had just finished changing into my pajamas after coming back from a long day of filming when I heard the phone ring.  I walked out to the living room to answer, but John had beat me to it.  
 
"'Ello?" John asnwered. "Yes she's here... may I ask who's calling?...Just a second." 
 
"It's your sister." John said handing the phone to me. 
 
I froze. Emma and I had agreed that I would be the one to call her unless there was an emergency. 
 
I took the phone from John as he walked over and sat on the couch.  It was going to be hard to talk to Emma with John being so close by.  
 
"Hello?" 
 
"Mirel...how are you?  Sorry to call you there but I really needed to talk to you."
 
"It's okay.  I'm doing fine...what's going on?  Everything okay?" I asked worried. 
 
"Well I just got a call from Dad.  He and mom were in a car accident...but they're okay." Emma said making sure I knew the full details. 
 
"What?  When?  What happened to them?" I asked getting anxious. John looked over at me and could tell there was something wrong by the tone of my voice.
 
"Calm down...they're okay.  It happened this morning.  Some guy passed a red light and crashed right into them.  Dad says that he has a few cuts and bruises, but mom has a broken collar bone and some broken ribs.  The doctors say that they were lucky it didn't turn out worse." 
 
"Oh Emm--" but I quickly stopped myself remembering John was in the room. 
 
"I was thinking maybe you could go over there and stay with them to help Dad out.  I would go, but the soonest I could get there would be in 2 month since I am finishing up this internship."
 
"Of course I'll go...I just have to talk to Brian...and John...but I don't think it'll be a problem." I answered. 
 
"Listen, I have to go now...I'm supposed to talk with mom's doctor to see what his diagnosis is, but give me a call after you talk to Brian to let me know when you'll be heading back to the States, ok?"
 
"Sure...thanks for letting me know. Tell mom and dad I love them." I responded. 
 
"Of course. Bye Mirel."
 
"Bye." I said hanging up the phone.  
 
I turned around to look at John who had a concerned look on his face. 
 
"What happened?  Everything alright?" He questioned. 
 
"No...my parents were in a car accident. My mom has a broken collar bone and some broken ribs and my dad...well he's doing okay, got a little banged up though."

"Oh Emma...I'm so sorry to hear that." He said as he came over and hugged me. "The good thing is that it was nothing life threatening."
 
"Right...but I need to talk to Brian...I need to go home and help dad out with mom ..."
 
"Emma, Brian will not have a problem with that...we can talk to him to arrange a flight there for you." John said as we sat on the couch.  He wrapped his arms around me and I felt so safe.  John stroked my hair and comforted me while I kept thinking of how easily I could have lost both my parents tonight. 
 
"So you have a sister?" John asked interrupting my thoughts. 
 
"Yes." I simply said. 
 
"I didn't know that...you never mentioned her before.  Is she older of younger?" John inquired.  
 
"Technically she's older." I replied as I moved so I could look at John.  
 
"Technically?"' He raised an eyebrow
 
"Yes...she's a minute older than me...she's my twin sister." I finally confessed. 
 
"You have a twin sister?!?" John said chuckling. 
 
"Yes." I smiled. 
 
"How come you never mentioned that?" John inquired.
 
"I guess it never came up." I replied. 
 
"Wow...as if one Emma is not enough, now there's two of you?" He laughed. 
 
Looking back on it, this would have been the perfect opportunity to tell John the entire truth.  The topic of my twin sister had come up in conversation and now would have been the ideal time to let John know what Emma and I had done so she could do her internship.  But I held back.  Call it stupidity or fear...I couldn't tell John I had lied to him this entire time.  I couldn't face him right now...I didn't think I could handle the idea of a bad reaction on his part in addition to the current situation with my parents.  Not to mention that I was getting ready to be leaving him for some time and I was afraid of what could happen to "us" if I told him the truth now and not have time to explain or smooth things out with him.  No...I couldn't quite tell him yet...it wasn't the right time.  
 
"So what's her name?" John asked me. 
 
"Mirel." I answered.  I really wanted to change the topic of having a twin sister since it could get me in trouble, but John seemed to be quite fascinated by this new development. 
 
"Are you two identical twins?" He asked. 
 
"Yeah...pretty much can't tell us apart." I chuckled nervously. 
 
"Oh..I'm sure there's certain things about each of you that give you away." 
 
"Plenty of things.  Just ask my parents." I smiled.  
 
"Well they're not here...so I'm asking you." He said.
 
"What's the sudden interest in my sister?" I asked trying to avoid the conversation. 
 
"Now Emma...no need to get jealous, luv.  I'm just curious...it's just interesting that's all." He said.
 
I glared at John. 
 
"You know...it's kind of cute that you got put off when I asked about your sister..." John said as he came closer. "But I promise I won't fall for her.  I'm sure she's not even half of what you are.." John finished as he passionately kissed me.  
 
Oh if John only knew that my sister was exactly half of what he thought I was...
 
***
 
The next day I called Brian and explained the situation with my parents.  He was more than accomodating, telling me to take all the time I needed and that Sandra could handle the office work. He arranged a flight to leave the following day to the States.   I figured although John would miss my company, as his "assistant" there wasn't much that was keeping me in Spain.  I hated to go and leave John here.  I has started to get very involved with him and the act of being separated was not exactly something I welcomed, but perhaps it was something that needed to happen.
 
"I'm really going to miss you Emma." He said as I prepared my suitcase. 
 
"I am too...but maybe this is for the best." I said sadly.
 
"What are you talking about?" He asked as he walked up behind me and put his arms around my waist.  I turned to face him.
 
"Well..maybe we need this space, you know?  I mean the reality is that you're still married and I'm...well I've pretty much become the other woman.  That is not a role I want to play."
 
"I already explained to you about Cynthia and my marriage." John said frustrated.
 
"Yes...and I already explained to you that she is still your wife and what we're doing is wrong."
 
John pulled me in close to him.  "This can't be wrong Emma...what I feel for you and what I know you feel for me is just so...right." he said.
 
"Maybe it is just an ilusion John.  Maybe we just want to convince ourselves that this--" but I didn't get to finish the sentence.  John took it upon himself to shut me up one kiss at a time.
 
Our make out session ended rather quickly as I needed to catch a flight home that day.  John had asked Jerry if he could accompany me to the airport since he couldn't get out of filming for the day.  Jerry arrived punctual and he took my bag to the car.  I heard John tell him to give us a few minutes and we'd meet him outside.
 
"When do you think you'll be back?" He asked as he held both my hands.
 
"I'm not sure...it depends how fast my mom recovers."
 
"Well how long does it take for a collarbone and ribs to heal?" John asked.
 
I was glad I had talked to Emma last night and asked the same question. 
 
"It usually takes a collarbone 3-8 weeks to heal and ribs around 4 weeks." I answered.

"So I won't see you in at least one month...maybe two?" John asked sadly. 

"That is what it looks like." I responded with the same sentiment. "But you'll be so busy here that you're not going to even miss me." I gave him a small smile. 

"I am too going to miss you Emma...more than you know. You won't even be here for my birthday." He said. 

"I know...I'm sorry." I said looking down. 

"Just don't forget about me, okay?" 

I nodded. 

"Promise?' 

I nodded again. 

"Say it. I want to hear you say it." 

"I won't forget about you John Lennon." I said. 

John smiled and gave me a very soft and delicate kiss. "C'mon now...you have to get going or your're going to miss your flight." John said as we headed out the door. 

***

A month and a half had passed and mom was doing so much better. I had enjoyed the time I had gotten to spend with her and was glad that I could be there for her like she had always been there for me. Dad was very grateful that I had come to help him. With mom really not being able to do much by herself, he hated to have to leave her alone. It was nice, spending time with my parents, but I was starting to miss my life in England...my life with John. 

I had talked to him on his birthday. He told me Cynthia, Ringo and Maureen had gone to Spain to celebrate it with him and that Cynthia had insisted they move to a bigger place so he was no longer in "our" apartment. He told me he missed me and although I missed him terribly too I urged him to try to work things out with Cynthia now that she was there, to which he completely ignored me and kept asking when I was going to be going back to England. I averted the question by simply telling him that I couldn't go back until mom was fully recovered. 

Emma told me that she had only a few weeks to go until her internship was over and that she'd be heading back to England once she was through. And so the conversation I was dreading to have with my sister was inevitable. 

"Emma...I need to tell you some things before you go back to England." I told her one day. 

"What about?" She asked curiously. 

"Well I wasn't exactly honest with you about...John and me." 

"Go on." she said a bit apprehensive. 

"I know I told you that nothing happened...but something did happen between us." 

"What? Mirel...we talked about this...you know he's married." 

"I know that...but it just...I can't explain it Emma...I didn't intend to have feelings for John, but..."

"But nothing Mirel...you have just put me in a big predicament. What am I supposed to do when I have John face to face?" Emma said upset. "Did you sleep with him?" she asked bluntly. 

"No...we never slept together." 

I could hear a sigh of relief as Emma mumbled. "Okay...we can work with this." 

"Mirel...I'm going to be very honest with you here. You have put me in a very awkward position here...you know I need this job and you were very kind to help me by taking it on while I went on the scholarship, but we had talked about this...how could you..." she trailed off. 

"I know! I'm sorry...but I can't help my feelings towards John." I countered. 

"That doesn't help me Mirel...remember you were pretending to be ME. I have to respond to all of this...what am I going to do when I have John in front of me? Huh? Tell me! What do I do?" Emma asked. 

I thought about it and with a lump in my throat I answered her. "You break his heart." 

***

After many talks, Emma and I had agreed on how we were going to handle this situation of "switching back". She was going to be arriving in England a week before I was and had already talked to Brian about getting back to her office job now that mom was doing better. He was thrilled to be having her back confessing that although Sandra had done a good job while "she" was gone, it didn't compare with the way Emma handled the work. As for John, we had learned he was already back in England and the boys were starting to record a new album in the studio. I hadn't talked to John in weeks, mainly because since Cynthia was in Spain with him, it was hard to get any time to talk. Emma had told me that she was not going to look for John, but if he found her she would have to tell him that she had thought about everything that had happened between them and that it was best to not continue what they had started in Spain, for him to try and work things out with Cynthia and that she'd be there as a friend only. I told her that if she wanted I could talk to John when I got back, but she told me that she didn't think I could really break it off with John since I still had feelings for him. As for me, I would be arriving to England as myself...as Mirel, Emma's twin sister...and thus be introduced as such to everyone. In this way, Emma would gracefully take back her life and I would start my new life as Mirel.

A couple of days before I was set to leave to England, I got a call from Emma. 

"Hey..." she simply said. 

"Hi...how are you?" I asked. 

"I did it." She responded. 

"You did what?" I inquired. 

"I broke his heart..." She answered. 

"You saw John? What happened?" I asked anxiously. 

"He didn't know I was back until he saw me in Brian's office yesterday afternoon. He asked me why I hadn't let him know I was back and I asked him if he wanted to go get some tea so we could talk. He said no...saying we could talk fine there. He came towards me and tried to kiss me, but I resisted and this got him upset. He asked me why I was being so indifferent towards him..and if I had gotten back with Nick while I was in California." 

"What did you say?"

"I told him that I hadn't...but that I had time to think and that I didn't feel the same way as when we were in Spain...that Spain had just been a fling and that he needed to forget what had happened. He seemed really hurt saying that I had promised I wouldn't forget about him. I told him this was for the best...that he needed to go back to his family and forget about me...forget about us. He said I had changed so much in these past two months...it was as if I was a completely different person." 

My heart was aching as Emma told me this. I cared so much for John...and now I had broken his heart...but I knew this was the only way my sister could get her life back. 

"You were right...I would not have been able to break it off with John." I confessed to Emma. 

"I know Mirel...but this was for the best. There was nothing else we could do. and just so you know, it hurt me to have to tell him all those things....but you know I needed to get my own life back." 

"I know Emma...and it was my stupid mistake to get involved with John that is causing so many people so much pain. I'm sorry. This is all my fault." 

"Hey...don't blame yourself for all of this. I'm sorry I got so upset with you before...I guess I forgot what its like to fall in love...you can't help having the feelings you have...even if they're not the right ones to be feeling." 

"Thanks Emma." 

"So I'll see you in a couple of days?" 

"Yes."

"You sure you'll be able to keep it together if you see the boys again?...if you see John again?"

"I'll definitely try." I answered. 

"I've missed you Mirel...you know that, right?"

"And I've missed you...I'm looking forward to seeing you."

"Me too." She said. 

***

Emma was looking quite lovely when I saw her again. Germany had treated her well. She had finally gotten those contact lenses we had all been pushing her to get and she had a glow about her. She later confessed she had met a German boy who had romanced her while she was there. 

"Well you certainly kept that little romance quiet." I said when she broke down and told me. 

"Well you kept your little romance quiet too, didn't you?" She said referring to John. 

Four days had passed since my arrival to England and I had yet to see him. Emma hadn't seen him either since "their breakup", but Paul was throwing a party at his house this weekend and he had invited Emma to go. She had casually mentioned that her sister had just come in and he had cheerfully extended the invitation to me as well. This was going to be the first time that we were both going to be seen together. I was quite nervous even though I had been around these people lots of times before...but I had always fallen back on being Emma and this would be the first time around them as Mirel. Not to mention that John would probably be there and that in itself was nerve wrecking. 

The night of the party, Emma and I discussed our strategy. I had tried to remember everything that had gone on while I had pretended to be her in case someone asked her about something that had happened. We decided it was best to try and look a little different so she opted to wear her hair up while I left it down, we did our make up a little different, we dressed in different style dresses and she even contemplated wearing her glasses, to which I talked her out of. 

"You ready?" She asked as we headed to Paul's house. 

I nodded.

When we arrived to Paul's house, I was a ball of nerves. We walked into the house and I recognized some faces that I had met as Emma. We spotted Brian as soon as we arrived and walked over to him. 

"Brian...I'd like you to meet my sister Mirel." Emma said. 

"You have a twin sister?" He smiled. 

"Yes...isn't she lovely?" Emma said. 

"Nice to meet you." I said, feeling a bit weird. 

"Likewise. Please make yourself at home. I'm sure the boys will be delighted to meet you." He said. 

One at a time I "met" the boys: Ringo and Maureen first, then George and Patti and finally Paul who had Jane Asher hanging on his arm. Each one surprised to know Emma had a twin and all of them saying how much alike we looked. It felt nice to be around them again. I felt comfortable around them and I noticed that it was Emma who seemed a bit out of place. 

"Will you please relax." I told as I took her to the side. "You're supposed to be one who knows them..." I hissed at her. 

"I know that, but I wasn't the one who bonded with them on tour! Yes I knew them, but we weren't exactly very close!" she responded. 

"I understand...but get it together or they're going to get suspicious." 

"Okay Okay." Emma said smoothing out her dress as we started walking back to the party. Suddenly, we were stopped dead in our tracks as we heard that too familiar voice call out Emma's name. 

It was John.