Buckingham Nicks A/U Series Part 3: Storms

Epilogue: So I Can Truly Win

Venice Beach, California
Saturday, April 5, 1979
(4:00 pm)
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"Happy Birthday to you...Happy Birthday to you...Happy Birthday, dear Julia...Happy Birthday to you..."

Julia Robin Buckingham had turned two years old on Wednesday, and her party had been planned for the nearest Saturday when everyone was free...and when those who had just gotten home from Hawaii and were on a month-long break from the Tusk tour could recover for a bit before the party.

Julia sat in her high chair near the table in the backyard, her brother Aaron in his high chair on one side and her best friend Jodie on the other. She was clapping along with everyone who clapped and cheered for her, and she clapped again for herself after blowing out two pink candles. She had to squint because of the flash photography as just about every adult in the yard took her picture.

"You have to make a wish, baby girl," Stevie said to her daughter as she watched Barbara begin cutting the cake. "What did you wish for, Jules?"

Julia raised two little arms triumphantly in the air and shouted out, "Odie!" She looked around, confused at the laughter. Stevie and Christine shot each other a look that said maybe all of their little jokes about their children getting married when they were just born had some merit after all.

"Jodie is right here, baby girl," Stevie said, straightening her daughter's paper birthday crown. "Your wish came true already! Go Julia!"

"Go Gulia!" cried Jodie from his own high chair, and he reached over and gave his best friend Julia a hug on one side to a collective "awwwww" from the crowd.

The tour was on break till May after Honolulu, where Stevie and Lindsey had sat in chairs on the shore and watched Julia and Jodie play with pails and shovels in the wet sand, where Christine and John had grabbed either end of Olivia by hand and swung her into the waves as she'd let loose her little baby giggle, and Aaron had found out how terrible it tasted to eat sand.

It was like an old-fashioned family vacation in the middle of a rock and roll tour.

Paul Fishkin, whom Stevie had invited to the party, approached her as she was talking to her mother about Julia being enrolled in preschool after the tour and once she was potty-trained. He'd come to a child's birthday party only as a courtesy, and he looked ready to leave. He held an envelope.

"Hey, thanks for everything, Stevie. I'm going to shove off," said Paul, and then nodded to her mother, whom he'd met many times during Rumors and said, "Hi, Barbara. How are you?"

"Just fine, thanks," Barbara said, holding her pink paper plate of cake and a plastic fork. "Yourself?"

"Good, thanks," he said. Turning back to Stevie, he said, "Beautiful party, Stevie. Here's a little something for the guest of honor." He presented her with the envelope and they kissed goodbye on the cheek.

"Thank you for coming, Paul. I appreciate your coming out."

"Call me on Monday at the studio and I'll see if I can get Jimmy on the phone for you," he said, noting her instant smile. "Tom Petty is wrapping up his album called Hard Promises with the Heartbreakers, and he said it should work out great if you can get into the studio after the tour. When's it up?"

"Last day of August," said Stevie. "Paul, you are my hero! Thank you so much!" She gave him an enthusiastic hug, and he smiled as he walked away on his way out of the party.

Lindsey Buckingham, you are one lucky son of a bitch, Paul thought as he walked out to his car, still smelling the coconut of her hair and thinking he should have tried harder to pursue her when he'd had the chance.