Something NEW

Chapter 27: I Don't Know

"Mary-Anna?"  Paul trembled as Mary sighed. "Sorry dad.....Stella's here with Miller and Bailey.....but um....do you like the girl you met?"  Mary asked as Stella groaned again and stood up off the floor, and walked up behind Mary with her arms crossed. "I do..... I even have her number to call her......but I'm afraid of Stella and your other siblings disapproving of her...what do I do?" Paul asked as he sobbed and Mary looked at Stella and shooed her away. "Dad....listen to me.... You need to follow your heart, follow your own destiny...Stella, Heather, James. Beatrice or I cannot make these decisions for you......you need to take the wheel..... and do what you think is right." Mary encouraged as Paul continued sobbing.

"I don't know what is right..... I thought I did, and look at me! I'm a mess, a fucking mess, in the middle of a divorce, a custody battle, plus Heather See and James don't want anything to do with me! I'm so tired and broken without your mother ......without her, I feel as though I died with her......what do I do?!" Paul cried as Mary sighed again and turned to Stella who no longer had her arms crossed. "What do I say to him?" Mary whispered in panic as she looked at Stella who was looking down in shame. "Maybe....... I should talk to him....." Stella whispered as she approached Mary and took the phone. "Dad? Are you still there?" Stella asked as Mary walked away, and picked up Stella's daughter off the floor. "Yes....I'm still here." Paul whispered with a sniffle.

Stella then bit her bottom lip, and turned to Mary and Bailey with uncertainty as she listened to Paul sobbing softly. "You know what you have to do....." Mary whispered in a serious tone as Bailey looked at Stella innocently, "Dad.... I'm sorry about everything that happened between Heather Mills......and if my attitude contributed anything to the marriage fault, I apologize for that as well..... I was grieving for mum too....we all were, and maybe it was simply just too soon for me to accept that you were trying to move on......but here we are.....mum's been gone for 9 years now....you have 4 grandchildren, and a 5th on the way.....you got Beatrice.....you got me and Mary......I can't predict what will happen in the future if you pursue this new relationship, but whenever I look at Beatrice, Mary's sons or even my own children......I know that they deserve to see you happy.....whenever I look at you, I yearn for you to be happy with someone who can reciprocate your love for them back to you...." Stella explained as Mary nodded with agreement as she listened.

"Listen carefully to your heart......and your mind...I trust you'll do what's right." Stella ended as Paul sniffled once more. "You kids are my greatest accomplishment......you truly are.....and that's coming from a man who has been a rock music phenomenon for decades! I never want you or any of your siblings to feel like you had a part in my marriage with Heather Mills failing......I raised you and your siblings to be morally right, family oriented, and to stand up for whatever you believe......I know you were just trying to protect me...." Paul responded as Stella nodded and sniffed too.

"I wasn't ever happy with Heather Mills, but I forced myself to mask my true feelings, because I couldn't be with people.....and I couldn't be alone.....I didn't know how to be better, but then.... I met Heather Mills, who was this young, sexy, passionate woman who at the time....I thought she would be the ideal person to replace Linda....." Paul began as Stella sighed as she listened intently. "As me and Heather Mills got closer, it was made perfectly clear that she was demanding, controlling, and it wasn't a healthy relationship, but I ignored it.....because I didn't wanna be and couldn't be alone.... I just put up with it all....because having Heather Mills meant that I didn't have to be alone, and I didn't have to do the proper grieving process,  something that killed my soul...I barely wanted to get out of bed every morning.....and in some ways , she gave me a sense of purpose within life again.....albeit far from positive purpose." Paul continued as Mary walked closer to Stella so she could listen.

"Then we both got surprised when your sister came along, as we were not planning or expecting to have a baby together. I was 61, and Heather had been through 6 miscarriages......so having Beatrice really had shaken things up. We were in a toxic relationship, and had a young child involved......I guess your sister was what woke me up, and made me realize that Linda wasn't replaceable......something that I knew deep down, but fought tooth and nail to ignore ....I'm very sorry for everything Stella...." Paul ended as Stella wiped her tears. "I forgive you dad......please don't let this, or anything in the past dictate your decision here and now.....if you want to try to pursue this relationship with that woman you met..... I support it...we all do..." Stella encouraged as Mary nodded "We love you dad!" Mary soon shouted which made Paul giggle.

"You girls are the best thing that's ever happened to me..... I don't know where I'd be without you girls..." Paul chuckled as Mary and Stella smiled at each other. "You did the right thing, Stell." Mary said with pleasure as she walked away with Bailey. "I gotta say the same to you dad..." Stella chuckled back as she heard ringing in the background. "Oh, I think someone is trying to call me on my cell phone, I'll chat with you later Stella..." Paul said more confidently as they hung up.

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Paul then turned to face his living room again, where his cell phone was ringing on the coffee table. With a deep breath, Paul walked over to the coffee table, and grabbed the phone. "Hello? Who is this?" Paul asked with puzzlement as he heard a voice giggle. "Is this Paul McCartney?" The voice asked sweetly as she collected herself. "This is he?" Paul replied with uncertainty. "Hi Paul, it's Nancy, we met in Los Angeles last week, and I just wanted to check in with you.....and see if you're doing okay....you seemed pretty frazzled when we met,  and I just wanted to check in, and make sure that you're doing better now." Nancy explained as Paul smiled. "Yeah, for sure, it just gets hectic when traveling around with a four year old, especially when you're in a city like that..." Paul explained as Nancy went silent.

Paul cleared his throat nervously as he sat down on his recliner. "I bet it does, but that's not exactly what I meant..... I mean, that you seemed depressed......and that really worried me, because you're a very special man, and you deserve the best." Nancy explained as Paul's smile faded. "Depressed? What do you mean? What did I do?" He asked as he began to panic. "Well ....you were talking with me, pretty deeply about your feelings about Linda Eastman and Heather Mills.....and you just seemed  upset......even Beatrice did...." Nancy asked as Paul's eyes widened. "Beatrice was acting depressed? That doesn't even make sense, she's four, and she barely even understands what a divorce even is...." Paul denied as Nancy sighed.

"Actually....before we met up with you in the bar, I was in the bathroom with Beatrice, and she said that she wished that "Mummy and daddy would be friends again", and I know it's not really any of my business, and we just met not that long ago, but I care about both of you, that night with you two....was the happiest I've been in a very long time..... I wanna invite you, and your entire family to The New York Hamptons Resort, maybe get to know you all more officially ...and do something fun, to help you forget about fame and drama..."  Nancy rambled as Paul nodded.  "I'd love too.....but I'd have to talk to Heather Mills about it, as she has Beatrice at the moment." Paul answered as Nancy vocalized understanding.