Lonely People

The Good, The Bad, and The Okay I Guess

Some of the greatest moments in my life were not those on stage in front of thousands of people or even those where we received awards or honors. No, the greatest moments in my life all happened behind closed doors. They occurred with the people I was closest to when nobody could see us. It was those moments that stand out, even in a life of music.

We had two hours until Ellen was going to come and pick us up for the Hard Days Night premiere. In the meantime, Molly and I were relaxing on her bed. I was leaning against the wall with my legs outstretched in front of me. She had her head in my lap and her legs going off the end of the bed. I played with her hair, threading it through my fingers and braiding it only to pull it apart and restart all over again. The moment was peaceful and loving; there is no better combination.

"Do you ever think about the future?" Molly asked.

I lifted an eyebrow, "Course, doesn't everybody?"

"What do you imagine it to be like?"

"There's flying cars," I replied, "And toasters that would toast your toast to perfection every single time. The sun shines every day and they invented a way to make records portable."

Molly listened before chuckling, "No, I mean what do you think the future looks like for you? What do you think you'll be doing in fifty years or so?"

She sat up in order to look at me. I knitted my eyebrows together in thought as she took one of my hands and began to play with my fingers. My mind flashed back to the life I saw every time I looked into Molly's eyes.

"I'll be with you," I told her, "We'll have a happy life with a white picket fence and a house where we can be safe. Maybe we'll have a few kids, and a dog, I've always wanted a dog. We'll live in a world where we don't have to hide, and where we're safe wherever we go. We'll play our music without any sexist bastards or shadows we're forced to hide under. Most of all, we'll be happy, we'll be safe, and we'll be together."

Molly moved to where she could lean her head against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, allowing her hair to cover my face. She lovingly traced lines on my arm with her fingertips.

"That sounds like the perfect life," she kissed my chin.

I smiled, "It will be. We'll live a happy life with all of our friends nearby."

"I can't wait."

I kissed the top of her head, a large smile growing across my lips. In that moment, I decided exactly how our future would be. If I had to fight a losing battle, I would. The life we wanted seemed just out of reach, but we could work to get closer. Nobody ever finds bliss without first fighting for it. You had to work to get into Heaven, and I was prepared to do just that.

The front door slammed shut, alarming Molly slightly. She jumped, only calming when I tightened my grip on her. We both watched the open door to see a tired looking Janice shuffle in.

"Jan!" I exclaimed, making her jump.

She turned to look at us and lift an eyebrow. I grinned, "Come on, come join us!"

"Oh, I don't want to impose," Janice mumbled.

Molly laughed, "You're not imposing, Jan, you're our friend too. Come on, join the party."

"Yeah, Jan, come on."

A small smile crossed her lips as she shuffled into the room. She kicked her boots off and sat at the end of the bed right next to my legs. Molly and I both sat up to where we were all facing each other, our smiles acting as mirrors to each other. Molly placed her chin in her hand and gave Janice a smug grin, "So, Jan, were you visiting Peter again?"