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Paul was walking the fields at his Sussex farm. They had spread Linda’s ashes there as she had requested. Then he had requested to be left alone for a bit.
It was here where Paul finally found what he had been looking for, peace, love and understanding. He didn’t think he’d be selling the place. Still, he doubted he’d be back as much as he had been when Linda was with him.
He stopped at the top of one of the rises. He had always loved this view. He remembered standing here with Linda.
“I always loved this view.”
Paul spun around. There was Linda, like she had been before she got sick. As beautiful as when he first met her.
“L... Linda?” Paul didn’t know what to think. It was Linda, but she sort of rippled a bit.
“Yes, Paul.” She brushed a strand of her strawberry blond hair away from her face.
“Are... are you here?” he asked. Was this just a dream?
“I am always with you, Paul.” She turned her blue eyes to her grieving spouse.
“How... what...?” The famous lyricist struggled to find the right words.
“How can I leave the man I love?” the ghost of his beloved asked. “And my children?”
“I... I guess I don’t know,” Paul said.
“But I don’t want you to think I’m here judging you,” she continued. “You are not dead, so you need to be happy.
“I just...” Paul gave a heavy sigh.
“I never knew this when I was alive, but our loved ones stay near.”
Linda reached out a hand, not to Paul but to someone he couldn’t see beside her. He saw first a hand in Linda’s, then, as the figure stepped forward he saw the person.
“Mum?” he asked. Paul stumbled backwards until he was sitting on the ground.
“Yes, Paul.” His mother, now younger than he was now, still seemed to see him as the child he had been when she died.
“Did... did you...?”
“Yes I did. You were struggling, I tried to help the only way I was allowed.” Her smile was the same, gentle one he had seen as a child when he had done something to please her.
“Mum!” he said. He struggled to his feet, never taking his eyes off the two women he loved more than anyone else in the world.
“We can’t stay,” Linda told him. “Just know, we are always here, we are always doing our best to help you.”
“When you have something unexpected happen,” Patricia started.
“They are signs from us that we are with you,” Linda finished.
“How?... what...” Paul tried to ask.
Linda pulled something out of her pocket. She handed it to him.
Paul looked down at a leaf. It was crisp like a newly fallen leaf.
“They will be just little tokens of our love,” Linda said, but her voice sounded different.
Paul looked up and saw the pair fading.
“No!” he said. He tried to run to them, but they were gone.
Then, despite there being no wind, Paul’s hair was ruffled.
It was exactly the same as his mother did for him when he was a child.