Gali immediately felt the change in temperature as she walked into Café La Fortuna. The cold December winter of New York was one she had not missed one bit.

"Gali! I wasn't expecting you."

"Uncle Vinny, how are you?" she smiled.

"Wonderful, but I thought you couldn't make it until later this week..."

"My first appointment cancelled this morning so I thought we could take a look at that paperwork you wanted me to see."

"That would be great! You know how Alice gets when tax season gets near." he smiled.

Gali laughed. She thought back to last year when she had done their taxes for the first time.

"How about some coffee?"

"Never turned down a cup yet." she smiled as she took a seat at one of the tables.

"How's my nephew doing?" Uncle Vinny asked her as he set down a latte in front of her and sat down in the opposite chair from her.

"Rob is doing great. He seems to be adjusting to life back in New York a lot faster than he thought he would."

"I never thought he'd ever return here...he was so determined to leave. I think you had a lot to do with him coming back to New York."

Gali smiled. "One of the things I loved about Rob when I met him was how close he was to his family, despite the distance. I think that is what brought him back."

Marrying Rob had given Gali the family she had always yearned for. When Rob had made the decision to move back to New York, Gali couldn't have been happier. All of his family lived here and they had taken her in as one of it's members.

"Well, I for one, am glad to have both of you here...and both Alice and I are thrilled to have you as our accountant." he smiled. "Let me get you those papers." he said as he stood up and went into the back office.

Gali looked around, admiring the black tin roof and brick walls that were decorated with vinyl records and a few autographed photos. The place had a warmth to it that Gali couldn't explain.

"Here you go." Uncle Vinny said handing Gali a stack of papers.

"I'll start working on these." she said as she saw the first customer of the day coming through the doors.

"Thank you." he smiled as he went to tend to the middle aged woman who was looking at the pastries.

For the next 45 minutes, a string of customers walked into the café. Despite concentrating on the stack of papers in front of her, Gali couldn't help smiling as she overheard bits of conversations between Uncle Vinny and his customers. It was obvious just how fond he was of both the café and his customers, which seemed more like family that clients.

"Gali..." Uncle Vinny said softly.

"Yes?" Gali said looking up at him. He was holding a cappuccino in his hand.

"Why don't you take a little break and come with me for a minute...I want to introduce you to someone."

"Sure." she smiled and stood up.

She followed him through the now isolated café and into the back garden. There was a single man sitting at a table, his back towards them. She walked a few steps behind him until they reached his table and Uncle Vinny set the cappuccino on the table. It was then that the man looked up from the newspaper he was reading.

"John...I'd like to introduce you to Gali...you remember I mentioned my nephew Rob was back in New York? She's his wife."

***

John walked into Café La Fortuna, waving to Vinny who was finishing up with a customer. He walked through the café noticing the only other person in there, a young girl who was focused on a pile of papers. As was his ritual, he walked outside and took a seat at his favorite table in the garden. He unfolded the newspaper he had brought with him and began reading it.

He liked coming to Café La Fortuna because no one bothered him. It was a very homey kind of place, exactly what he always looked for. Not only that, but he had developed a very friendly relationship with Vinny. He and Yoko had frequented the café from the time it had opened four years ago. He loved the outdoor garden and opera music...and who could resist his Italian desserts.

A few minutes into his reading, he heard the sound of a cup being set down on his table. There was no need to place his order anymore when he came in since Vinny knew he was a fan of his cappuccinos. He lowered his newspaper and looked up.

"John...I'd like to introduce you to Gali...you remember I mentioned my nephew Rob was back in New York? She's his wife."

Immediately, John smiled looking at the young girl who was standing next to Vinny. Those eyes that had first looked at him with such sadness so many years ago were now filled with happiness.

"Gali! I don't believe it!" John stood up and leaned in to hug her.

Gali laughed with surprise. They embraced in a tight hug and their smiles didn't leave their faces when they pulled away.

"Do you two know each other?" Vinny asked a bit confused at the familiarity in which they had greeted one another.

"Yes...we met a long time ago...must have been..." John trailed off.

"At least 7 years!" Gali said.

"Well what a small world!" Vinny chuckled. "And here I thought I was going to make Gali's day by introducing her to the great John Lennon." he joked.

"You did make my day!" Gali remarked.

"And mine." John added. "Take a seat, Gali." John motioned to the empty chair next to him.

"Oh...I...uhh" Gali hesitated as she glanced back to the door that led back into the café.

"Go on..." Vinny urged. "I'll pick up the papers...you can finish another time. Keep my friend some company while I go back inside." he winked.

"We have a lot to catch up on. Yoko is going to be thrilled to know I ran into you." John smiled as he sat back in his chair.

***

Gali's heart was beating fast. She knew she may one day see John and Yoko again, especially now that she was back in New York, but she hadn't expected to see him today.

"Wow...Gali." John said simply looking at her.

"I'm so happy to see you." she said.

"I've been coming to this café since they opened...Vinny and me have developed a friendship. I never would have guessed that when he talked about his nephew Rob and his wife, he'd be talking about you!"

"It really is a small world, isn't it?"

"Absolutely..." he said as he took a sip of his coffee.

Gali took a look at John. Here was the man that had saved her so many years ago. He looked just as she remembered, now a bit slimmer and more mature in his facial features.

There was a moment of awkward silence between them.

"Why did you leave, Gali?" John blurted out.

Gali knew the question was inevitable, but despite the years that had passed she hadn't thought of what she'd respond if she ever got asked that.

"I told you in the letter." She replied.

John chuckled. "I read it, but...why did you really leave?" he persisted.

"What I wrote in the letter didn't convince you?" she smiled shyly.

"No...and I've been wondering the real reason for years now. I never thought I'd actually have the chance to ask you."

"It seems a bit silly now." She said.

"Even more reason to tell me."

"The truth is...I...started to have feelings for you." Gali confessed. The embarrassment she had initially felt was gone as she realized that it didn't matter now. She was a happily married woman and that teenage love she thought she had for John Lennon was what had eventually pushed her to meet her husband. "I had a serious crush on you back then."

"So you left and broke my heart over a teenage crush?" John teased.

"I left so my heart wouldn't get broken. It was a good strategy..."

Both of them laughed for a few seconds until a seriousness took over John's face.

"I hope things have turned out well for you, Gali."

***

"The truth is...I...started to have feelings for you." Gali said.

Her words were a surprise to John. He hadn't expected that to be the reason for her leaving. Despite the time both of them had spent together, he had never been aware of any romantic feelings directed towards him. In fact, even with his long history with women, he had never developed romantic feelings for Gali. She had inspired a tenderness he had never felt before, but it was more a sense of protection and care for her; he saw her more as a little sister than as a woman.

"I had a serious crush on you back then."

"So you left and broke my heart over a teenage crush?" John teased.

"I left so my heart wouldn't get broken. It was a good strategy..." Gali smiled.

John laughed with Gali for a few moments.

"I hope things have turned out well for you, Gali." John asked with seriousness.

After he and Yoko had come back and realized Gali had left, John had felt an emptiness from not having her there. He had grown close to Gali during the time she was there and had felt a need to protect her. He tried to look for her, but didn't have any success. It hurt him to not know how she was doing and if she was all right. After a while he stopped looking and soon afterwards, he and Yoko separated and his Lost Weekend began. He didn't think he'd see her again and thought it ironic that she had married into Vinny's family, the owner of one of his favorite go to spots. She had been so close without even knowing it.

"They have. I married a wonderful man..."

"What happened after you left?" John questioned.

"I took the money that you and Yoko had given me to pay for my first semester and rented out a small apartment. I ended up finding a job as a secretary for a law firm and that allowed me to save up for school."

"Is that where you met him? At school?"

"No." Gali smiled. "I met him here...in New York...playing at a bar I frequented."

"He's a musician then?" John chuckled.

"By night." she laughed. "By day he's an engineer."

"Couldn't keep away from those musicians, eh?" John winked.

Gali laughed. "I guess they just have something I can't resist."

"Vinny tells me he left New York...and you two recently moved back?"

"That's right. Rob went to study at Berkley in California. Before he left he asked me to go with him...and I did. I quit my job at the law firm and went to live in California. I was able to take a few classes while I worked part time...and I eventually graduated as an accountant 2 years ago."

"Math still easy for you?"

"And fun." Gali smiled.

"I'm so happy for you...and quite proud. When did you two get married?"

"A month after we moved back to New York...so about a year and a half ago."

"I'm surprised I hadn't seen you here before." John stated.

***

"Rob and I live in lower Manhattan...and don't typically come to these parts. I'm taking care of La Fortuna's taxes so Uncle Vinny asked if I could look over some papers before February comes around."

"I'm so happy to know life has treated you kind."

"It was thanks to you and Yoko. None of this would have ever happened had it not been for you two taking me in and getting me back on my feet."Gali said as she looked at John. "But what about you? Just released a new album after so many years...how does it feel to get back to your music?"

"The urge has been there. It had been a long time since I'd written a song, but they're coming thick and fast now." he smiled.

"That''s wonderful! I bought Double Fantasy when it first came out..."

"What did you think of it?" John asked.

Gali sensed there was a bit of worry behind John's question.

"I thought it was a beautiful album...you and Yoko had a sort of dialogue going on between the two of you."

"That's what we were going for." John smiled as he took a sip from his coffee. "It hasn't exactly had the reception I had hoped for, you know? Sales have been a bit sluggish."

"Did you enjoy recording it?" Gali asked.

"Yes."

"Then that's it! No need to worry about anything else." she smiled.

***

"You're right." John smiled. "It doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. I'm excited about what this album symbolizes...it is a reflection of my life right now...a reflection of my family."

The truth was that although John was content with his personal life and had enjoyed being a stay at home dad with Sean, he was insecure about his career. It had been five years since he had gone into the recording studio and although it had felt great to be getting back to his music, he felt uncertain about the reception of Double Fantasy.

"So you said Rob is a musician?" John asked.

"It's a bit of a hobby really...not a career." Gali replied. "He and a few of his friends play Monday nights at a little bar near our house."

"So he has a gig tonight then?"

Gali nodded. "Yeah. It's kind of the highlight of his work week." she laughed.

"What's your highlight?"

"Watching him play." she smiled.

"It's great to see you so happy, Gali."

"I can say the same thing about you John." Gali said.

Gali looked at her watch and frowned. She sighed and looked back at John.

"I have to get going. I have an appointment in 45 minutes." she said as she stood up.

John took one last sip from his coffee and got up too.

"I should get going too.  I need to get a haircut and have a phone interview later this morning."

John and Gali walked back into the cafe. As John paid for his coffee, Gali grabbed the papers Vinny had piled near the cash register.

"When do you think you'll be back, Gali?" Vinny asked her.

"Umm...today's the 8th...so...how about Wednesday? The 10th?" she replied.

"Sounds great. Thanks again for all of your help."

"No problem..." she smiled.

"I'll see if Yoko and I can stop by on Wednesday too." John said to Gali. " I'm sure she'd like to see you again. We've been busy mixing one of her songs at the Record Plant Studio. I think we should be done tonight with it. I'm excited about this one, Gali...I can see it being a hit."

"I can't wait to hear it! And it'd be so great to see Yoko again. It's a date!"

***

Gali sighed as she finished up with her last appointment.  It had been a long day and she was looking forward to having a drink and watching Rob and the band play.  She thought back to that morning and smiled as she remembered her conversation with John.  She was only a few minutes from Record Plant Studios and decided to see if John and Yoko were still there.  Maybe they could all have a quick dinner before she headed home. 

When she arrived at Record Plant Studios, she found a security guard at the front desk.  She walked up to him and asked if John Lennon and Yoko Ono were still recording.

"Yes, they're still here, but unless you're on my list..." the man said tapping a sheet of paper with his pen, "I won't be able to let you through."

"Oh...well I'm not on the list..."Gali said with disappointment.  "Thank you." She said as she began turning around.  Before reaching the door, however, she turned around and walked back to the security guard.

"Could I maybe get a message to them?  See if they'll come out?" she asked hopeful. 

The man hesitated.

"Please?" she insisted.

"Alright...but I don't guarantee it will even reach them."

"I understand.  Thank you so much!" Gali smiled.

She gave the man her name and he called someone on the phone, relaying the message.  Now it was up to her to simply wait.

Twenty minutes passed and there was no sign that John or Yoko had received her message.  Gali looked at her watch.  It was almost 9 pm. Rob began his set at 10 pm and she still needed to eat something and head to the bar.  She sighed as she got up.  She couldn't wait any longer.  She walked up to the front desk, just about to thank the security guard when she saw a door open.   She smiled as she saw John and Yoko walking out.

"Gali!" John exclaimed as he made his way over to her. "Sorry to have you waiting...we just got the message that you were out here!" John said as he hugged her.

Gali pulled away and immediately hugged Yoko. 

"I was so glad to hear John tell me he had run into you this morning." she said when their hug ended.  "We have so much to catch up on."

"I know." Gali smiled.   "I actually stopped by because my last appointment tonight was rather close to here.  John said you and him were finishing up one of your songs tonight, so I thought I'd see if you'd like to grab something to eat?"

Yoko looked at John.

"Well...we're not completely done with the track, but...I suppose we could finish it tomorrow." he said to both Yoko and Gali.

"That sounds great!" Gali smiled. 

"Let me just grab a few things and we'll head out." John said.

***

As John waited for their food at the Stage Deli, he watched as Yoko and Gali talked about what had gone on in her life during the last few years.  Yoko couldn't believe he had run into her at La Fortuna and that she had married into Vinny's family.  The three of them talked for about an hour before Gali said she had to get going.

"I hate to cut this night short." she said with sadness. "I'm having such a good time...but Rob's set is starting in three minutes." she laughed. "And I haven't missed one yet."

"We understand." Yoko replied as all three of them stood up.

"Any chance you'd like to come with me?" she asked hopeful.

John looked at his watch.  It was nearly 10pm and they'd pulled an all-nighter at the studio a couple of days ago, which he hadn't completely recovered from.

"It's a small bar...we can grab some drinks and just listen to them play.  It's usually not very full on a Monday night, so you won't be bothered. " Gali urged.

"What do you think?" John asked Yoko.

"Well Helen's with Sean...I doubt it would be a problem if I called her to let her know we'll be a little late and to go ahead and put Sean to bed."

"I'd love for you guys to meet Rob..." Gali smiled.

John looked at Gali, her eyes focused on him, waiting for his answer.  He smiled and finally agreed. "Alright...you've both convinced me." he replied.

As Gali told his driver the address of the bar, John leaned back into the seat and contemplated the day.  It had been a great day from the very start.  Running into Gali that morning had somehow set the mood for the entire day.  He had felt productive- the interview of that morning had been spot on, the photo session with Yoko had been great fun; he was sure they could make it to the cover of Rolling Stone and the mixing of Yoko's song was just about finished.  Yes, he was content with how things had gone today.

As the car stopped in front of a small bar, John looked out at the rundown building.

"I promise the building isn't a true reflection of the place." Gali smiled.

"Don't worry...I've never been one to judge a book by its cover." John said as he got out of the car.

John and Yoko followed Gali into the bar.  There was a small stage and a group of four men were playing a pretty amazing rendition of Stevie Wonder's Superstition.  John smiled as he looked around the bar.  Gali was right, the bar wasn't very crowded, only a few tables were occupied.  It reminded him of when he and the other Beatles had first started in Hamburg.

They took a seat near the left side of the stage and Gali smiled, nodding slightly in the direction of a man with dark features.

"Is that your husband?" John asked trying to talk over the music.

"Yes...the one in the blue shirt." Gali smiled.

"He's handsome." Yoko remarked and winked at her.

A waitress stopped by a few minutes later to get their drink order. John could tell she recognized him, but more so than star struck, she seemed surprised he would be in a place like this. For the next 20 minutes, John relaxed and enjoyed the show. The band played cover songs, but their versions were different from most John had heard and he was a fan of that.

After their first set, they announced a short break of 15 minutes and the band members immediately came over to the table.

Rob went over to Gali and gave her a sweet kiss. They both turned towards John and Yoko and Gali introduced them.

"John this is Rob, my husband...Rob this is...well...John Lennon and Yoko Ono."

There were a few chuckles as each band member shook John and Yoko's hand. A couple of chairs were added to the table and more drinks arrived.

"Gali mentioned she had met you two a few years ago...I didn't know you were back in contact."

"It happened this morning...at your uncle's café." John replied.

"La Fortuna?" he inquired surprised.

"Yeah, we're friends with Uncle Vinny." John laughed.

"We had dinner together and Gali convinced us to come down and see the band play. What's the name of your band?" Yoko asked.

"Euphoric Melody." Rob replied. "It was very kind of you to have come. Never did I think waking up this morning, we'd have John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the audience." He smiled as he looked over at the others at the table.

"Nice guitar you have there..." John said to Rob taking notice of the guitar that was leaning against an amp on the stage."

"Don't act like you don't recognize it." Gali smiled at him.

"I'm not...I think it's great that it's getting proper use. It's a great guitar." He smiled thinking back to when he had restored it so many years ago.

The next few minutes were filled with laughter and light conversation. John was really enjoying himself and was glad Yoko and Gali had talked him into going.

It had hardly felt like 15 minutes when Rob and the others were standing back up and heading to the stage. Rob walked over to John and leaned in as the others began warming up.

"How about joining us on a song?"

John chuckled.

"That depends on your repertoire." He winked.

"I'm sure there's at least one song we all know." He laughed.

***

"I thought you had an early day this morning." Rob said to Gali as he walked into the kitchen and kissed her forehead.

"I called in sick." Gali said as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

Last night had been absolutely amazing! She hadn't had so much fun in a long time. The second John took the stage with the band, it was something else. She was sure nobody there had expected to attend a mini concert featuring John Lennon, backed by Euphoric Melody. He looked so comfortable on stage. Yoko had mentioned to her they were thinking about going on tour....small venues to begin with. She thought last night was the perfect start.

"It's from all that drinking you did." He laughed.

"I know...but it was well worth it. Last night was absolutely...perfect."

"I never thought I'd ever say I backed John Lennon."

"You guys rocked it last night...all of you." Gali smiled at her husband and then walked to the front door to grab the newspaper. She took it back to the kitchen counter and unrolled it. As she was taking a sip of her coffee, the picture on the front page caught her attention. It was a picture of the Dakota. Her eyes began reading the article and without realizing it, she felt her coffee mug hit the floor, splattering hot coffee across the floor and onto her feet.

"Gali! Are you okay?" Rob asked hearing the crash of the mug on the floor. He looked at her and stood up, walking to her. "What's the matter?" he asked noticing her nervous expression.

Gali didn't say anything, she simply kept reading, not believing what the words on the page said. Rob walked behind her, hoping to see what had gotten his wife so unsettled.

"Everything okay in here? I heard something break."

Gali looked up from the newspaper. She looked at John, standing there at the doorway to her kitchen. He was wearing one of Rob's pajamas, his hair tousled and a sleepy expression on his face. He was wiping the lenses of his glasses with the bottom of the pajama shirt when Yoko wandered in, standing slightly behind him, her appearance not much different.

Both Gali and Rob looked at each other, not believing how fortunate last night had been. Gali walked towards John and Yoko and handed them the newspaper.

"You need to read this." She said handing John the paper. John took the paper and he and Yoko sat down at the kitchen table. He extended the paper out onto the table and both leaned in to read. John read to himself; Gali able to hear some words from the article as John read.

"Last night at the Dakota....a suspicious character...Perdoma and a nearby cab driver...standing near the archway....approached the man...38 revolver in his possession....when asked what he was doing there he said he was waiting for Lennon...taken into custody where he confessed he was there for the purpose of..." John's face had gone pale and he swallowed hard. "At this time no comment has been made by Lennon or Ono."

"I need to call Helen...see how Sean is doing." Yoko said anxiously as she stood up.

"Of course. I'll take you to the phone...it's right through here." Rob said as he led Yoko into the living room.

Gali stood there as John stared at the paper. She sat down in the chair next to him and took his hand. "Are you okay?"

John looked up at her, his eyes filled with fear.

"I could be-" John started.

"But you're not!" Gali interrupted. She couldn't even hear the words said out loud.

"Thanks to you. You saved my life, Gali. If we hadn't come with you last night to see Rob...if you hadn't talked us into not making the long drive back to the Dakota and instead had us stay here...it would all be over. My life...you've given me one more day of life."

"John..." She said leaning towards him, bringing her forehead against his. "Seven years ago you saved my life. You've given me seven more years of life..."

"You remember you told me one day that there was no way you could ever repay me for what Yoko and I had done for you?" John asked.

Gali pulled away to look at John. "Yes." She said softly.

"Well you just did. Thank you."

THE END.