The Sound of Silence | Paul McCartney ✅

27

12th May 1963

I got up early the next morning and somehow managed to pack all of my things and get ready without waking Paul, which was a miracle in itself. I left the hotel room and went to the lift, silently leaving the man who had become my world behind.

The doors to the hotel were opened for me by hired staff, and the fans outside were silent when they saw me. "Adaline!" They all seemed to chorus suddenly when they had had a few seconds to notice me. "Is Paul coming with you!?"

"No." I answered simply, pulling my bags along behind me. I went over to an awaiting taxi and got into the back, giving the driver my address in London.

"Bit of a long way to go -"

"Whatever you would charge, I'll double it." I promised. "I just want to sit in silence, okay?"

The man shrugged and nodded.

We drove in silence for two hours before I spoke. "Thank you."

The driver looked at me in the mirror in surprise. "For what?" He asked. "It's my job."

"Thank you for driving all the way to London - I know that it is a long way, and that you also have to drive back... so thank you."

"You look awfully familiar," he said in reply. "Do I know you from somewhere? Have I driven you before?"

I shook my head. "My name is Adaline Quinn," I told him, "I'm a model. I'm good friends with Jean Shrimpton, we were recently dubbed 'supermodels' by the press -"

"Ah yes," the man said, recognition in his eyes as he looked at me in the mirror. "My wife reads all the magazines. Says she picks her church outfits based on what you two wear -"

"Your pastor can't be very happy then." The driver laughed.

"S'pose not." Another mile was driven in silence before the man said, "can I ask what you were doing in Nelson?"

"I was staying with my boyfriend."

"Beatle Paul?"

I laughed. "Does the whole world call him that?"

"That's who he is." The driver answered, shrugging. "Why'd you leave?"

I sighed, deciding to flip the metaphorical coin. Heads is truth, tails is lie. "I'm pregnant." I told him. "Paul doesn't know, and I don't want him to. If I tell him, then I'm scared that he will choose me and the baby over the band, and then The Beatles will break up. I can't be responsible for that."

The driver nodded in understanding. "My wife's pregnant." He said.

"Congratulations."

"It's a girl. We've already got one daughter, Annie-Jo, she's four. We can't wait for our next one... children are a wonderful thing, Adaline, and nobody understands how wonderful they are until they get their own." He paused. "Are you excited to be a mum?"

I nodded. "I think I am... I'm scared because I'll have to do it alone... but yes, I think it'll be a good experience, and I think that I will enjoy it."

"How long have you known?"

"About three days," I replied.

"Have you got any names picked out?"

"No," I told him. "But Paul's mother was called Mary, and she died when he was just a boy - I think, if I have a girl, I'd like for her to have his mother's name in some way."

"I'm sure he'd like that very much." I hummed in agreement. "What's he like then?"

"Paul?" The driver nodded.

I sighed. "He's sweet. Paul's kind and funny. He's caring, but feisty, too. I've seen him deck John Lennon for calling me a bitch -"

"Damn right he should have!" The driver exclaimed in excitement and disbelief. "I'm Danny, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Danny..." I paused. "Paul is also the smartest person I have ever met - he knows something about everything, but he never uses it to make himself superior to others, y'know?"

* * * * *

Danny dropped me off outside my apartment and I gave him almost triple the original fare. It had been nice to talk to somebody on the way, despite my initial order of a silent journey. He thanked me, and then bashfully asked if I'd sign some autographs for his wife and his daughter, who he said told him that she 'liked the pretty girls in mummy's magazines'. I couldn't help but laugh at that. He wished me luck for the future, and promised that he would stay silent about the baby. I thanked him and then said goodbye, going to my apartment. I opened the door and went straight over to the phone, not bothering to take my coat or shoes off first. I dialled Tom's number.

"Yello?"

"Tom." I said. "Find me a house."

"Addy!?" Tom exclaimed in disbelief and what sounded like relief. "Haven't heard from you in -"

"Tom, this is no time for niceties." I interrupted in a measured tone of voice. "Find me a house in a nice neighbourhood, and pay cash straight from my bank account, alright? Give my address to Jean and to Henry, and nobody else. Now."

I hung up and went about unpacking and getting reacquainted with my apartment. As I wandered around the rooms, they seemed empty - as if something were missing... something was; Paul.

"It's just you and me now, baby," I said, putting a hand on my flat stomach. "Mummy's gonna sort everything out for when you come, and we're going to be good together, alright?" I smiled as I imagined my baby in there, growing slowly. "I can't wait to meet you."