Parenting Paul

Chapter 9: Linda VS. Reality

"Paul!?" Ringo yelled at the phone, as he noticed it randomly had gone silent. "Who was that love?" Ringo's wife, Maureen Cox, asked with wonder as Ringo put the phone back onto the receiver. "It was Paul....he's been acting so strange lately.."Ringo sighed, as Maureen studied him. "Strange? How?" She questioned as Ringo sighed again. "He says someone dropped off a young girl at his apartment near Cavendish Avenue..." Ringo answered as Maureen thought for a moment. "I think you need to visit him, I think he needs to see someone who's neutral about the Beatles legalities, and not currently annoyed at him.." she suggested as Ringo nodded.

Meanwhile, back at Paul's apartment, Paul was sitting on his bed, chewing on the skin of broken fingernails as he thought of his plans regarding the task of taking care of Heather, who had been suspiciously quiet. "Hmm..." he whispered as he stood up, walked to the bedroom door, and peaked out towards the hallway. Paul noticed that Martha and Heather were no longer playing together in the middle of the hallway, which piqued his interest, and made him step slowly toward the living room. There, he saw Heather kneeling in the middle of the room seeming absent minded. "What are you doing?" Paul asked as he raised his eyebrow, and she swiftly turned to him and smiled. "I got bored, so I started to count how many stitches your couch has, and so far it has ten.." she answered as Paul continued to study her.

"I also counted how many swatches your knitted blanket has....it has 4 pink ones, 10 white, 6 yellow, and another 4 that are some bright green color....Heather continued as Paul nodded. "Thanks for that information......He soon answered with a simple nod, as he looked up at the clock again. "11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17....." Heather counted softly as Paul watched her with contentment. "Are you feeling peckish?" He asked as she shrugged. "What's that mean?" Heather soon asked as she stood up and looked at him with curiosity. "Y'know, are you hungry?" He asked as she nodded with a smile.
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Simultaneously during this moment, Lee Eastman was checking out of the Hilton Luxury Suite Hotel, when he heard footsteps from behind him. "Dad, glad I caught you..."a woman said, making Lee confused and turn around with apprehension. "Linda?! What in god's name are you doing here? Where's Heather?" Lee asked with a worried whisper as Linda sighed as she put her suitcases down. "Heather's with Paul, at his apartment..." Linda replied as Lee rolled his eyes, grabbed her by the hand, and dragged her outside. "What the hell are you thinking Lin?" Lee scolded as Linda exhaled deeply. "I wanted Paul to meet Heather, and I thought they needed to be alone, and this was the only way for it to happen..." Linda explained as Lee rolled his eyes again and groaned. "Linda, you can't allow your boy-toy to be the caregiver of your 5-year old child solely on his own, are you insane!?" Lee reprimanded her as she sighed once more with guilt. "He's not some boy-toy...his name is James Paul McCartney, and he's the most caring, kind, hilarious, intelligent and beautiful person I've ever met, an influence that Heather needs more than anything during these formative years!" Linda argued.

"Linda, I didn't mind helping out with Heather when you filed for divorce from her father, but ever since you got wrapped into this musical photography gig you've become...like, obsessed with allowing yourself and your own daughter to get tied up within this fairytale world, that the rock music industry is....hell the celebrity industry.....is....it's unprofessional, unproductive, and frankly childish! It's not something that my granddaughter should be exposed to at such a young age, and I don't know why you're so adamant about this guy bonding with Heather, but it needs to end....this instant!" Lee scolded harshly as Linda glared at him, and remained silent as she unzipped her purse, rummaged through it, until she handed him the tiny plastic pen device with the two faded red lines across it. Lee analyzed the device speechlessly as Linda bit her bottom lip and nodded slowly.

"For heaven's sake….you can't keep doing these things...." Lee scolded again, but with less strength and scorn as he returned the device to Linda, and breathed out deeply. "What are we gonna do about it? You know that Heather needs to start getting ready for kindergarten? You have responsibilities back in America, and do you really think this so-called Prince Charming of yours is capable of not only taking care of Heather, but also this second child?!" Lee continued his rant, but with more worry than anger as he watched Linda sulk in silence and she headed back into the hotel, so she could grab her suitcases.