John was sitting at the bar in his basement with Ringo, taking a break from a game of darts. Julia came down the stairs, looking very grown up indeed.

“Jesus, John, look at Julia; she’s practically a woman,” Ringo said under his breath. “Where’d the time go?”

“I dunno,” he replied. “I was just wonderin’ th’ same thing, lookin’ at her.” To Julia, he called, “What’s on yer mind, Puss? Is there summat I c’n help ye with?”

She came over and sat beside him. Something was up; John could practically smell it.

“I was wondering about something, Daddy,” she said slowly. “I’m sixteen now, and a lot of the other girls have been dating...not in groups as I’ve been doing, but by couples; well, there’s this boy at school, and he’s asked me to go out to eat and see a film on Friday night.”

John opened his mouth to answer, and Julia saw the objection forming before he could get it out.

“Remember you asked me to wait until I was sixteen to try pot, Daddy?” she said quickly. “Well, I’ve been sixteen for three months now, and I still haven’t done, because I knew you didn’t really want me to. Don’t you think that’s grown up, Daddy? I care about your feelings. You care about mine too, don’t you?”

“Hahaha, she’s gotcha there, John,” laughed Ringo. “You’re good,” he added to Julia, ignoring the dark look John shot him.

She smiled at the drummer. “Thanks, Uncle Ritchie,” she said. “Well, Daddy?”

“Course I do, baby,” he said helplessly. She had him and he knew it. “But don’tcher think yer still a little young t’ be datin’?”

“No, I don’t,” she replied. “Julian did when he was my age, and you said that he was a chip off the old block.”

“So I did,” sighed John. “I really should keep me mouth shut more.”

Julia threw her arms around her father’s neck and kissed him firmly on the cheek.

“Whist, gurrl,” he said gruffly, “Ye’ll be gettin’ that damned lipstick all over me. Yer still too young for that, too, if anyone asked me, which of course no one did. Go on, now, an’ tell yer mum ye’ve won. I know well enough that she’s waitin’ t’ hear what I said...not that either of ye had any doubts about th’ outcome.”

“Thanks, Daddy!” called Julia happily as she bounded up the stairs. “Bye, Uncle Ritchie!”

“Yer no help, are ye,” muttered John. He poured himself another drink and lit a cigarette. “Just wait until it’s Lee, an’ yer th’ one in th’ position I’m in now.”

“Well, I have a few years left before that happens,” Ringo remarked.

“Yeah, hold that thought, lad, it’ll be here before ye know it, an’ no mistake,” John told him. “Now, let’s get back t’ me trouncin’ ye at arrers, shall we?”

Ringo chuckled and picked up his darts. “We’ll see about that, son,” he said good naturedly.

***

“Don’t worry, baby,” Mary said as she slid into bed beside her husband on Thursday night. “Julia’s a good girl, and she’s very sensible, too. We can trust her.”

“She’s not th’ one I don’t trust,” John said moodily. “It’s th’ fuckin’ kid she’s goin’ out with.”

“John, you haven’t even met the boy,” Mary chided. “Give him a chance, love.”

“I don’t hafta meet him. He’s a sixteen year old lad, isn’t he?”

“Well...he’s seventeen, actually,” Mary admitted.

John turned onto his side and stared at her. “What?” he cried. “That’s worse yet! “ He regarded his wife suspiciously. “How long were ye gonna wait t’ drop that on me?” he asked. “Have ye met this fuckin’ loser?”

“John, such talk. Would our daughter date a loser?”

“Why not? Her mum did,” he said.

“We never dated, actually,” Mary reminded him. “I fell in love with you one night and moved in with you the next day.”

“I wasn’t talkin’ about me, I was talkin’ about that other bloke, th’ one before me.”

“Julia won’t allow anyone to treat her badly,” Mary reassured him. “She wasn’t raised the way I was. My father didn’t even speak to me, except to abuse me. I thought it was natural for a man to treat a woman that way. Julia knows better.”  She leaned over to turn out the light. “She’ll probably end up with someone like you, baby.”

“Christ on a crutch,” John groaned. “Ye hadda put an idea like that in me head... I know for sure I don’t want her goin’ out with any seventeen year old version of me.”

“She’ll be lucky if she finds someone like you,” Mary told him. “Now, come here, love, and let me help you put all those bad thoughts out of your mind.”

“If ye insist,” he said, seeming to forget his worries as he reached for her greedily. He pushed her onto her back and claimed her mouth, exploring it lazily with his hot, insistent tongue. Mary could feel how ready he was in just a few seconds, his throbbing hardness moving between her thighs, seeking her opening. When he slipped inside, both of them moaned with pleasure.

“Eh, ye like that, don’tcher,” he whispered, sliding in deep. She nodded, her eyes on his, and he lifted her legs over his shoulders and began to move with easy grace, teasing her, sinking into her with excruciating slowness, then withdrawing almost all of the way. He held her gaze, his eyes burning, continuing in this fashion until Mary felt that she would lose her mind. She was trembling, reaching for more.

“Please, love,” she moaned, “Faster; harder!” She could not wait. She had to have him.

John laughed softly. “Ah, yeah, I think yer ready now, love,” he said in a husky murmur.

“Oh, yesss,” she cried softly, “So ready!” She was beside herself, shaking so hard that it almost made him lose control. She thrust her hips upward, impaling herself upon him, and he gave up the game.

“Christ,” he muttered, and he obliged, slamming into her frantically. He could not believe how good it was with her after all the years they had been together. He let himself go completely, pounding relentlessly into her with wild abandon. At last she was there, and she cried out and clutched his shoulders, arching against him involuntarily. He closed his eyes and let out a deep groan of satisfaction as he spent himself, loving the feel of her heat enclosing him, pulling and releasing gently, coaxing every bit he had to give from his body.

“Maybe th’ lad isn’t th’ one I need t’ be worryin’ about,” he said with a gentle chuckle when he was capable of speech at last. “If she’s anythin’ like her mum, I think we’d better lock our gurrl in her room until her weddin’ day.”

“You’re just impossible to resist, baby,” Mary whispered against his shoulder. “I’ve never known another man like you.”

“That’s cos there aren’t any,” he told her, rolling to his side of the bed to get himself a cigarette.

***

“Honey, you look beautiful,” said Mary softly. “John, take a snapshot.”

He got the camera and focused it on Julia. She really did look lovely, all dressed in blue with her blonde hair falling in waves to her waist.

“Little too much makeup, dontcher think, love?” John asked Mary.

“Oh, stop -- she looks perfectly charming,” Mary replied. “Don’t get started, John. You don’t want to ruin it for her...our baby’s first real date. It’s a big night for her. I remember mine like it was yesterday. I was that nervous; his name was Peter, and he lived next door.”

“What’s this lad’s name again?” interrupted John. He did not really care to hear his wife rhapsodizing about a former boyfriend, no matter how long ago and innocent it might have been.

“BOBBY!” Julia and Mary cried together.

“Right, right...no need t’ shout,” John told them. “I’m not so old I can’t hear ye when ye talk in a normal tone o’ voice, yerknow.”

“Well, you do keep forgetting his name, Daddy,” Julia pointed out.

The gate buzzer sounded and John peered anxiously out the window. There was a battered van outside the gate in the driveway.

“A van?” he cried in dismay. “Are ye quite sure I can’t call Max t’ drive ye in th’ Bentley?”

“Daddy, no,” Julia said firmly. “Bobby is going to be driving us.”

“In his van,” John said with a last look of disgust at the vehicle in question before he reluctantly buzzed it in through the gate. “Ye’d think he woulda washed it, at least,” he muttered.

“Darling, behave,” Mary told him.

“What? I was just sayin’ -- “

“We know what you were saying,” replied Mary. “Now, remember to mind your manners.”

“Yes, Mother,” John said moodily. He watched the boy climb out of the van and approach the door. He didn’t like the look of him at all. Bobby, John thought, had a decidedly arrogant demeanor.

Julia ran to open the door. “Come in, Bobby,” she said in a nervous voice, “You’ve already met my mum; this is my father.”

John reluctantly offered his hand to the boy, who took it after a brief hesitation.

John squeezed it a bit harder than he had intended to, noting with satisfaction the way the lad winced slightly.  “Sorry,” John told him, “Sometimes I don’t know me own strength.”

The boy met John’s eyes in a strong, steady gaze not unlike his own, and John realized with a shock that he might have been looking back at himself a quarter of a century ago.

“Not to worry, sir, I’m fine,” said Bobby. “Nice to finally meet ya. I’m Bobby; Bobby Warren.”

“John Lennon,” said John.

“No need to tell me that, You’re one of my idols,” Bobby told him. “I’m a musician too; I’ve got a band of my own, the Savages. We haven’t made a record yet, but we will. We’re gonna be huge, someday.”

John snorted. “Think it’s easy as all that, do ye?” he asked. “Ye’ll starve t’ death if ye don’t get yerself a good education an’ a real job.”

“Oh, I dunno,” said Bobby casually, taking Julia by the hand, “You didn’t. C’mon, love, we’ll be late,” he added to Julia, and they left, leaving Mary trying to hide her smile and John staring after them.

Snapping out of his shock, John stepped out onto the porch.

“Mind yer hands, lad,” he called. “Behave yerself with her, else ye’ll have me t’ answer to, understand?”

“Perfectly, sir,” called Bobby, and he closed Julia’s door and got into the van on the driver’s side. “I’ll have her back at twelve.”

“Ten!” John shouted.

Mary came out to stand beside him. “Eleven, Bobby,” she called.

“Right, eleven it is, Mrs. Lennon,” he shouted above the sound of the engine.

Mary buzzed the gate closed after the kids had gone.

“The pure cheek o’ th’ lad,” John complained, “Comparin’ himself t’ me... he’d better learn some respect, is all I have t’ say. I won’t have it.”

“He does remind me of you,” Mary told him. “You would have respected any girl you took out at that age, wouldn’t you?”

“Jesus, I woulda been all over her as soon as I was outta her parents’ sight,” John admitted, “if not before, just t’ prove meself t’ her dad --  Mary, d’ye think I should follow ‘em?”

“No, of course not, relax,” she replied. “Julia is your daughter. She can handle anything that boy tries. She’ll be safe, and I’m sure Bobby will be very protective.”

“Possessive, more like,” John muttered. “I wish it was eleven o’clock. What time is it, anyroad?”

“Quarter to seven,” Mary replied. “Relax. Let’s go, now, I promised George and Emily we’d take them out to eat as well. It’ll help pass the time for you.”

“But shouldn’t we be by the phone?” he asked. “In case there’s trouble?”

“Julia has the number for the car phone, and she knows we’ll be out for a while. Stop worrying, John. She’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” he said doubtfully. “But ye know what they call such a conveyance in th’ States, dontcher -- they call it a ‘make-out machine’.” He picked up his jacket from the sofa. “Th’ little bastard’s probably gorra fuckin’ mattress in th’ back,” he muttered.

***

John was waiting at the piano when Julia arrived home. He buzzed the van in and waited, watching through the window as it stopped behind his car in the driveway.

Five minutes passed, and neither of them emerged.

“Mary!” he called, “They’re out there, but she’s not comin’ in!”

Mary came in from the kitchen and looked out the widow. “They’re probably just saying their goodnights,” she told him. “She’ll be along. It’s not quite eleven yet... give them a few more minutes.”

“For what? So’s he c’n paw her an’ slobber all over ‘er? Christ, Mary, how long does it take t’ say ‘goodnight’? I dunno if I c’n take this; it’s drivin’ me fuckin’ insane.”

“So I see,” she said dryly. “Well, you’d better get used to it, John. She’ll be on her own in a few more years, and you’ll have no say as to what she does. We have to begin to let her go and allow her to make some decisions on her own. If we don’t, not only will she not be prepared to do it when the time comes, but we could lose her. She’ll rebel and not want any part of us if we don’t let her grow up. Besides, if it was Julian or George, you would be in here cheering them on.”

The driver’s side of the van opened, and Bobby hopped out. He went to the passenger door and opened it for Julia, then walked with her to the front steps. They paused at the bottom of the steps and to John’s horror, Bobby took Julia into his arms in an extremely familiar and practiced manner and kissed her thoroughly. The kiss looked very casual to John, as though it was something the two had done many times before.

“Look at ‘em,” he told Mary in disbelief. “He’s all over her! Mary, this is too much. I can’t just sit here an’ watch ‘em snoggin’ like this.”

“Well, then don’t,” she said, pulling the blinds down. “What do you think he’s going to do -- shag her right there at the front door?”

“Mary!” he said, startled by both her use of the word ‘shag’ and by the idea itself, which in his present state of mind seemed to be an actual possibility. “Turn on th’ floodlight out there, at least.”

The door opened and Julia came in, still flushed with the pleasure of the kissing she’d been enjoying. She seemed unaware that they’d been observed, but Bobby, who was standing in the doorway behind her, fixed John with a knowing, insolent look that told him that the youngster knew he’d been seen and was daring him to say something.

Mary saw the look that passed between the two males and ushered Julia into the kitchen.

“G’night, Bobby!” called Julia.

“Night, love,” he replied.

John was out of his seat and at the door the second Julia left the room. He grabbed the boy by the arm and dragged him outside.

“I saw what ye were doin’ out here, an’ I know yer well aware that I saw ye,” he said in a low, dangerous growl as he marched Bobby back to his van. “I also know that yer probably thinkin’ that if ye tell Julia about this little talk we’re havin’ now she’ll take yer side against me. Don’t wager on it, boyo. I want ye t’ know that I’ve got me eye on ye, an’ ye’d best behave yerself where me daughter’s concerned. Hurt her an’ ye’ll pay dearly. Keep yer gob shut about this little talk, too. Don’t underestimate me, lad. I know ye, cos I was ye, an’ I’m tellin’ ye here an’ now that I’ll do whatever I hafta do t’ protect Julia. Now, do we understand one another? Say yes, sir, if ye know what’s good for ye.”

Bobby’s arrogance evaporated in the fire of John’s barely controlled fury.  “Yessir,” he said quietly.

John nodded with satisfaction and released him. “Now get outta me sight,” he said, “Next time I see ye, I’ll expect ye t’ show a bit more respect, like.”

Bobby got into his van and was at the gate before John got back into the house. He buzzed the gate open and closed it behind the boy, heaving a sigh of relief. Once he had his pulse back to normal, he went into the kitchen to hear about Julia’s adventure.

***

“So, darling, are you going to tell me about it?” asked Mary as she brushed her hair before bed that night.

“About what?” John asked, dropping his jeans on the floor and climbing into bed. “Whattayer mean?”

“You know very well what I mean, John Lennon,” Mary said, turning to look at him.

“What did you say to that poor boy to chase him away like that? Julia thought he might stay for a while.”

“Oh, that. Well, let’s just say that he and I came to a meetin’ of the minds an’ leave it at that.”

Mary looked at him doubtfully. “You didn’t hurt him, did you?”

“What? O’ course not, he’s nobbut a lad. I just had a few words with him, is all.”

“You looked pretty pleased with yourself when you came back into the kitchen. You had a sort of victorious look on your face.”

“Yeah, well I hadda say summat,” he told her as she slipped into bed beside him. “Ye should’ve seen th’ look he gave me behind Julia’s back when she came in. He was fairly smirkin’, lookin’ all proud o’ himself cos he knew I’d seen ‘im snoggin’ ‘er.”

“I saw the look he gave you, and I saw the one you gave him back. Why do you think I rushed her into the kitchen the way I did? I didn’t want her to see you go after him. I knew you were itching to.”

She turned off the light and lay there quietly for a moment.

“He was cute, though, wasn’t he?” she asked. “And he seemed like a good kisser.”

“C’mere, woman,” he said, taking her into his arms possessively, “I’ll show ye some kissin’ an’ then some.”

He kissed her deeply for what seemed like an hour, his hands wandering in apparent aimlessness all over her body, pausing in just the right places for just the right amount of time.

At last he covered her with his body and she eagerly opened to him. She was so much more than ready! He slipped into her body easily and she caught her breath at the bright, fresh shock of pleasure.

“Christ, ye feel good,” he whispered, moving in a slow, tantalizing rhythm. He was resolute, keeping pace, driving her to distraction. Mary looked up at him; he was beautiful. He was staring straight ahead, and she knew he was working to control himself...he was doing an admirable job.

“Baby,” she whispered, “That’s so good, but please, don’t hold back. Take me with you.”

He needed no further encouragement. With a low growl, he upped his speed and gave her all he had. He was magnificent. Mary held on and let him take her with him, galloping relentlessly forward.

It wasn’t long before she cried out that she was ready, and he groaned and began pounding into her furiously. Their breathing was loud in the otherwise quiet room. Suddenly Mary cried out, her back arching, a great wave of pleasure washing over her. John cried out her name, and it sounded as if his voice was coming from a great distance. He thrust deeply into her a few more times before emitting a harsh cry and releasing all he had into her, his head thrown back in wild abandon. After it was over he sank down upon her, breathing heavily, smiling down into her face.

“Now,” he said, “What was that ye were sayin’?”

Mary was dazed and her heart was still hammering in her chest. “I don’t remember,” she told him in a soft whisper.

“There ye go,” he said, reaching for a cigarette and rolling off her. He lit it and smoked quietly, drawing her close beside him. She laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart as it slowly returned to its normal, steady rhythm.

***

John went outside to get some lyrics he’d left in his car; Bobby Warren’s van was parked behind him. He looked at it with disgust -- it had been six months since Julia had begun seeing the boy, and the relationship did not seem to be in any danger of ending anytime soon. Every time he turned around, he caught them standing in the hall or on the other side of the van with their heads plastered together until he was sure the boy would surely suck Julia’s features clear off her face. As he passed the vehicle, John gave the front tire a vicious kick. He wished that his daughter would see, as he did, that the boy was no good.

Probably has half a dozen chippies he’s shaggin’, thought John as he dug his papers out of his glove box. Maybe Julia and Mary can’t see him for what he is, but I sure as hell can. Turning to go back to the house, John impulsively looked into the window of the van, trying to see whether there actually was a mattress in the back.

There wasn’t, but it was carpeted, and that was just as bad, if you asked John, not, of course, that anyone would. He wondered where the kids were; he hadn’t seen them when he’d come up from his studio and walked through the kitchen or the living room. He knew they weren’t down in the game room, either. He heard Julia’s clear laugh; it seemed to be coming from around the other side of the house. They must be in the back garden, he thought. He turned and walked purposefully in that direction.

When he rounded the corner of the house, John dropped the papers he was holding and let out a bellow of fury. Julia was lying on her back under the apple tree, and Bobby Warren was stretched out on top of her with his mouth on hers and his hands roaming all over her. They sat up quickly, Julia adjusting her clothing and both of them wearing very shocked expressions indeed.

“Get the FUCK offa me daughter!” roared John, grabbing the boy by the shoulder and pulling him violently away.

“Daddy!” cried Julia, “Let him alone; we weren’t doing anything wrong!”

“Don’t try tellin’ me that! I saw ye with me own eyes! He was all over ye like ye were a back jigger chippie -- what woulda happened if I hadn’t seen ‘im when I did?” John exclaimed, dragging the terrified boy to his feet. He gave Bobby a rough shove and the boy lost his footing, falling against the tree. His head hit the edge of the children’s sandbox and he lay motionless on the ground.

“Oh, my God, Daddy -- you’ve killed him!” cried Julia, jumping up and running to Bobby. John knelt beside the boy, his heart hammering wildly. He felt his throat for a pulse and shook him. Bobby groaned.

“Nah, he’s just sparkied, is all,” John said, relief flooding him. He hadn’t meant to hurt the boy, he only wanted to protect his little girl. He slapped the boy’s face lightly, and Bobby’s eyes fluttered open. When he saw John bending over him, his face lost all color.

“What’re ya gonna do?” he asked. “I wasn’t doin’ anythin’ wrong. We were only kissin’. Didn’t ya do th’ same when you were seventeen?”

“Course I did, that’s not th’ point! This is me daughter yer snoggin’ here!”

“Daddy!”

“Go inside an’ wait for me; I’ll deal with ye later. This is between me ‘n him,” John told her sharply. Julia stared at him defiantly, then thought better of saying anything and ran towards the house to find her mother. John watched her go, then turned his attention back to Bobby.

“Now, it’s just me an’ you here,” John told the boy, “An’ I wanna get a few things straight with ye.” He indicated a bench a few yards away. “Let’s go over there,” he said, “We’ll sit an’ talk. How’s yer head? Ye all right? Fancy a smoke?”

“Oh, no, sir, no, I don’t -- “

“Don’t bother pretendin’ ye don’t do it, yer fuckin’ van’s fulla yer empty packets. C’mon, then, have one,” John said, offering his pack. Hesitantly, the boy accepted one and John lit it for him.

“Why do I feel as if this is my last smoke before I face th’ firin’ squad?” asked Bobby, managing a trembling smile.

“Cos it is,” John replied, enjoying the look this comment produced on the boy’s face. He was clearly unsure whether John was serious. John lit a cigarette for himself and sat back, looking down his nose at the boy sitting beside him.

“As I told ye once before, I know ye, Bobby Warren,” he said quietly. “I know ye because I was ye, at one time. I dint have a fancy van or a really good guitar like I hear ye’ve got, but I was basically th’ same. I had me band, I had me dreams, an’ I had me gurrl. I was young, but I was far from innocent...I don’t think for half a tic that yer innocent, either.” He took a deep drag on his cigarette and Bobby watched him as a cornered mouse watches a crouching cat.

“So tell me, Bobby, me lad,” John said casually, “What’s th’ situation between my daughter an’ ye?”

“I love her,” he said quietly.

“Do ye? Well, so do I,” John told him. “So I guess ye should understand me desire t’ protect her from anyone who might wanna take advantage of her, like.”

“I’m not doin’ that,” Bobby said firmly. “I’d never do anythin’ to hurt Julia.”

“See that ye don’t, son,” John replied. “Make damn fuckin’ sure that ye don’t, else ye’ll never see her again, an’ that’s a promise ye c’n take t’ th’ fuckin’ bank. Keep yer hands t’ yerself an’ yer nudger in yer jeans an’ ye’ll be all right. How far’ve ye gone with her, anyroad?”

Bobby’s face reddened. “Whattaya mean?” he asked.

“Ye know good an’ fuckin’ well what I mean,” John growled. “Have ye been shaggin’ ‘er?”

“‘Course not,” said the boy. “She’s not like that.”

“Damn fuckin’ straight, she’s not, an’ ye’d better remember that,” said John. “Well, who are ye puttin’ it to, then?”

“Nobody,” replied Bobby defensively, but his eyes shifted, and John didn’t miss it.

“Spill it,” John demanded. “I know yer lyin’, I c’n see it in yer face.”

“Name’s Jeannie Talbot,” admitted the boy. “But she’s nothin’ t’ me. She’s just -- “
“Yeah, I know. A lad’s got his needs. Well, too fuckin’ bad. Sooner or later, Julia’d find out, an’ she’d be crushed. A nice gurrl doesn’t understand that aspect o’ bein’ a man,” John said. “But we know all about it, don’t we, Bobby, cos we’ve been there. That is t’ say that I’ve been there, an’ unfortunately, yer still there. Ye won’t be there anymore, though, after this little talk is over with.”

“Whattaya mean?”

“What I mean,” John replied, narrowing his eyes and pointing his cigarette at Bobby, “Is that if ye plan on continuin’ t’ see me daughter, yer gonna hafta be mendin’ yer ways. Ye’ll give this Jeannie her walkin’ papers, an’ ye’ll keep yerself under control with Julia as well.”

“What am I s’posed t’ do about -- “

“Get better acquainted with yer right hand, me lad,” said John. “It’s gonna be yer new Jeannie until ye decide t’ break it off with Julia. If ye break her heart, it’ll be cos ye walked away like a man, not cos ye got caught shaggin’ a chippie in th’ back o’ yer fuckin’ van. Now,” he added, sitting back and crushing his cigarette out against the tree behind him, “Do I make meself understood?”

Bobby sighed and crushed his cigarette out as well. “Yes, sir,” he said quietly.

***

John was alone in the house when the phone rang the next day.

“Yeah, who is it?” he asked.

“It’s Bobby Warren here, sir,” came the reply. “Is Julia there?”

“No, she’s not...she gave ye the number, did she?”

“Yessir, she did,” said Bobby. “Could you tell ‘er I called, please?”

“I will, but ye should know that she’s not in th’ habit o’ receivin’ calls from lads,” John informed him. “I’m not keen on yer havin’ this number, either. It’s not listed for a reason.”

“I realize that, sir, and I promise I won’t tell it to anyone else.”

“See that ye don’t,” said John. “If ye do, I’ll have it changed an’ she’ll be told not t’ give it out t’ anyone. D’ye get me meanin’?”

“I do. Just tell ‘er I called, please, sir. It’s sort of important. G’bye.”

John hung up the phone and went to take a shower. He wondered what the boy wanted, and he hoped that this whole romance between his daughter and the young musician would blow over soon. Despite himself, he found himself wondering what sort of music the boy’s band played. What had he said they called themselves?

“The Savages,” he said to himself in the mirror. Not a bad name. He stood naked at the sink and looked at himself. He still looked pretty good for his age; he knew plenty of guys in their thirties who didn’t look as good as he did. There were some crow’s feet around his eyes -- Mary hated that name for them, preferring to call them ‘laugh crinkles’ -- and his hair was a bit thinner...he had to admit that he was showing a little more forehead these days, and there was a bit of gray here and there. He looked fit, though, and he didn’t have the paunchy stomach so many of his friends were sporting these days. He sighed and stepped into the shower; he shampooed his hair and soaped himself up, his mind going back to the days when he had been a member of the world’s most celebrated music group. He still felt the same as he had back then. Hell, he thought, I still feel the same as I did when I was seventeen meself, except for a few random aches and pains now and then.

He rinsed off and stepped out of the shower, wiped the steam from the mirror, and lathered his face. He shaved carefully, taking pains to shape his sideburns just so. He smiled, remembering the time in the late sixties and early seventies when he had worn a full beard. Mary had said nothing, but when at last he had shaved it off, she had confided that she’d hated it.

“I like being able to see your face,” she’d told him. “You have the most amazing jaw line. I missed seeing it.” She traced his jaw with a gentle fingertip. “You look so handsome now,” she added. She loved his sideburns, pronouncing them ‘dead sexy’.

Once he was satisfied that he looked his best, John went to the bedroom to get dressed. He liked being at home alone once in a while, as long as it was for just a few hours. It had been a long time since he had been free to roam about the house naked, something that he had always enjoyed. When it had been just himself and Mary, indeed, until Julia was about a year old, he had done so most of the time.

He dressed slowly, still thinking about his eldest daughter. He hoped that she would not become seriously involved with a musician. If the Savages did indeed hit the big time, touring would of necessity take him from her, and he well knew the loneliness, boredom, and myriad temptations of life on the road. Julia’s heart would surely be broken. If the band did not succeed, his daughter would not be happy with Bobby Warren either. He would not be able to support her in the manner to which she was accustomed on a workman’s wages, and John would be damned if he would support his son-in-law. Thinking of the boy as his son-in-law frightened John, and he shook the thought off. It would be best, he decided, if Julia would just stay right at home with him and Mary. No one was good enough for her anyway, in John’s opinion.

Once he was dressed, John went to the kitchen to see if Mary had left the coffeemaker on. She had; he poured himself a cup and carried it into the living room. He sat at the piano and played a snatch of the song he was working on.  Soon he was absorbed in his work and he forgot about the time.

When he realized that he was hungry, he looked up from his work and was surprised to find that it was dark outside. Alarmed, John went to the phone and dialed the number for the car.

Mary answered at once. “John!” she said, sounding very relieved. “Where have you been?”

“I’ve been here,” he replied. “I was workin’.”

“Oh...I guess you didn’t hear the phone, then.”

“Where are ye, Mary?” he asked. “It’s dark outside; I expected ye hours ago.”

“I’m on my way home,” she told him. “There was an accident.”

“What? Are ye all right? Are th’ kids okay?”

“Yes,” she replied. “We’re all fine. It had nothing to do with us. It was a fire...at Bobby’s home. We were going by and saw the commotion, and we stopped to see that he was all right. John, his mother was killed.”

“He’s all right, though? An’ his dad?”

“He doesn’t have a father, baby. He never even knew the man. He’s been left alone in the world, and everything he had was lost.” Mary paused, and John heard her take a deep breath.

“I’m bringing him home to stay with us,” she said at last. “He has no one to look after him, John.”

He did not know what to say. If he said no, he would look and feel like a heartless bastard. If he said yes, he knew he would regret that as well. He said nothing.

“We’ll be there in about ten minutes,” Mary told him. “You must be hungry. I’m sorry to be so late, but it couldn’t be helped, John, honestly.”

***

“Thank you so much for letting Bobby come to stay with us, Daddy,” said Julia, throwing her arms around his neck. John looked helplessly at Mary from over their daughter’s head. Bobby stood back, his eyes on John.

“I appreciate this, sir,” he said quietly. John turned his attention to the boy. His face showed no trace of emotion, but John could see the pain in his eyes and knew that once Bobby found himself alone, he would cry.

“Think nothin’ of it,” he replied gruffly. “It’s just temporary, mind.”

“Yes, sir, I understand,” said Bobby.

“If yer gonna be stayin’ with us, I can’t have ye callin’ me ‘sir’,” John added. “Call me John.”

“Come into the kitchen with me, Julia, and help me get something put together to eat,” Mary said. “George, you go get yourself ready for bed, and help your sister if she needs you.”

“I c’n do it myself,” Emily said imperiously. “I’m seven. I don’t need any help, ‘specially from a boy.”

“You heard ‘er, Mummy,” George said.

“I did. All right, go along, love. I’ll braid your hair when you come back.”

***

John found himself alone with Bobby Warren.

“So,” he said conversationally, “What instruments do ye play?”

“Guitar,” the boy replied, “O’ course, as well as drums and keyboards.”

“Lead, bass, or rhythm?”

“Rhythm, mostly, but I can slap a pretty mean bass in a pinch,” Bobby replied.

John tipped his head back and regarded the boy. “C’n ye sing?” he asked.

“I’m pretty good, actually,” Bobby told him. “Nothing like you, of course. But I’m all right.”

John reached behind the piano and brought out one of his guitars.

“Play a bit for me,” he said, tossing it to the boy. “Show me what ye c’n do.”

Bobby laid the case on the couch and opened it. He drew in his breath sharply.

“Christ,” he breathed, lifting it out. “This is fuckin’ beautiful.”

“Ye like that, do ye?” asked John.

“Straight up --  it’s th’ most beautiful guitar I ever held in my hands,” said Bobby, his eyes shining. He shrugged into the strap and tested the strings. “A bit outta tune,” he said, fiddling with the tuning pegs. He tested it again, made another adjustment, and played a riff.

“Not bad,” John admitted, “For a kid.”

“Thanks,” Bobby replied. He reluctantly removed the strap from around his neck and placed the instrument back into its case. He lifted it reverently and extended it back to John.

“Nah,” he said gruffly. “I don’t use that one much, I’ve got plenty. It’s yers. T’ replace th’ one ye lost, like.”

“Jesus, no,” Bobby protested. “I couldn’t.”

“Are ye gonna insult me in me own house?” John demanded, pushing the instrument back toward the boy. “I said take it.”

Bobby accepted the guitar and smiled at John, a genuine smile that made him look younger than he was. “All right,” he said softly. “Thanks, sir -- I mean, John. I can’t tell ya how much this means to me.”

“No need,” said John. “I know how much it would’ve meant t’ me when I was yer age. Just take good care of it. An’ Bobby,” he added, “Don’t make me regret any o’ this. I’m sure ye know what I mean by that.”

***

Bobby was given the guest bedroom beside John and Mary’s room to start, and when the days turned into weeks, then months, and finally a year, John finally stopped denying that the arrangement was less temporary than he had intended. He arranged to have the loft above the garage turned into a small studio apartment for the boy. He reckoned that he would be able to keep Julia away from him a lot better at night when he was unable to keep an eye on things if they weren’t under the same roof. No one could come into the main house once the alarms had been set for the night; neither could anyone leave without tripping the alarm. He allowed the Savages the use of his studio for practice, and sometimes he even sat in with them if he was bored. He had to admit that they were a pretty tight band for a bunch of kids.

***

“But, Daddy, it’s just a party -- a lot of other people are going to be there! It’s not like we’re going to be alone or anything,” Julia told her father. “You always make sure that never happens.”

I’m not gonna let ye be up in that flat with him,” John replied. His tone of voice let Julia know that there would be no changing his mind.

In desperation, Julia turned to her mother.  “Mummy, please talk to him --  he just hates Bobby and doesn’t care how I feel anymore,” she pouted.

“Now, baby, you know your father doesn’t hate Bobby. He just has his mind made up that you’re not going to be allowed in that flat, and he is letting Bobby stay there for free, after all,” Mary said to Julia. To John, she added, “Maybe there’s another way that Julia can attend the party, love.”

“Ye’ve obviously already got it all reckoned out, so tell us yer idea, whydontcher,” said John. He lit a cigarette and sat back in his chair. “I’m all ears,” he told her.

“They could have it outside, in the back garden,” Mary said. “That way you can keep an eye on things without it being so obvious. We had Julia’s birthday party out there last this year, and that worked out nicely.”

“But that was during the day,” John argued. “This party’s t’ be had at night; it’s a different situation altogether.”

“We’ll have floodlights put up in a few of the trees to light up the entire area,” Mary suggested. “That would make it better, wouldn’t it?”

“I s’pose so,” he admitted, “But they’d hafta make sure that by ten o’clock it was all quiet, like. I don’t need th’ neighbors complainin’ about th’ noise.”

“Oh, Daddy, we would! Thank you! And thanks for thinking of it, Mummy. You always know what to do,” Julia hugged both of her parents, ran to find Bobby and tell him the good news.”

***

She found him in the driveway, washing his van.

“Guess what?” she asked him.

Bobby turned off the hose and took Julia into his arms for a long, lingering kiss.

“I can’t guess; I’m no good at it,” he replied when at last he released her. “Tell me, love, what is it?”

“Daddy’s going to let me be at your party on Saturday night,” she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and smiling up at him.

“How’d ya manage to get ‘im ta go along with that?” asked Bobby, idly toying with her hair.

“Mummy did it,” said Julia. “She said you could have the party in the back garden instead of in your flat; that way I can be there, too.”

“I guess that’d work,” he said slowly. “Your parents aren’t going to actually be there, are they?”

“No,” she told him, “But I’m sure Daddy will make plenty of excuses to be in the kitchen so he can see what we’re up to. You know how he is. He won’t come out, though. Mummy will think of some way to keep him in the house.”

“Yeah, yer mum’s great,” Bobby said, picking up the hose again. “Get me that sponge around the other side of the van, willya, baby?” He eyed her appreciatively as she bent to pick it up, and his body responded immediately to the sight. Bobby swore softly and tried to think about something nonsexual, but of course that only made matters worse.

He fervently wished that John had not sussed him out concerning Jeannie Talbot --  he thought that he could really go for an hour or two with her right about now. Of course, what he really wanted was Julia, but John had been good to him and he didn’t feel right about breaking the agreement he’d made with Julia’s very intimidating father. Sometimes he really thought that he would go mad if he could not consummate his relationship with her soon. He wanted to marry her, but it would be another five months before she turned eighteen, and besides, Bobby did not have the money to support a wife as long as he had to rely on the small amount he made playing with his band at the local clubs.

“Here you go,” said Julia when she came back with the sponge. Bobby seized her and kissed her again, this time with an intensity that frightened her a bit. She drew back slightly and he whispered, “C’mon, love, don’t be scared, s’all right. I’m not gonna hurt ya, ya know I love ya. It’s just that I want ya so bad, but I promised yer dad I’d behave.”

“Well, I think it’s really up to me, don’t you?” asked Julia. She really didn’t like it that her father and Bobby apparently discussed her personal life behind her back.

“Well, he made me promise. Besides, you’re obviously not ready, judgin’ from your reaction when I kissed ya just now,” he replied.

“You startled me, that’s all,” she said. “I didn’t expect it. If you were to do it again, I would be ready.”

Bobby could not resist. He took her into his arms with a low moan and kissed her with fierce desperation. Julia responded with fervor, pressing close against him. He was throbbing furiously, and he pushed himself against her, grinding his hardness into her soft, warm belly, inflamed by her hungry response. He slid his hands up her sides and under her blouse, exploring her mouth insistently as he fumbled briefly with the hooks on the back of her bra. She hesitated a bit when he did that, but only for a few seconds. With a soft little moan, she pushed her breasts against his hands.

Bobby was pushing himself against her rhythmically, and Julia felt her knees weaken. She held his neck tightly and he leaned her back until she was lying halfway in the back of the van with him on top of her. Bobby could not stop himself; he positioned himself between her legs and pushed hard against her several times more, helpless to control the urge. Before he realized how far he’d gone, he was coming. Julia did not know what had happened, did not understand why he suddenly groaned, broke their kiss and moved away from her so abruptly.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, reaching behind herself to refasten her bra. Her face was flushed and her hair was in disarray; she felt a curious throbbing sensation between her legs which was unlike anything else she had ever experienced. “Wasn’t I doing it right?”

“It’s not that,” he said gently. “You were just excitin’ me too much, that’s all. I was gettin’ to the point where I couldn’t control myself.” He looked down surreptitiously to make sure that there was no visible evidence of what had happened; finding none, he put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close.

“Then don’t,” Julia said in a soft voice. “I’m not really sure of exactly what I’m supposed to do, but I want to please you. Don’t you want me? I mean really want me?”

“Christ, Julia, ya can’t know how badly I want ya, but your dad would fuckin’ kill me.”

“Bobby, I’m seventeen years old,” Julia told him, turning her face to kiss him lightly. “In a few more months, I’ll be able to do whatever I want. My father is going to have to realize that I’m old enough to start making my own decisions. I like how it feels when you touch me like you did, and I want more. I want to be able to be with you whenever I please and do whatever I want to do with you without worrying about my father coming around the corner, catching us, and acting like we’ve done murder. It doesn’t feel wrong being with you that way, in fact it feels more right than anything else I’ve ever done.” She got to her feet and ran her fingers through her hair to put it back into order. “I need to go talk to my mum,” she told him. “I’ll see you a little later, Bobby.”

“Yer not gonna tell ‘er what happened, are ya?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“That I unfastened your bra an’ touched ya like that,” he said. He was terrified that if Julia told her mother what he’d done, she might tell John. He did not want to anger Julia’s father, nor did he want to disappoint him.

“If I talk to her about it, she won’t tell Daddy, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Julia replied. “She wouldn’t want to upset him. Trust me, Bobby, it’ll be okay.”

He watched her walk away and go into the house, then he sighed and went to his flat to shower and change into a fresh pair of jeans.

***

“Exactly what happened, darling?” asked Mary. “Tell me what you and Bobby did, and we’ll talk about it.”

“Where’s Daddy?” she asked. “I don’t want him to hear. He’d want to kill Bobby.”

Mary felt her stomach flutter nervously. “He’s at the studio,” she replied. “He won’t be home until later tonight. You can talk to me, baby. I’ll keep it between us, I promise, as long as it’s nothing your father needs to know.”

“What do you mean?” asked Julia. “Oh,” she added, suddenly understanding her mother’s meaning. “No, Mummy, it’s nothing like that. I’m still a virgin.”

Mary relaxed. “Tell me about what happened, love,” she said.

“I hate having to hide from Daddy when Bobby and I want to be together,” she said, nervously twisting a lock of her hair around her fingers. “You know we do a lot of kissing, and lately I’ve begun to feel that I want to do...more than that with him, but he promised Daddy that he wouldn’t. Anyhow, today we were out by the van, and he kissed me. It was different this time, though, Mummy.” She flushed and looked away.

“How was it different?” asked Mary. “You can tell me, darling. What happened?”

“Well, when we kiss, I can usually feel his -- you know, down there -- against me, and it gets really hard. He presses it against me. It feels kind of nice.” Julia took a deep breath and met her mother’s eyes. “Today it was a little different. He put his hands under my blouse and he unfastened my bra. He was touching my breasts and kissing me, and he was pushing his -- he was pushing against me a lot more than he usually does, and instead of just pressing himself against my stomach, he moved down and was pushing against -- well, he had himself between my legs.”

“Did he have his pants undone?” asked Mary, trying to sound casual.

“What? No, of course not, but Mummy, this time it felt a lot different...better than it usually does. It was like my pulse was really strong between my legs, and my head got all dizzy. I felt like I wanted...well, I wanted to do more than what we were doing. I felt really anxious and like there was something I needed, but I don’t really know what it was. Do you understand, Mummy? Do you ever feel like that when you and Daddy -- when you make love?” she asked.

“Of course I understand, and yes, that’s just how it’s supposed to feel,” said Mary. “I want you to know, honey, that it means a lot to me to know that you trust me enough to tell me these things. I know it must have been hard for you to tell me those things.”

“What can I do, Mummy?” Julia asked. “He promised Daddy that he wouldn’t -- do anything more with me, but I really want him to. Mummy, I want him to so much that it almost hurts.”

“I think that you and I have to make an appointment with my gynecologist, baby,” said Mary. “In case you and Bobby find yourselves in a position like today again and it does go further, I want to make sure that you’re protected.”

“You mean like birth control?” asked Julia.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean,” her mother replied. “And I don’t think that we need to say anything to your father just yet.”

Julia stood and went to her mother. She knelt on the floor beside her chair and put her arms around Mary, laying her cheek against her breast.

“Thank you, Mummy,” she said quietly. “I knew you would understand.”

Mary put her arms around Julia and held her close. She wished that she knew what she was going to say to John when the time came.

***

Once Julia had the little pack of birth control pills in her bathroom, Mary was much less worried. She did not want her daughter to become pregnant and feel that she had to get married. She knew that if this happened John would go completely out of his mind. As it was, whenever he’d had a spare moment, he would prowl the property looking for Julia or Bobby to see what they were up to. He often found them sitting in some secluded corner of the house or garden, passionately kissing, and he would pretend that he needed one of them for some reason or simply blow up at Bobby and tell him to ‘get yer fuckin’ tongue outta me daughter’s throat or I’ll cripple ye’.

Mary fervently hoped that John would never catch them making love if and when they finally decided to fully consummate their relationship. In Mary’s opinion, the boy had shown great restraint with Julia. It was clearly evident that he adored her, yet for more than a year he had left her virtue intact.

***

“So, John, what’s goin’ on between Julia and Bobby these days?” asked Ringo. The two men were leaving the studio for the night, walking together to their cars in the parking lot.

“Ah, makes me sick, he’s all over ‘er night ‘n’ day,” John told him. “I never caught either of ‘em undressed or anything, though, so I guess it’s okay. Poor little bastard is scared t’ death o’ me; I doubt he’s gonna cross th’ line, like.”

“What would ya do, if ya did catch ‘em shaggin’?”

“I’d kill th’ little fucker,” John replied, opening the door of his car and tossing his guitar into the back.. He climbed in and opened the window.  “Ye still comin’ over?” he asked. “It’s not too late.”

“Yeah, I’ll follow ya home -- John?”

John looked at his friend. “Yeah?” he said.

“If ya did find out that Bobby was shaggin’ Julia, how would ye like t’ find out about it? I mean, I think if it was me, I’d try not ta know. I wouldn’t wanna see it...might cause me to get hysterical blindness.”

John started his car. “Ritch,” he said, “I’ll tell ye just exactly how I’d like t’ find out. I’d like t’ find out with no witnesses about. Now, enough o’ that talk. Get in yer car an’ follow me home. I’ve got some gear I wanna show ye.”

***

“Shit, John, th’ edge o’ that thing’s sharp; I’ve cut meself on it -- got any bandages?”

“Don’t be such a baby,” said John. “Here,” he added, “There’s a tissue, an’ plenty o’ toilet paper in th’ loo.”

“I dunno, It’s pretty deep.”
“Oh, all right -- I’ll go upstairs an’ find ye one,” said John.

Julia’s room was closest to the basement door, so John went into her bathroom to get a bandage for Ringo. He began opening drawers, searching for bandages, and he noticed a pink case. Curious, he opened it, and when he realized what it was he held in his hands, he forgot what he’d been looking for.

“MARY!” he bellowed, his pulse pounding in his ears, “WHAT TH’ FUCK IS TH’ MEANIN’ O’ THIS?”

Mary was in the laundry room; as soon as she heard her husband shouting, her heart sank. She didn’t know how he’d found out, but she knew that John knew about the pills. She went to him, resigning herself to the idea that it was going to be a long night. She was glad that Julia and Bobby were not at home; they’d gone to see a late movie and would not be back for another hour or so. Mary and Ringo appeared in the kitchen at the same time. John was standing beside the table. The case of pills was lying there, and he pointed at it, trembling with rage.Mary had never seen him looking at her the way he was right now.

“I went inta Julia’s loo, lookin’ for a bandage for Ritch,” he said in a low, dangerous voice. He picked up the case and opened it. “I found these in th’ drawer, an’ there’s almost a whole month’s worth of ‘em missin’!” He waved the case at Mary and threw it back on the table. “Care t’ explain, Miss Mary? If she’s got these --  and as ye c’n see she does -- that means that she had t’ have parental consent t’ get ‘em. I certainly dint give my permission. That leaves just one other person. What th’ hell possessed ye t’ let her get ‘em, an’ why th’ fuck dint ye consult me?” His face was hard, his jaw set and his eyes were narrowed. “I wanna know what’s been goin’ on, an’ I wanna know now, so spill it, Mary.”

“Um, John, I think I’m just...gonna go now,” said Ringo. John did not even flick his eyes in the drummer’s direction.

“Yeah, whatever,” John muttered. To Mary, he said, “Well? I’m waitin’ --  I said spill it.”

“Sit down, honey, and I’ll tell you everything,” said Mary. “Please try to be calm.”

“I am calm,” he replied. His words were clipped and precise, his voice tight with barely controlled rage. He sat and got out a cigarette; he lit it with some difficulty; his hands were shaking badly. He pocketed his lighter and said again, “I’m waitin’.”

“Julia came to me one afternoon and told me that things had become a bit more...passionate between her and Bobby,” Mary began. Seeing John’s face, she hastened to add, “John, please -- don’t say anything. Just keep calm and let me tell you the whole story before you do. Please, baby, promise me.”

“I hardly think yer in a position t’ tell me what t’ do,” he growled. “Much less how t’ feel.”

“I’m sorry, but please, do it for me.”

He sat back and did not reply.

“All right. As I said, things had become rather passionate that day, but Bobby restrained himself, because he’d promised you that he would. I was worried that the next time he might not be able to, so I took Julia to see Dr. Evers with me and got her a prescription for the pill. John, she’s nearly eighteen, and she and Bobby have been together for nearly two years now. I think we have to assume that they’re serious about one another, don’t you?”

“I think he knows when he’s got it good,” said John. “I think he likes havin’ th’ use o’ th’ flat an’ bein’ allowed t’ bring his band here t’ practice in me personal studio. Wanna know what else I think? I think he’s gonna be sorry he was ever born when he gets back here tonight an’ I lay me hands on ‘im.” He crushed his cigarette out viciously. “So why did ye keep it from me, Mary? Tell me that, if ye please.”

“I knew you’d react this way,” she told him. “I knew you’d feel hurt and angry, and I didn’t want you to have to know if you didn’t really need to.”

“Some layabout is shaggin’ me teenaged daughter right under me very nose,” he replied. “I think that’s somethin’ I ought to be aware of, an’ I don’t appreciate me own wife bein’ in league against me with ‘im.”

“John, Bobby is not ‘some layabout’. He has a job and he’s trying to save enough money so that he can marry Julia.” Mary knew this because Bobby had confided in her just the day before.

“Marry ‘er! Marry ‘er? God’s parasol, Mary! She can’t marry him! He’s a musician!”

“John, what objection could you possibly have to that? You’re a musician yourself.”

“It’s not th’ same thing, Mary,” he said, lighting another cigarette. “Christ, I need a fuckin’ drink,” he muttered. “I’ll be right back.”

***

John went down to the basement and grabbed a bottle of Scotch from behind the bar, not bothering to get himself a glass. He opened the bottle and took a long pull, grimacing at the taste and wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He caught sight of himself in the mirror behind the bar.

“Here’s to ye,” he said, taking another long drink before he went back upstairs, taking the bottle with him.

***

John set the bottle of Scotch on the table and resumed his seat.

“Th’ lad’s gotta go,” he said. “I know Julia’s fond of ‘im, an’ I was beginnin’ t’ kinda like ‘im meself, t’ tell th’ truth, but this is just too much. She can’t be allowed t’ continue t’ see ‘im.”

“John, you can’t be serious. Julia loves Bobby, and he loves her. That hasn’t changed in two years, and it’s not going to change in the next few months, even if you do manage somehow to keep them separated. As soon as she’s eighteen, Julia will just leave and live with Bobby wherever he is, or they’ll get married no matter what you say. We might never see her again, John. Honey, think! Is that what you want?”

“No, of course not, but -- “

“But nothing. That’s exactly what will happen, John Lennon, if you send that boy away. Besides, he’s not pressuring Julia for sex. If anything, she’s pressuring him!”

John was aghast; he stared at Mary as if she’d lost her mind.

“Don’t stick up for him against Julia,” he said. “She’s a good girl.”

“Of course she is, darling, but she’s a normal young woman with normal, healthy needs and feelings,” Mary replied. “She wants to go further than they have; it’s Bobby who won’t, because he promised you he wouldn’t.”

John snorted. “Zarrafact,” he said derisively. “He tell ye that, did he?”

“No, John, he didn’t. Julia told me that.”

“I don’t believe it,” he said.

“It’s true. She told me that she needs more than she’s been getting from him, and that she wants him to make love to her so badly that it ‘almost hurts’, to use her exact words,” Mary told him. “John, she’s all grown up now. It’s time to let her go. If we don’t let her be free, she’ll find a way to get away on her own, and things will never be the same again.”

“Yer tellin’ me th’ truth, Mary? She really said that? She actually said that she wants him that badly?” asked John. His eyes pleaded with Mary to tell him he’d heard wrong.

“She really did, and John, she’s going to say yes, when Bobby does ask her to marry him.”

“Jesus, that’d be th’ worst thing she could do,” he said softly. “I don’t want her marryin’ a musician.”

“You keep saying that. What would be so bad about it? I’ve been very happy with you, baby, and Julia knows that,” Mary said, going to him and sitting on his lap. He pulled her close and put his face in her hair.

“She doesn’t know everything that happened,” he said in a quiet voice. “She doesn’t know about all th’ trouble me lifestyle caused...she doesn’t know about her birth mother, and she doesn’t know about all the trouble it caused with me first marriage.”

“Of course she does,” Mary told him. “Do you really think that she and Julian have never talked about that? I heard them once, when he was here for a week last year. She asked him why things hadn’t worked out between his mother and you, and he explained the whole thing to her, all about the other women and the touring, how you were never there and all wrapped up in your work, the drugs, and the women. He told her that he was glad you’d stopped all of that so that you and he could finally begin to make a connection with one another. She understands a lot more than you give her credit for, darling, and she knows what she’d be getting herself in to. She’s not a little girl anymore, John. She’s a woman and she has a good head on her shoulders. You need to stop thinking of her as a child.”

“Christ, Mary --  is all our kids do talk about me an’ me various failin’s? First I find out that Julia an’ Ritch’s Zak are discussin’ me heroin addiction, now I find this out.” He took another drink and sighed heavily. “I s’pose yer right, though. I reckon I’d better take th’ lad aside an’ have a talk with him when he comes in.”

“Do you understand why I took Julia for the pills now?” asked Mary. “I was going to tell you, but the time just never seemed right. You were always going off about finding them kissing somewhere and you seemed so angry...I didn’t want to make things worse. I felt terrible about keeping it from you, baby.”

“Yeah, I understand. It’s all right, love, yer forgiven. I know ye were only tryin’ t’ protect me.” John replied, giving her another squeeze. He put the cap on the Scotch bottle and sat there quietly at the table waiting for the kids to come home, smoking one cigarette after another, while Mary finished the laundry.

***

At last the gate buzzer sounded.

“Might as well finally break down an’ give th’ lad a key t’ th’ fuckin’ gate,” muttered John as he buzzed them in.

After Julia came in, John went to the door and called out, “Come in here, young Mr. Warren...I’ve summat I need t’ discuss with ye.”

Julia stopped in her tracks.  “Daddy,” she said, “What’s this about? Is there something wrong?”

“I thought so, but yer mum set me straight like always,” he replied. “Oh, an’ Puss?”

“What?” she asked dubiously. Her father seemed, to her, to have a strange look on his face.

“I’m told that these’re yers,” he told her gently, drawing the case of pills out of his pocket and handing it to his astonished daughter. “Just tell me one thing, baby. Have ye had a need for these things? Or are ye only takin’ ‘em as a precaution, like, as yer mum says?”

Julia reddened. “Daddy, I’m still a virgin,” she told him. “Bobby has never broken his promise to you.”

“Ah, ye know about that, do ye? Well, I’m glad of it, baby. C’mere.”

She went to him and he sat on the couch with her on his lap.

“Not too big for this, are ye, Puss?” he asked.

“Never, Daddy,” she replied. “And Daddy, thank you for understanding. I felt badly for asking Mummy not to tell you. I know she doesn’t ordinarily keep secrets from you.” She put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Promise me you won’t torture Bobby, though.”

“Sorry, love, I can’t promise ye that,” her father replied. “This has been a difficult night, an’ I think I’ve earned th’ right to torture him...a bit, anyroad. Now, off with ye, yer mum’s in th’ laundry. Bobby’s here an’ I need t’ get t’ me torturin’ -- I mean talkin’ t’ him.”

***

“Ah, there ye are, come ‘ead, lad, an’ sit with me...as I said, I’ve summat I wanna discuss with ye.” John sat at the table and Bobby sat across from him.

“Ciggie?” offered John. Bobby accepted one and John lit it for him. He was watching the older man warily; something about this did not seem right to Bobby. John got a couple of glasses out of the cupboard and filled them with Scotch. He slid one towards Bobby.

“Have a drink,” John said. He tossed his own drink back quickly and poured himself another. He waved his glass towards Bobby. “G’wan,” he insisted, “I’m gettin’ ahead o’ ye already! What’re ye waitin’ for?”

Bobby took a sip of his drink. John was sitting there, looking at him expectantly. The boy took another drink, and John smiled encouragingly. “There ye go,” he said. “Have some more. Good, innit?”

Bobby didn’t know what to think. He slammed his fist on down on the table.  “What?” he cried. “What are you doing this to me for?”

John smiled innocently. “Why, whatever do ye mean?” he asked. “I just offered ye a drink an’ a smoke...what’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, but -- “ Bobby struggled for words. “But you’ve never done anything like this before, and I just know you’re gonna do somethin’ terrible to me any second! I know something’s not right here, and I wanna know what it is you’re plannin’ to do to me!”

“Not a thing,” said John. “Ye’ve gorra suspicious nature, me lad. That’ll give ye an ulcer someday. Trust me, I know.” He tossed another drink back and nudged Bobby’s glass closer to him. “C’mon, drink up,” he told him.

Bobby fixed John with a defiant stare and grabbed his glass. He emptied it and pushed it back. “All right,” he said, “Ya wanna drink? Let’s drink, then. Give me another.”

“Ah, so ye are a man, after all,” John commented. “Good, cos I don’t want me little gurrl gettin’ saddled with any less.”

“What’s that s’posed to mean?” asked Bobby.

“Well, I heard that ye were thinkin’ o’ askin’ me daughter t’ marry ye. I think it’s a terrible idea, mind, but if that’s what Julia wants, then I’m not gonna stand in yer way,” John told him. “No accountin’ for taste, I guess.”

Bobby stared at John, who was managing to keep his face perfectly straight.

“Do ya mean that?” asked Bobby, unable to believe what he was hearing. “You’ll really let me marry her?”

“I will,” John replied, “On a few conditions.”

Bobby looked at him doubtfully. “What conditions?” he asked.

“Ah, there’s that suspicious nature again,” John said, lighting himself a cigarette.  “Another?” he asked Bobby.

“No, I’m good. What conditions?” the boy asked again.

“First, yer t’ stay in th’ flat above th’ garage so that I know she’s safe. Next, ye’ll promise me that ye’ll take pains t’ see that there are no accidents -- that is t’ say ye’ll do yer level best t’ make sure that me daughter doesn’t turn up preggers for at least two years. I don’t want her marryin’ ye, gettin’ in that condition, then findin’ out that it’s not workin’ out. Take some time, make sure everything is good between ye, that ye still feel th’ same about each other, then ye c’n bless me with grandchildren. I’m too young for any just yet, anyroad.” John finished his drink, poured another, and refilled Bobby’s glass. “Besides that, there’s only one more thing.” John sat forward and pointed his cigarette at Bobby. “If ye ever hurt me little gurrl, I’ll fuckin’ kill ye. D’ye understand that?”

“Yes, sir, I do, and I never would. You have my promise on it,” Bobby replied.

“Then it’s all right with me,” John told him. “Ye have me permission t’ ask her. An’ Bobby?”

“Yes, sir?”

“I told ye before, call me John. What I was gonna say is that I appreciate yer keepin’ yer promise t’ me. I know it must’ve been hard for ye t’ restrain yerself sometimes.”

“You don’t know how right you are,” Bobby told him earnestly.

“Well, thanks. I believe ye do love her, an’ I’m trustin ye t’ do right by her. Ye’ve gorra pretty good band, an’ if ye do ever hit th’ big time, I want ye t’ exercise that same brand o’ restraint an’ make sure ye don’t do anythin’ that would hurt Julia. Do I have yer word on that as well?”

“I promise,” Bobby told him.

“All right, then,” said John “When were ye plannin’ on askin’ her?”

Bobby reached into the pocket of his jacket and took out a small box. He opened it and showed John the ring inside. He let out a low whistle.

“Pretty nice,” said John. “How’d ye manage t’ afford that?”

“Well, it wasn’t easy, but I had the jeweler put it aside for me about six months ago, and I just kept payin’ him as I could until I had it all paid for. I just got it yesterday, and I was just waitin’ for the right moment. Can I go ask her now?”

“Yeah, go ahead,” John told him. “I think ye’ll find her in th’ laundry with her mum. Good luck, although I’m pretty sure ye don’t need it. Th’ lass loves ye, though I can’t for th’ life o’ me see why.”

Bobby paused as he passed John’s chair and impulsively hugged him.  “Thanks,” he said quietly. “I promise you won’t be sorry for this.”

“G’wan, lad,” John said gruffly. “See that I’m not.”

***

Bobby went to the laundry room. Mary and Julia were folding clothes, laughing together at something one of them had said.

“Julia, can I talk to ya about somethin’?” asked Bobby. To Mary, he said, “If that’s all right.”

“That’s fine, Bobby. Go ahead. Did John have a talk with you?”

“Yeah, everythin’s okay between us,” he told her, “Although I must admit I was a little worried when he started bein’ so nice to me.” He took Julia by the hand and they passed John in the hall as he headed for the laundry room himself.

“How did it go?” asked Mary.

“It went pretty fuckin’ well, actually,” John replied. “He’s gonna ask her tonight; he’s got a ring already an’ everything.”

“Are you sure you’re all right with all this, baby?” Mary asked.

“I most certainly am not,” he retorted, “But I’d rather have it like this than t’ lose me daughter, so I’ll make th’ best of it. I laid down a few ground rules, an’ he’s accepted ‘em. Let me tell ye about our little talk, ye’ll enjoy this...”

***

“What did you want to talk to me about, Bobby? Did Daddy say something?”

“He said a lot of things, and I’ll tell you all about that later. Right now, I have somethin’ I wanna ask you.”

Bobby took her hand and looked into Julia’s clear blue eyes. “This is important,” he said. “It’s gonna change everythin’ for us.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small, velvet box. He opened it, took out the ring, and said, “Will you marry me, Julia Marie Lennon? I love you, and I know you love me, too...I thought I was gonna have to wait till you were eighteen, but your dad said that we have his permission, and I can ask you now.”

Julia stared at him, her eyes filling with tears. “Oh, Bobby,” she whispered. “Yes! Of course I’ll marry you.”

He placed the ring on her finger and kissed her, Julia pressed close, answering his kiss with equal passion. John chose that moment to come into the living room.

“‘Ere, lad,” he said with a smile, “Get yer fuckin’ tongue outta yer fiancees’ throat!”

Julia jumped up and threw her arms around her father’s neck.  “Thank you, Daddy! I love you so much -- you’re the best daddy any girl could ever hope for!”

“Probably not,” he admitted, “I can be a pretty unreasonable bastard sometimes -- thanks for thinkin’ that, though. I love ye, Puss, an’ all that really matters t’ me is yer happiness. Besides, I told this lad already that I’d make him sorry he was ever born if he doesn’t do right by ye -- I think he’ll keep his promise, though. He’s already proven himself to me on that score.”

***

Mary settled into John’s arms once Bobby had left and Julia had gone to bed.

“You did the right thing, baby,” she said softly. “Did you see how happy she was?”

“Yeah, I just hope it works out for them,” he told her. “I’m still a bit nervous about it all. You should be, too. You only have two weeks to get a wedding put together.”

“I think it’s sweet that Julia wants to be married in the same church we were. It will mean coming out of retirement for Father O’Casey, but I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“It’ll be nice t’ see everyone there again,” said John. “It’s been a long time since we’ve visited there.”

“Three years, almost,” Mary replied. “I hope all Julia’s uncles will be available to attend.”

“Ah, there’s not one of ‘em who’d miss it,” John said. “Let’s us go t’ bed, love. It’s been a fuckin’ exhaustin’ day.”

They undressed without talking, each of them thinking how fast things had changed.

“I hope we’re doin’ the right thing,” John said when at last they had gotten into bed.

“You saw her face, John. You know we are,” Mary said, putting her arms around his neck. “She’s never been happier.”

“Yeah, well I’ve still got me reservations,” he told her. “But I guess it was th’ only choice I really had. I can’t say I think much about losin’ me place as th’ only man in her life. I’m a bit jealous, if ye must know th’ truth.”

“I think every father is when he realizes that another man has become the most important person in his little girl’s life,” Mary said. “But nobody will ever really be able to take your place in her heart, baby. Or in mine.” She pulled his head closer and kissed him tenderly.

“After all I’ve been through today, I think I deserve a bit more than a kiss,” he said, “Whattayer say, love? Care t’ have a bash at cheerin’ me up?” He pulled her closer and began to run his hands slowly over her body as he thoroughly explored her mouth with his warm, insistent tongue.

Mary responded hungrily, ready for him as always. She pressed impatiently against him; the feel of him throbbing against her belly was almost more than she could bear.

‘I need you,” she murmured when at last he broke the kiss. She slipped beneath him and opened herself to his insistent hardness, and he took her tenderly, moving gently within her. Mary felt the world begin to slip away, She ran her hands up his arms and across his shoulders; she could feel the muscles flexing beneath her fingers as he moved. The heat radiating from his body was almost a palpable thing. Mary pushed up to take him deeper still and moved more quickly against him.

“Whist, love, I’m gonna hafta take it a bit easier,” he whispered in a tight voice, “Gotta slow down or I’m gonna go off real quick.”

“Don’t stop, I’m ready for you,” she said against his shoulder.

He moaned and doubled his speed, hammering into her with fierce desperation until she arched against him with a soft cry. He buried himself deep inside of her and allowed himself to finish with a full-throated groan of pleasure. They lay together afterwards, their bodies still wrapped all around each other, dazed and breathing heavily, their heartbeats slowly returning to their regular rhythm.

“Thank you for what you did for Julia tonight, darling,” Mary said quietly into his ear. “It meant so much to her to know you understand how she feels.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, “ I know. I still don’t fancy her doin’ what we just did with anyone. Does that make me a bastard?”

“Not at all,” Mary replied, giving him a gentle kiss. “It just makes you her daddy. We’d better get some sleep, love,” she added. “Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day.”

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