After the beatles finished their recording George remembered Maria. They hadn't come back yet. He was expecting them to be back by now and he was getting hungry.
As he put his guitar away and locked the case, he hummed the last song they'd recorded, which was "You really Got a Hold on Me". He picked up his guitar case and put it away before he sighed and sat down. John and Paul were talking about the four of them going out and George laughed.
"I've got plans, fellas." he said casually. John looked at him and frowned.
"Plans with who?" Paul asked moving over close to George. Ringo seemed suddenly interested in the conversation.
"Maria," George shrugged, knowing they wanted him to say Olivia.
"What're you planning on doing with her?" John asked. George sighed.
"I told her I'd take her out for dinner." George insisted shrugging. John and Paul didn't seem to believe him.
"Speaking of the little bugger, where is she?" Paul asked looking around in case she might be hiding from them.
"Olivia took her out for the afternoon." George said looking at his lap and playing with the end of his sleeve.
"Aw!" Ringo said grinning goofily, "So Olivia likes her?" George shrugged and shyly avoided their gazes.
"I guess." he said. He cleared his throat, wanting to talk about something, anything, else. He took an awkward breath and looked at John and Paul who were smirking. He huffed and got up from his seat. He started to walk around the room, slightly worried about what was making Maria and Olivia late. He sighed and ruffled his own hair with impatience.
Finally after ten minutes of pacing Maria busted into the room and yelled; "Daddy!" She was wearing a sunhat with white daisies and a sunflower around the hat. She was also carrying a book under her arm, "Look what Livie got me!" She ran to him and he scooped her up, relieved she was alright. He thought this parent thing was making him a slightly nervous wreck.
"What did Livie get you?" He asked. She was smiling non-stop and it made George happy to see it.
"She got me a pretty hat and then she said I could get any toy that I wanted and I got this!" She held out the book and George read the title. It was "Madeline" by Ludwig Bemelmans. George nodded.
"Very nice!" He said before he kissed her cheek, "I've missed you!" George gave her several kisses and she laughed.
"I missed you too!" she said sweetly.
"Did you thank Livie for your book and your lovely hat?" he asked. Olivia walked up to them. She ruffled Maria's hair and nodded.
"She did," She said gently.
"I'm telling you, Olivia, it was a good thing you showed up when you did because George was on the very of a panic attack." Paul said smirking at George. He cocked an eyebrow and rolled his eyes.
"I was not!" George said with a huff, "I just didn't think you'd be out so long."
"I'm sorry about that." Olivia said, "Maria wanted to go to the zoo so she could show me the pandas." George's scowl to Paul turned into a huge grin. He kissed Maria's cheeks before she huffed.
"Daddy you said we'd go out to dinner." She said scrunching up her nose.
George nodded, "I did!" he said giggling, "Well then where would you like to go?" Maria shrugged an sighed.
"Let's have Livie pick!" Maria exclaimed. Olivia laughed and shrugged.
"Alright, but that means we take my car." Olivia said poking Maria nose. She scrunched her nose again and George shook his head.
"We have to take my car, love." he said, "I have to have it to get back here in the morning." Olivia laughed and poked George in the nose this time.
"I do too, Geo." She said. George sighed deeply and blushed.
"Well I'll come and pick you up tomorrow morning then!" He said. Olivia laughed and surrendered.
"Fine!" she said giggling, "Let's go then." Maris nodded in agreement before George carried her towards the car.
"Wait Daddy!" She said, "You have to hold Livie's hand!" George frowned and Maria huffed. She squirmed from his arms and ran over to Olivia. She took her hand and pulled her to George. They stood side by side and Maria made took George's hand. He made their hands touch and she carefully laced their fingers together. Olivia blushed and Maria looked proud over her accomplishment of making them hold hands. George held out his other hand to Maria and she took it before skipping along next to him to the car.
Their dinner was quite good and they had fun like they had at lunch, and Maria went on and on about how she couldn't find a "Madeline" hat at the shop they went to. George suddenly thought about how close her birthday was and he wasn't even sure which day it was. He took a deep breath and decided to ask her.
"So, Maria, love,' George said biting his lip, "I've forgotten, when's your birthday?"
Maria looked at him for a second and Olivia frowned as she answered him, "It's April 17." George nodded and thought. It was April tenth now...just a week until her birthday. He took a deep breath and looked at Olivia. She had her eyebrow cocked.
"What?" he asked and she looked a bit hurt.
"You forgot your own daughter's birthday!?" she asked, astounded. George laughed and took a drink of his coke.
"Well there's this big story about Maria." George said shrugging. Olivia wanted to hear it so George told her most of it. He tried to avoid mentioning Annabell's death while Maria was still sitting there, but she got sad anyway. The smiled George tried so hard to get disappeared and he felt terrible. Everything was quiet while Olivia thought about what George had told her.
"So you still loved her?" Olivia asked looking just as sad as George and Maria. George nodded and cleared his throat.
"I still do." He sighed, "But anyway..." He tried to change the subject to something happier.
"Oh!" Olivia said suddenly, "Maria why don't you tell your daddy about the Pandas?" Maria's bottom lip quivered and she was trying not to cry. George was crushed to see her so upset. Olivia looked like she was trying to figure out what to do. She tried to cheer up poor Maria, but she'd only managed to make it worse. George felt a tad sorry for her and he knew she was only trying to help. He touched her hand gently and Olivia looked at him.
"It's alright, Livie." George said giving her a crooked smile before he looked over at Maria. He pulled her into his lap and she started sobbing. He held her and kept a conversation with Olivia while he let her cry. He hated hearing her cry and he wanted to tell her to stop, but he knew he couldn't just make her stop. He rubbed her back and he gave her kisses while she calmed down a little, "Are you OK now?" he asked her as she sat up from his shoulder. George wiped his thumb over her wet face as she nodded and wiped her nose on her sleeve.
"I miss mummy." She whispered. George kissed her forehead and sighed.
"I know, love." He said, "But poor Livie here thinks she's hurt you!" he pointed to Olivia who was looking a bit sheepish. Maria shook her head and she walked around the table and sat in her lap.
"You didn't hurt me, Livie." she said kissing her cheek. "I'm OK." Olivia hugged her and Maria sighed. George watched them the rest of the evening. He knew Maria loved Olivia, and he liked her a lot too, but something in the back of head was telling him to stop this before it got too far. Of course he didn't listen.
He and Maria and Olivia spent a lot of time in the next week together. George seemed to be falling for her harder and harder every time he saw her.
Maria had asked to go on a picnic on the day before her birthday. They were now at the park running around and having a picnic. It was mostly George chasing Maria around a tree and Olivia watching and giggling at them, but they were at least having fun.
After they ate lunch, George and Olivia started to talk a bit and George held her hand without Maria having to do it for them. He even started to move closer to her and put his arm around her as Maria played with Petie and looked through the pictures in her Madeline book. George and Olivia watched her until she got frustrated with trying to read the words and came and sat down in between George and Olivia.
"Can you read it to me, Daddy?" She asked. George picked up the book and read the lovely little book to Maria for the millionth time that week. Olivia listened along and she leaned against George happily.
When it was time to go, George drove Olivia back home and he kissed her cheek before she could get out of the car. Maria invited her to her birthday party and Olivia promised to be there before she got out of the car and went into her apartment building.
George took Maria back home and they watched TV most of the afternoon. Maria had a bath before dinner and then they watched TV some more.
George was getting Maria ready for bed when someone knocked on the door. He sighed and he walked to the door, with Maria following him. He opened the door and his smile faded slightly as his girlfriend smiled at him.
"George!" She said wrapping her arms around him.
"Pattie!" He said glancing at Maria who had a sour look on her face. He hugged her a tad bit awkwardly and then they walked into the living room. They sat on the couch and Maria was still making a terrible face at Pattie. She frowned and George motioned for her to come to him. She stubbornly walked up to him and he pointed to Pattie.
"Say hello to Pattie." he said seriously. Maria sighed, knowing that anything her father might have had with Livie was completely gone as soon as Pattie knocked on the door.
"Hello." she grumbled, "Daddy, can I go to bed now?"
George cocked an eyebrow at her and got up, "I'll be right back love." he said to Pattie. He got up and scooped up Maria while making space ship noises with his mouth. He left the room with her and he put her in her bed.
She giggled and he smiled, "Now, we've had a very fun day with Livie and now we have to go to sleep now. Because tomorrow you have a very special day and we're gonna have a party!"
"Yay!" Maria cheered quietly. George laughed and he kissed her forehead.
"Now, sleep!" he commanded dramatically. She giggled again and she kissed his cheek.
"Daddy," she said suddenly, "What about Livie?" She looked devastated.
"What about her?" George asked giggling. Just the thought of her made him happy.
"Well, if Pattie's here tomorrow then Livie will get sad and then she'll leave and never come back and then I'll never see her again!" She said looking close to crying, "Daddy, I love Livie!"
"I know you do!" George said gently, "And me and Livie are just friends!" Maria didn't really believe him, but she sighed and nodded before he kissed her forehead again, handed her Petie and turned out her light.
Now he had to talk to Pattie. He decided not to mention Olivia because he didn't really feel like arguing. so He went in the living room and he and Pattie just watched TV Until she went home. The whole time though he couldn't stop thinking about Olivia.