Fangirl | Ringo Starr ✅

23

When the two of them got home, they were drenched, but they were happy and holding hands.

"What're you two doing?" Mel asked as she walked into her brother Sam's room, watching him throw his belongings into a suitcase. "Where're you going?"

"Mel?" Ringo called from the hallway, "did you know that they're leavin'?"

"What!?" Mel exclaimed in surprise.

"Auntie June called and said that she was sendin' Cousin Isaac 'cross the Atlantic fer us."

"Sam," Mel chided, "don't speak like that - please don't pick up on Ritchie's bad habits." She paused. "Did Auntie June leave her number?"

Sam nodded. "I wrote it on the pad by the phone."

Mel ran out of the room, Ringo following behind her in confusion when he saw his wife hurtling past the door. She ran to the phone and saw the phone number scribbled down beside it in Sam's messy scrawl. She dialled the number and put it to ear immediately, gesturing for Ringo to be quiet.

"Hello? Auntie June?"

"Is that little Melissa?!"

"Not so little anymore, Auntie." Mel replied. "I've got two kids to take care of, and one on the way."

"Yes," June replied, "Samson told me that you were married - and to a Beatle, no less."

"You know of them?" Her niece asked in surprise.

"I've not been living under a rock for the last two years, Melissa." June replied. "I'm sending Isaac to fetch the boys and bring them back home."

"Ritchie and me are fine with them here."

"You two have your own life now," June said in reply, "you don't want to be looking after your two little brothers for the rest of your life, now, do you?"

"If that's what they need, then -"

"They need a mother, darling - especially Daniel." Her aunt never referred to any of them by their nicknames; always their proper Christian names. "Isaac will be there tomorrow afternoon. Have them ready. Their flight is at seven PM."

"Auntie, I -"

"And congratulations on the baby, dear." She hung up.

Melissa turned to Ringo with tears in her eyes, and he opened his arms. She walked into them, feeling the tears fall down her face. "I'm going to lose them - I've lost everybody, and now I'm losing them -"

"You'll never lose me." Ringo promised her, kissing the top of his wife's head. "I love you so much, Mel."

"I love you more, Ritch." She replied between tears. "But I can't believe we're losing the two boys -"

"We can visit them anytime we're in the States," he promised, "and spend alternate Crimbles there, and vice versa -"

"What the Hell is a crimble?" Melissa laughed despite her sobs. "Some sort of pudding?"

Ringo laughed. "I's the Scouse way of sayin' Christmas." He answered. "Yer'll know that soon 'nough, my love - we'll make a Scouser o' you yet."

Mel laughed and pulled away from him, wiping her tears and nose, sniffling. "I need to go and get the boys ready to leave. Would you please make dinner tonight?"

"I can't cook to save me life," Ringo answered, "which is why Geo always made the food fer us." Melissa nodded, remembering the few times that she had gone to the old flat where Ringo, George, Paul and John had all roomed together. "Remind me to 'ire a chef -"

"Who needs a chef when you have Cynthia Lennon?" They turned in unison and saw the beautiful wife of John - and Mel's best friend. "I've made dinner, it's all in the kitchen in the oven keeping warm," she paused, "I'm going home now - hopefully the nanny would have run away with Jules."

Mel didn't laugh. Was Cynthia being serious? Ringo chuckled, and then she realised that it had been a joke.

"You'd be heartbroken if your son was missing, Cyn, and you know it." Mel replied teasingly.

"Well if he was gone for a day or two then I might not mind -"

"We'd watch the tyke fer a day, wouldn't we, Mel?" Ringo said, looking to his wife. "It'd be good practice fer when our one arrives."

"Ah," Cynthia smiled, "so she told you then?"

Ringo nodded. "I've never been so happy."

Cynthia smiled. "I'll see you two later, then." She paused, "give my love to Sam and Danny -"

"They're going to America, Cynthia," Mel said in reply. "You probably won't see them again for a while - we certainly won't."

"What? Why?" Cynthia asked in an outrage.

"Because Auntie June insists that Ritchie and me should have our life together and not have to worry about looking after two boys - but I want them to stay."

"Then tell her that -"

Cynthia was cut off by Melissa. "You don't just tell Auntie June anything." She paused, "she's scary."

"But if you want to keep them -"

"She's already sent her son to the airport," Melissa replied, not wanting the conversation to make her cry again, "see you later."

Cynthia took that as her cue and left, closing the front door behind her. Ringo turned to his wife, "if you want 'em lads ter stay, then I'll tell yer Auntie June fer you -"

"Like I said, Ritch," Mel replied sadly, "you don't just tell Auntie June anything." She paused. "I'm going to go and help them pack." Melissa went back upstairs, Ringo said nothing else.