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

Chapter 19

3 months later:

Lauren and Ethan were coming "home" to England today after touring multiple countries with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Tom was of course going to be with them and I think Lauren wants to find a house to stay in while she's here.

She is going to be here to help Ollie and Molly finish their final details on their wedding planning that's to take place at the end of this month. They already sent out invitations across the globe. It's going to be a huge event because Molly wants it to be. I know my son would just go to a courtroom if he could.

I wanted Lauren and Ethan to stay here but I knew it was awkward since Olivia has moved in. It felt wrong at first when I decided I wanted Olivia here because this was Lauren's home.

Only now it wasn't.

To my surprise Lauren and Tom stopped by first thing. It was nice to see Ethan again who looked so much older in just the few months I hadn't seen him.

"Ethan," I said smiling and picked him up. He was getting heavier now that he's growing taller.

He used to call me Dad but now that too felt wrong, like it wasn't my role to him anymore.

"We've been all over the world," he told me and Tom and Lauren looked good. They looked happy.

Now that Tom was back, we were going to set up some plans to do a music video for our Handle Me with Care single and release our album next month.

We all were waiting for all the tours to be over so we could have our personal careers be in the background and the Wilburys in the front.

"I'm glad we're all happy and that you guys still can work together," Lauren said to Tom and I.

"How happy are we?" I asked them as I eyed them up and down. I desperately wanted to know how close they were, and what their relationship status was after these few months.

"What's that look for?" Lauren laughed, "I'm still married to you remember?"

This was true. We haven't even tried to start that process of ending it again since this is her first time back.

"There's no rush," Tom assured her.

"Ethan do you remember Dhani?" I asked him as my youngest son came around the corner shyly to see who was here.

"Hey Dhani," Ethan walked over.

"Do you want to play?" He then asked him and they ran off like old pals.

"Olivia is out in the garden with Annie," I then told them, "after you see Ann, do you want to have Ethan stay here and you guys can get some time alone?"

They looked at each other and smirked. It was so odd that I wasn't jealous. I knew what I had with Olivia was just as special.

"That sounds lovely," she then said, "first dinner here tonight and then maybe you can watch Ethan overnight."

I agreed to this and they were happy.

....

In the evening our little dinner party turned into a huge gathering at our mansion.

All of our kids were home except Darry who was still away at school until closer to the wedding. Then there was Molly and her two siblings and her parents.

Then Jeff and Sandi surprised us by stopping by with Paul and Linda McCartney. Once they all arrived I called up Mr. Ringo Starr because it had been a while and I wanted to get all my best friends together in the same room.

After dinner we had a little jam session. Ringo on drums, me on guitar, Jeff on piano and Paul and Tom singing a duet drunk out of their minds.

It was a very fun evening, even Lauren and Olivia were swaying back and forth together and enjoying each other's company. Linda pulled me aside at one point and told me she was happy that we made the choices we have with choosing Olivia and Tom and that it makes everyone involved happy.

I agreed with her.

Lauren tried putting Ethan to sleep before her and Tom left for their hotel to spend some alone time together but he wanted to stay up and keep playing.

Olivia and I promised to get him to sleep and urged her to leave and assured her that he's in good hands.

She looked reluctant but then listened once Tom promised her it would be okay. She trusted him deeply.

Dhani and Ethan were running about and playing make believe in the living room. They were being superheroes and villains and pretend-battling each other.

It was funny to see and I was glad they were getting along so well.

Ollie and Molly stayed in his old room and went to sleep after her parents and siblings left, Annie was helping Olivia clean in the kitchen, and I was sitting in my music studio with Jeff and Ringo. Sandi had driven Paul and Linda home at the same time Lauren and Tom left.

"Well I should get going," Ringo got up a little while later, "it's been a pleasure man, don't be a stranger."

"Love you, brother," I gave him a hug and then led him out.

Olivia and Annie were talking and laughing loud and I popped my head to check on them.

"What are you laughing about?" I asked them.

"Olivia was telling me about the time you tried cooking her dinner and burnt everything," Annie was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes.

"So funny," I rolled my eyes.

Then I went to the living room.

Dhani was sitting on the sofa counting.

....67....68....69....70.

"Dhani, what are you counting for?" I asked him.

Ethan wasn't there so I figured maybe they started playing hide and seek but I did need them to wind down and start getting ready to sleep.

"Ethan told me to," Dhani said looking up at me with his brown eyes.

"Which way did he go?" I asked not thinking anything of it at first.

Then Dhani pointed toward the back patio door.

This door led out to the garden and it was pitch black outside. Ethan grew up here and knew this and was probably showing off to Dhani that he could go outside and know his way around.

"Liv, Annie!!!!" I shouted for them immediately.

They came running out.

"Dhani and Ethan were playing hide and seek and he thinks Ethan went out into the yard," I said in a panic.

"Why would he....." Annie wondered aloud and started to run back there.

"Wait," Olivia said looking to our son, "are you sure?"

This was not okay. We all were concerned for his safety out there in the dark and then I thought of Lauren who trusted me with him. I couldn't let anything bad happen.

"Yes," Dhani said.

I had Annie go wake up Ollie and have Molly watch Dhani as I got Jeff and filled him in. I then grabbed flashlights and ran out into the pitch black rolling gardens with Olivia close behind.