Think of what you're saying
You can get it wrong and still you think that it's alright
Think of what I'm saying
We can work it out and get it straight, or say goodnight

We can work it out
We can work it out

The black town car pulled up, the no parking sign ignored.

Four men, one woman watched on as one child bounced excitedly, up and down.

"Well then ....." Richie softly poked Eve in her little belly.

"Uncle Ringo?"

"Well then someone's a wee too little to be getting out me thinks"

"Oh no I'm very grown up, even daddy says I'm a big girl now"

"I say that when you want to sleep in my bed huny" John smiled lazily over at his angel. Was this it... She would be taken from his safe embrace and slightly off kilter ways, to be slotted into a box and allocated a seat- assigned a number. Could he let that happen?

No keep her home always, never let her set foot in this horrid place.

John stared ruefully out of the car's dark windows and a growl seemed to fester itself behind his lips, but, before it could emit, Lou nudged him fitfully. He grinned naughtily at her and tore his eyes away from the governments paint by numbers or get out conformity styled institution. He let go of the door handle he was latched to and watched her belly.

"I am a big girl, aren't I uncle Paulie" Evie retorted, the miffed remark one that only a five year old could muster, although...... the grin adorning her face was borderline evil and naughty. An awful lot like her mothers. Paul moaned loudly.

'Paulie'

Now everyone was calling him that, even the five-year-old currently seated on his lap bouncing like a devil on sugary toffee.

"Stop bouncing please sweets"

"Why? do you need to go to the bathroom uncle Paulie?"

"No luv" The little girls eyes, so identical to Louises' own, held him rooted to the seat; big, round and gazing innocently, but ready to attack.

Yep, just like her mother.

"Are you sure? You look constipated?" Evie questioned with innocence, yet Paul was pretty sure John had been giving the lass tutoring on torturing; the entire car was shaking with laughter. "Welllll, he does mummy" Eve stated matter-of-factly as Paul went beetroot red. he recovered quickly though and tickled the little minx with glee.

She was the spitting image of Louise and Paul loved the little mite just as much, maybe a smidge more. Louise had him wrapped round her pinkie finger but Eve... Eve had his entire heart. He'd do anything to keep a smile on her cherub face and unfortunately for him, Eve, with her quirky sense of little Lennon humour and smart as a whip brain, knew it.

"Alright you..." George pulled the squirming little miss onto his lap. He adored her wit, especially when he wasn't on the end of it. Sharp as a tact, sarky, wilful and quick at understanding their un-classy brand of goonish humour, Eve was a force to be reckoned with "Now.... I don't want you causing trouble out there alright"

"Yes, uncle George"

"No making the boys cry.... promise" George smiled, he had taught her this one and knew she would stare pointedly back at him, hands on tiny hips. She was like his little puppet, he pulled strings and she reacted, Lou wasn't pleased "Now ..... Eve..... no making the boys cry" George stated with jovial authority yet again, giving Eve a huge wink in the process, adding to the game they were playing.

Evie huffed a huge puff of feigned indignation gaining everyone's attention then snapped out a sarky "Ohhhhhh alrightttt.... if you insist!" Eve then attempted a massive eye roll and matching George with her jokey upset frown, finally a little smile curled her lip and George patted her head.

John couldn't help but rub a hand over his face and audibly moan.... she was going to terrorise the school, he could feel it.

They all laughed as John moaned. Johns bother at all over Evie being a right royal troublemaker was the stuff of a great joke being played on him from someone higher up- karma they called it nowadays.

Then the silence descended.

Waiting, watching, just pausing a few more fleeting minutes longer before that inevitable, oh so close moment, where she grew up a little bit more.

Children wandered past, little short ones clutching hands tightly with their mothers, some taller striding confidently, teachers watchful and stone-faced.

"Remember when I told mother not to come to the gate" George broke the solemn air that had fallen over the adults as Eve chatted about her new pencil case and pointed at the teachers.

Glancing over Eve's little head George watched Louise, who was also blindly watching the scrum of children outside the motor window, whilst absentmindedly rubbing her belly.

She was worried about Eve and all those bullies, all those eyes and ears; and the parents, if they saw this lot in the car with her, oh dear. Louise wasn't listening to George
"Louise.... She'll be ok"

Lou smiled at her brother somewhat dejectedly and the question 'but will I?' shone in her eyes.

Evie was her everything and now she would be gone from her side every day and they would not see her smiling face for hours upon hour's.

John had whispered his misgivings about school, as he was no angel when he was young. He always had patchy attendance and constant detentions, always hating the way he was caged. They tussled and argued, as any parent would, over the advantages and disadvantages of schooling- home schooling, a tutor, even boarding school but in the end.... Evie made their minds up for them....

"You were five, first week of school and telling Ma not to meet you at the gates again. You know she was proud and sad all rolled into one don't you!?"

She was lonely, but she was a daddy's girl. Those two things alone wiped home schooling, tutoring and boarding schools out of the picture with one single sweep of the broom.

They would give the public school, five minutes down the road, a try. See how the teachers, staff and students coped with a famous parent and the possibility of constant media camped by the school gate, as that is how it was shaping up, that was what they now had to cope with.

"I didn't want Ma nattering to all and sundry by the school gate 'alf the day"

"Mummy?" Eve piped up as she stared at the children flocking through the gates.

"Yes baby"

Evie turned about and frowned.

"Yes huny?" Lou corrected herself and smiled, as did Eve. Evie wasn't a baby anymore.

"It's time to go I think"

"Well you better say goodbye to daddy and your uncles then, don't want them a blubbering mess all day from no goodbyes do we!" Louise held the door handle watching Eve hug them all silly, her daddy clinging to her making her titter and grumble at being late for school.

Evie would not shed a tear Lou mused. Unlike the five adults that were in varying stages of upset already.

Yes, Eve would bound off from them brimming with confidence and ready for an adventure and the adults left behind, would all be wiping tears.

"Mummmieee you promised not to cry. Do I have to get daddy to take me?" Eve's little fingers brushed over Lou's cheeks making them smile at each other. Eve leaned down and pressed her cheek and lips to Lou's large tight belly, whispering. "Bye, bye baby" Then she was up sitting back up on Johns lap, wondering and concerned for her mother "Ok mummy?"

"Yep!" Lou straightened and grew strong under her daughter's gaze, funny really, the little girl telling the woman off.

And Eve was right, she needed to go through the entire walk and drop off without tears like Lou had promised repeatedly.

"Get it straight or say goodnight May-bel"

John smiled and kissed Louise's hand, then pressed a last kiss on Eve's cheek. He was having a hard time of it too but he held up with the assurance he would see his little girl later on and Lou would be back by his side as quick as her body could bring her to him.

A final gentle squeeze of Lou's hand, John reluctantly let her go and Louise alighted the car with a groan, belly protruding round and tight, hand on her back, she set off with their daughter, the waddle pronounced...

Fin