Till There Was You (George Harrison Story)

Chapter 120

(My John stans will probably love this one.)

A few months later, while George was in the studio, the doorbell rang. So I got up, with Cleo behind me, and we opened the door.

"Oh!" I said in shock. I wasn't expecting him at all. "Hey John." I hugged him and he came in.

"Where's your shadow?" I looked out the door behind him, and he laughed. "She's back in New York."

"Wow. I don't think I've ever seen you without her since you met her. This is weird." I smiled and took his hand. "Come! Sit!"

He looked at my growing baby bump and his smile grew. "Ye and Hazza procreating again?"

"It just happened." I shrugged.

"The two of ye mate like fuckin rabbits." He laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes. Something was going on. And that was obvious. He wasn't the same John that flirted with me the second I walked into their studio for the first time. Wrinkles had taken over his face, his smile seemed to dim, and he looked... depressed. Even though he was 39 years old, he looked 55. He wasn't.... John.

"How are you doing?" I rubbed his shoulder and he let out a huge sigh.

"I'm okay..." I knew he was lying.

"If this is about the hate you've been getting for protesting, don't mind them. You're doing a beautiful thing. Fighting for peace. That's something the world needs. But some people just don't get it. They don't like hearing the truth."

He nodded. "Yeah. Yer right."

"So what brought you over here today?"

"I just needed someone to talk to." He looked at me. "I think I want to leave Yoko."

"Why? You love her."

"I want true happiness. I want to be happy, like when I was with Cynthia. I'm not happy now."

"Well think about who you truly want and why. Then let your heart decide."

"Uncle John?" Zuri came down the stairs and saw John, and a huge smile appeared on her face as she ran up to him and hugged him.

"Hi, Zuri." His laugh was deep, and his eyes showed a tinge of happiness when he saw her. He held her close and ruffled up her hair. "Yer gettin big quite fast! I should bring Sean and Julian over some time."

"Sure. I wouldn't mind."

Zuri rested her head on John's chest with a smile on her face.

Danny shyly and slowly walked into the main room. "Hi.." His soft voice said and he waved to John, before running over to my side.

"That's Uncle John, remember?" I asked and he looked at John, trying to remember.

"Hello, Danny. I've hear a bit a bit about you. You were a newborn when I last saw you. Now you're all grown up." He smiled, reaching his arms out toward Danny, who willingly climbed into his grip.

"How many other kids do you have stashed up in here?"

"Stashed?" I laughed.

"Hey, Mommy? Can I play with Jordan?" Chris said, before looking at John, then handing me something.

"I lost my tooth again, too!" He said excitedly.

I looked at the tooth in my hand and smiled. "I'm so proud of you!" I kissed his cheek, and John chimed in.

"That means you're becoming a very big boy."

Chris smiled, until he realized he didn't know who that man was. "Who are you?" He asked bluntly, in pure confusion.

"That's Uncle John, Chris. He's Baba's friend."

"Uncle John? I've never seen you before. Are you Mommy's boyfriend?"

My heart almost stopped when he said that. Kids are more observant than we think.

"Oh no. Your father would kill me. I'm just a friend of George."

He looked over John, as if he was trying to determine if John would be a friend or foe.

"Okay. Hi, Uncle John. I'm Chris."

"It's nice to meet you, Chris." John responded.

"Go get ready. I'll call Aunt Pattie to bring Jordan over." He nodded and said bye to John before going to his room.

"I don't remember that one. But I don't think he's yers, is he? There's not an ounce of yer blood in him, and he looks nothing like George."

"No, we adopted him."

"So three kids."

"Nope. Four, almost five."

His eyes almost popped out of his skull when I said that.

"Bloody h-" He looked at the two kids in his arms and stopped himself.

"Wow... I thought George was the 'one kid' kind of guy."

"He kinda is. But I'm not. And I get what I want." I joked, and John stroked Zuri's hair.

"Uncle John, lets play!" Zuri said, standing up and dragging John to the backyard.

As they played, I called Pattie and invited her over.

I could hear John and Zuri laughing, having fun. As I watched them, I realized that John needed an escape. His life was hard enough as it is. He needed something to take him out of it for a while. And this was it. He probably came to George for some help.

Speaking of George, he probably heard the laughs from the studio, because he exited it, with Noelle in his arms, and took a long look at John.

"John?"

"Hey, George."

"Uh.. hey. What are ye doing here?"

"Just wanted to see you and the family." His eyes landed on Noelle and smiled. "This must be baby number four." He waved, and Noelle immediately smiled, reaching for him. She liked him a lot already.

John took her up in his arms and Noelle placed a huge kiss on his cheek.

"Okay..." George said, walking away. As he walked towards me to enter the house, I stopped him.

"You don't like John being here? You know, he came to get help. He needs your help. He needs a friend right now."

George seemed to soften up a bit, and he looked back at his old friend. "I know. Seeing him like this... hurts. But I don't know..." He shook his head somberly and walked back into the house.

"So are you going to help him?" I turned to him, and he shook his head. "No." He looked at John once more before walking back to the studio.