Hey guys, I'm back! I'm so sorry for going AWOL on you. Life has been pretty hectic since I last updated! Between getting ready for honors classes, summer assignments, band camp, school starting, and homework up to my eyeballs, I haven't had the time to update and I feel really bad about that! Hopefully you can forgive me?
Disclaimer: I do not own the Beatles.
Julian and I raced across the driveway just as our mother screamed.
"John, what the hell are you doing?!"
We were right behind Cyn at this point, looking through the front door into the kitchen where our father and some other woman were sitting. She was in my mother's bathrobe. If you were to stand by us at that moment, you'd hear three hearts breaking in unison.
"Oh, hello…" John said, looking from Cyn to me to Julian. He seemed to be totally unfazed by that fact that his wife and children had just caught him with another woman.
I felt sick and my vision became watery instantly. I looked over to Julian and was met by a blank face. He didn't look like my brother anymore. I reached for his hand and attempted to grab it, but he pulled it away and began to walk back the way we came, head down and hands in pockets.
Cyn stormed into the house and grabbed the woman by her upper arm, dragged her to the front door, and practically threw her onto the pavement next to me. I didn't look at her as she got up and brushed herself off. Instead I was focused on my father…
He looked completely baked. His speech was incoherent when he tried to explain himself to my mother. He walked awkwardly and tried to hug Cyn, but she slapped his hands away.
"You disgusting pig! You call yourself a father? Look what you've done to your children!"
Cyn pointed at me, still standing frozen on the walkway.
"Who is she?" John asked. I knew it had to be me he was talking about because the woman who was there was already walking down front lawn to the road. I wanted to spit in her face.
Whatever heart I had left was completely crushed at that point. I turned on my heels and ran toward the backyard, hoping to find my brother there.
It was pitch black as I stumbled clumsily around. I tripped over a potted plant and ripped a hole in the knee of my pants.
"Jules!" I called, voice cracking.
No answer.
"Jules!" I yelled out again, but louder.
"I'm here." He responded in a soft voice somewhere by the back steps.
I followed the sound for a few minutes before my right foot bumped into his leg. He was sitting on the ground, holding his knees. I sat down beside him and, unsure of what to do, put my head on his shoulder and sighed. It felt odd not crying after something like this, but I just couldn't. Tears wouldn't come even if I tried. Disappointment was the emotion I felt the most, not sadness. I didn't know what Julian felt, but I knew whatever emotion it was, it was bad.
"Flo, what are we going to do?" Julian asked after a few minutes of silence.
"I-I don't know. Everything's over."
"What do you mean?"
I thought about it. "I don't know. Everything just feels dead…over, you know?"
Even though he said nothing, I knew Julian understood what I meant.
We heard the yelling inside and tried to block it out, but no matter what we tried, we still heard our mother screaming and John trying to defend himself while high as a kite. Everything they said made no sense to me; it was just a mass of sound. After a few seconds of listening, Julian and I heard the sound of twigs snapping and footsteps.
"Julian? Florence?" A voice called.
We both looked up and saw the figure of a man in front of us. I could faintly make out a strange looking sweater, and knew then who it was.
"Uncle Paul?" I said to the man.
"Come here, guys." He said and held his arms out to us.
Without hesitation, Jules and I ran into Uncle Paul's arms and hugged him. He smelled of cigarettes and fabric softener, but he was warm and comforting and that was what I needed at the moment. His hugs reminded me of Aunt Maggie's, and I suddenly felt safe.
"Let's go back to my flat." And with that, Uncle Paul was leading us to his black VW Beetle.
I know this chapter was very short, but it's kind of a filler-chapter. I know I didn't go into much detail with the fight between John and Cynthia, but the real juicy stuff will be happening in the next few chapters! I hope you liked it and review please!
