Little by Little | Noel Gallagher

Chapter 11

30 August 2022

For the next few weeks, Noel travelled to see Amy whenever he could, or she came to London to be with him when she a short break in the tour. They didn't do anything flash – just spent time with each other, talking, listening to music, watching football – Amy was slowly learning – or watching old, classic movies Amy loved.

Sometimes they'd go for a walk or to a quiet bar for a drink and a bite to eat. They went late in the evenings or to places they knew they could trust to be discreet, to avoid being spotted by fans, or worse, paparazzi. Amy didn't mind – she knew Noel had experienced his relationships being fodder for the tabloids – his dad, Liam and his ex-wife. He wasn't overly keen on his outings with Amy being splashed across the Sun or Daily Mail, and Amy didn't particularly want her personal life on display for everyone either. But a small part of her did wonder sometimes – did Noel not want to be seen with her? What was she to him? Where was this going?

"So is Noel your boyfriend then?" James asked her one day. She hadn't been able to answer, so she'd just shrugged it off.

"Does he have to be? We're just having fun," she said.

"He doesn't have to be but I know you. That's what you want." James had said. As usual, he'd hit the nail on the head. She'd uncomfortably moved the subject on to something else.

It was a Wednesday afternoon and Noel was over at the small flat Amy had in London. They'd just finished watching Singin' in the Rain (Amy's choice). Noel didn't really go in much for musicals – he could appreciate the talent and the music – but he found the whole bursting in random song a bit much. But Amy loved them and watching the way her eyes lit up as she watched them, or the way she mouthed along to the lyrics was enough for him. It reminded him of the way she'd been when she'd watched Paul McCartney at Glastonbury. Totally swept up by music and unafraid to be in the moment.

"Isn't it amazing?" she said to him as the credits rolled in.

"It's alright yeah," he said. She looked at him, her brow creased.

"Alright? It's a classic. Golden-age Hollywood! They don't make films like that anymore."

"Maybe not but it's a bit weird innit? People don't randomly break into song and dance in real life, do they?"

"Well, they should. The world would be a better place if they did." Noel laughed but she didn't. She had a serious look on her face.

"I used to watch that all the time with my grandma before she died. She loved it. We'd dance around the living room to it," she said. Her voice was heavy with emotion and her eyes grew misty.

"That's a nice memory to have," he said. He took her hand in his, gently stroking her fingers with his thumb. "And it's a great move, I'm just a cynical bastard."

She laughed and leant in to give him a deep kiss. Her feelings for Noel were so intense they took her by surprise sometimes. Amy had no idea how to bring up the subject of 'them' or her feelings with Noel, but she knew she'd have to do it soon. They spoke almost every day and spent time together pretty regularly, each time getting harder to say goodbye.

Just as Noel started to tighten his hands on her waist, his phone rang. He glanced at quickly, seeing his ex-wife's name flash up on the screen. He sighed. Meg only called him when it was serious or about Anais.

"I've got to get that," he said, giving Amy one last quick peck. " 'Ello Meg – oh hiya, darling."

Amy heard the tone in his voice change from polite to joyful – Anais must have called him. She watched him to listen to his daughter on the phone, his face filled with love and admiration. He was a totally different person when spoke to or about Anais. The little girl had him wrapped around her finger, and Amy knew Noel was more than happy for it be that way.