can't promise Macca won't find you two, so if I were you..." He let the warning hang as he put his his smoke down, ready to give the girl some privacy.

  Valentina smiled at the older man, moving to hug his side, planting a kiss on his cheek.

  "Thanks Uncle John." She smiled as he grunted about how he was turning too soft before leaving the room.

   
  Once the door had shut, she turned, back the telephone, fingers flying to dial the memorized phone number. She waited with tension as it dialed, fingers twitching.

  They agreed to meet around the corner from the studios, out of sight in fifteen minutes. Those were the longest fifteen of her life.

  When she saw him, a relief and excitement bubbled in the base of her stomach and she couldn't help but run into his arms. The young man wrapped his arms around her shorter figure, Valentina moving to bury her face in his chest.

  "God I missed you." He mumbled into her curls and Valentina tightened her grip on his shirt.

   "I've missed you too," She lifted her head to stare up at him, eyes filled with longing "I don't know how much longer I can take of this..."

  "We just gotta be patient. Your dad might have a change of heart if he cools down." Timothée's hand moved to rub soothing circles in her back.

   Valentina pressed her head against his chest and pursed her lips. She knew her mother couldn't be right. It was just  a little longer and than Timothée would be with her forever.

   Right?