"Eighteen years old.. Almost a whole year without my dad." Julian Lennon sighed, walking out of his apartment. He knew he should have been happy about becoming an adult, but he couldn't stop thinking about his late father.
"He was able to have Sean, why could he have spent time off with me too?!" He may have missed him, but that didn't mean he dropped any grudges he had against his old man. "When I needed him most, that... Yoko had to come in."
Cynthia didn't hold any ill will against the contemporary artist, in spite of everything that happened. She kept telling Julian that he shouldn't be so harsh on anyone, but he was too angry to ever listen.
"How could she not see anything wrong with her?! With Dad even! She gave him hard drugs, cut off all contact with us, what got into his head to think she was worth abandoning us for?"
He was staying in New York for the time being, he wanted to pursue a career in photography, but music seemed to be on his mind as well. He would have gone for the latter, but he didn't want to be compared to the music of his more successful dad, John. He made countless hits, with the Beatles and solo, he didn't know if he could ever get to that height of fame.
"Not if I wanted to anyways.. He abandoned me, I want nothing to do with him.."
Soon he came across the famed Imagine memorial, as usual covered in bouquets and photos of the elder Lennon. The rest of his family often put flowers and even old records on this very spot to pay their respects, but Julian hadn't done so yet. He still held bitter feelings against him.
"If he could come back down for just one day.. I just want some time to talk with him, I need to know why he left me.."
To his surprise, a large chocolate cake appeared on his kitchen table. "Huh?. No one said they were bringing a cake.."
"I thought since it's your big day today. I sent ya one last year as well." A voice called from behind, looking back, Julian jumped when he saw the silhouette of his dead father.
"What? Am I not in a pretty state?"
"Grr.. You think you can just waltz on in and joke about faking your death?! I haven't seen you in months and now you just suddenly reappear?!" Julian snapped, storming over to slap John across the face.
But to his shock, his hand went right through his face. "You.. No... This can't be real.."
"It is Jules. I've come down from heaven to see you. I might be dead, but that doesn't mine I'm forever gone.."
"How do I know you're telling the truth? You could be just some projection! If you could come down to see me all this time, why didn't you sooner?!"
"It's not that simple Jules.. I can't come down every day, just on the days that are most important to my history. In this case, your birthday."
"My.. I couldn't have been that important, if you just left me then and there once Yoko came around."
"You really were, you and Sean meant the wo-"
"Don't say it unless you mean it.. If I really meant the world, you would have spent as much time with me as you did with Sean!"
"I wanted to.. I really did. I could have done that if the Beatles didn't have such a tight tour schedule.."
"And that I wasn't planned, I've heard this one before.. Why did you even marry Mom?. Why was I even kept if you weren't going to be a good dad?!"
This broke John's heart, he wasn't expecting things to be fine when meeting his older son after so long, but he never thought Julian would be this bitter. "Oh Julian.. I did want to be a good dad. Your mother and I treasured you like no tomorrow.. We wanted to raise you as best we could."
"How could you have said that about me?. You're only saying that to seem like you cared when you clearly didn't."
"But I do.. I really do.. I wanted to be better, I guess I should go then.."
"Wait!!" Rushing back, Julian tried grabbing him, only for his arms to phase right through. "I.. I just want to talk.. Did you.. Really love me?. Did you really mean all those things you said?"
Turning around, John smiled. "Every last word.. I remember bursting into the hospital just to hold you, you were so tiny back then."
"I.. I guess I was.. You got to hold Sean once he was born.."
"I took time off music once Yoko announced she was going through with her pregnancy.. I would have done the same with Cynthia if I wasn't held down by tours. If I had more freedom in the Beatles, I would have postponed even the Ed Sullivan show, just to be with you."
"Even that far huh?. Is there anything in particular you enjoyed when raising me?"
"I especially loved cleaning you. The scent of baby shampoo and feeling you snuggling up against my chest was such a lovely feeling." He smiled, remembering the carefree days when his little boy could only crawl.
"Then there was your caravan, it was over seven thousand pounds, but was worth seeing you so happy with it. You loved sleeping in the little cots on warm summer nights. And I can't forget singing you to sleep every night."
"You sang to me?. What, Ringo's Goodnight song?"
"He sang it on the album, but I was the one who wrote it. It was your little lullaby, every night when you didn't want to sleep, I'd take my guitar and sing it to you."
"How come you didn't sing it on the album then?"
"Ringo had the softer voice. I'm more of a rocker. But I do have my softer side as well, when it came to you and Cyn."
"Just wish you shown it more often.."
Still feeling bad for his little boy, John managed to solidify himself enough to give Julian a bear hug. "I managed to shower you in love when May came around."
"Makes me wish you left Yoko for her.. We got to bond then.. But it wasn't soon enough, it's like Yoko was trying to keep you away from us at all costs."
"I'm sure that wasn't the case Jules.. But now we can be together, and I'll sing to you tonight as well." John promised. "I'll visit you every year on your birthday. Think of me as your guardian angel."
"You? Angelic?"
"Well, deviled angel then?'
"Heh, I guess.. Dad?."
"Yes Jules."
"I.............. I love you.. Just thought you should know that."
"Aw.. Love ya too son, always have and always will. Now how about the cake, you're only eighteen once."
