Chapter 16

It was early June now and in just a few days the Beatles new Album would be released to critical acclaim and hopefully another #1 on the charts. All those who have gotten their hands on an advanced copy were just as impressed with this masterpiece as we all had been when it was finished two months ago now.

I already got to see the artwork that was done on the cover and the photos I took of them on the inserts and to say it's a work of art is an absolute understatement. I was beyond proud of everything they did to bring it to fruition.

Ever since I met the Beatles last Fall, I have been impressed by them. Even John and I were able to smooth the tension he caused when his infidelity became public information. He reconciled with his wife despite everyone knowing he wasn't happy being married and they decided to try to make it work.

George and I spent two weeks in India practicing transcendental meditation with John and Cynthia and the four of us were now more bonded than we ever were really, no tension between us. We almost didn't want to return home but had to for the album release.

George and I also made passionate love almost every night these last two months, trying to have our dream of creating a family happen sooner rather than later, after giving it plenty of thought. 

Everything was always all or nothing with us and we liked it this way.

I didn't need to be as skinny as possible and fit the impossible mold of being perfect at all times. I wanted to be a mother but more specifically I wanted George to be a father and that was more important to me than looking pretty for a camera or for others to sell magazines.

I also started a new clothing line and decided to begin to market it back in America as well as here in London and it has been a commercial success in its own right which has kept me equally as busy with my time as of late.

It wasn't until this morning, a few days before the Album release that I had the urge to jump up out of bed and run to the bathroom to vomit into our sink. I knew what this meant, I was feeling sick and I could be pregnant. I knew that George would be thrilled if he received this news the day of the release.

I just was hoping it wasn't a false alarm. I couldn't call Cynthia to ask for advice because George and I had decided to keep this between us and I also didn't want anyone to know before him.

I decided to tell George I needed to go into the city for supplies, hoping he would let me go alone. He had taught me to drive to London a few times and I knew he trusted me to be safe. To my surprise he was all for it and made me promise to return in one piece and then kissed me goodbye. With that I drove safely to meet with our doctor.

"What can I do for you?" Dr. Klein asked me as I sat in his office.

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice," I gulped, "I just wanted this meeting to be discreet and I only could trust you with that."

"You have my full discretion," he assured me and then waited for me to tell him what was going on. I think he knew deep down what the news would be.

"Doctor, I think George and I could be pregnant," I smiled and his stern, professional look grew to complete joy. The last time we saw him, George was having problems with his throat and we told him we were trying to have a baby and he had given us advice and wished us well. He told us to come to him to get an exam whenever I felt it necessary.

"Where is George?" He looked around.

"He's home," I said, "I want to surprise him with the news, but I can't get his hopes up. I have to be sure."

After a blood test, a urine test and an ultrasound Dr. Klein stood before me with tears of joy in his eyes for George and I.

"We're going to have a Beatle baby," he congratulated me. Somehow I felt fully ready for this. I wasn't afraid, my body and soul were filled with joy at this happy news.

My current predicament was that there was no way I was going to be able to keep this from George for two and a half more days. I also felt terrible that I didn't have him come with to find out this happy news together.

I was unsure of what to do and so I drove home and then saw he was in the studio with Paul. Instead of disturbing them, I went up to our meditation room and sat there in silence until he would come find me there at some point.

I was unaware of how long I had been in a trance and I was gently shaken out of it.

"Lauren, honey...." George said sounding worried, "babe," he was shaking me harder and trying to wake me.

"What..." I snapped out of it and my blurred vision went into focus and my eyes met his. He was scared out of his mind.

"God, Lauren. You were scaring me. I found you here an hour ago and you were fine but as time was passing you started losing it. You were stopping your humming and then slowly passing out. I had to wake you up."

"So I'm getting better at this than you?" I joked with him and he didn't find it funny, he picked me up and carried me to our bed.

"What is on your mind? How was London?" He asked me trying to get me to talk to him.

"You... we're with Paul and I wanted to take some time to relax is all..." I tried to not lie to him but also wanted to keep my secret a little longer.

"Promise me you won't scare me like that, ever again," he kissed the top of my head. Seeing me passing out from shallow breathing must have been hard on him. He knows how important it is to leave someone be when they are in a deep state and he must have really thought there was a problem to be that scared.

I went to bed later that evening with George holding me. He suggested we just relax for the evening. I knew deep down he was hoping I would be carrying our child by now but he didn't want to bring it up because he felt he might upset me. Maybe he thought that's what caused me to be nervous and need to meditate deeply.

I got through the next couple days with a normal routine and then finally I prepared myself to share the news at the party. I decided how I would do it and grew excited to share the news with our friends.

George and I got ready and he noticed how happy I was and he himself was glowing with excitement. He so handsome in his stylish suit that I picked out for him. As a couple we were definitely fashion icons for the world to enjoy. Everywhere we went there were pictures taken and so I made sure we always were dressed to the nines.

"Ready, my love?" He asked grabbing my arm and walking me down the stairs.

I looked at him and he was absolutely the most handsome man on the planet. I wanted to ruin the surprise right then and there but knew I could manage to hold it in for another few hours.

Once he had all his fun I would tell him in front of everybody.

....

The press room was packed, I couldn't even believe how jam packed the room was. Each one of the guys were dressed in something I designed for them to commemorate my past on the project. This time it wasn't their colorful alter ego band uniforms they had on, but instead just my signature 1960s style and with a hint of each of their personalities.

"They all look great," Cynthia said to me as we stood and watched them talk to the press and hold up their album. When they opened it up they were able to fan it out and show the pictures I took of them on the inside.

"Where did you gain the inspiration for this album?" I overheard a press officer ask all four of them. They looked around at each other and then Paul spoke as George looked to me.

"I won't lie about it," Paul said gleefully, "we were told to say one thing by our manager but I'm going to say the complete opposite and give you the truth...."

The entire room fell silent and the band of brothers put their arms around each other and Paul continued to speak, with everyone in the room now listening in in silence.

"The muse for this album has always been Lauren," he said and suddenly flashes were going off in my direction as Paul spoke, "she has helped us more than we will ever be able to thank her for. Not only did she design this album and come up with the look, it was her designs that sparked the creativity in all of us to come up with the music. Without her, we wouldn't be standing here today..."

"George?" The reporter called out hoping they could get him to talk about his wife. Something he tended to be more private about.

More flashes went off.

"Well I better say something, I suppose," he looked around the room then at me before back at the reporter, "before tomorrow's headlines talk about how Paul is madly in love with my wife."

The entire room began to laugh at this and his charm completely drew me in to what he was about to say about me.

"At the end of our last tour, we as a band were completely wiped out. I was feeling lost. I was not finding any creativity. I was playing the same songs. Then I met Lauren and drops of color were added to my world. We got married fast and we had to hear about it all the time, everyone dooming us to fail, yet here we are. She has been the biggest inspiration to us all,"

He walked down briefly to grab my hand and pull me up to him.

Again our photos were snapped and he kissed me passionately in front of everyone. I then decided to tell him the news in his ear so I could have the photographers capture the moment he found out for us forever. I couldn't wait to see his face.

"I'm pregnant," I whispered in his right ear.

He took a step back and looked at me, completely caught off guard and then he picked me up and swung me around delicately.

No one around us knew what I had said or why he reacted like this but the entire room burst into cheers and figured we were just celebrating the album.