Saving Grace {Haylor}

Epilogue

"Oh dear god, I don't know if I can't do this."

Annie stands in the mirror as Grace attaches the long flowy veil into her hair.

I synch up the ribbons on the back of her glowing while dress and when I finish, tuck them in. "Mom, I honestly don't think I can do this." She whirls around, her eyes gathering tears as she looks up, trying not to wreck her make up.

"Baby girl, I know you can do this."

She shakes her head, looking at Grace who grasps her hand so tightly. She's a near spitting image of Annie. Except with bluer eyes and dirty blonde hair. They've been close since the moment Grace was born a whole twenty years ago. And she currently stands tall in pastel pink cocktail length dress, ready to take place of maid of honour. "Come on. Jace is waiting down there to see your beautiful face and spicy curls. No need to be scared. I'll be there with you." Grace smiles and nudges Annie.

"Just listen to Grace. She knows everything." I wink.

There's a knock at the door and Harry peeks in. "Are we ready?" He asks, strolling in wearing his best suit and he stops himself midway. Tears in his eyes. "You're so beautiful, baby. Look at her, Taylor. She's all grown up!"

"Oh daddy, please don't do this." Annie whines with an underlining smile.

"Too late." I chuckle and Harry walks over to Annie, wrapping his arms around his grown up girl. "You make me so proud." He whispers, kissing her forehead.

"Okay! Let's do a round of shots!" Pheobe, a good friend of Annie's, says and we all huddle in a circle. Annie between Harry and I and grace to my left. The two other brides maids come too and we all put our shot glasses in the middle.

"To love!" Phoebe says aloud.

"To laughter!" Grace chimes.

"To happiness!" Harry has a tear falling from his eye.

"To family!" Annie says, lying her head against my shoulder.

"To being there, no matter what." I kiss the top of her head.

For the past twenty one years, I've raised Annie. I watched her grow from a little girl with big dreams to a big girl with big successes. It's a mothers only wish to have their children be happy. And Annie, even though her mother died at such a young age, she never let that effect her. If anything it helped her understand the world. Now she has a teaching degree.

Jace came into our life a long while ago. Nearly twelve years. They met in high school and became friends. Promised each other they wouldn't date because their friendship wasn't something they wanted to risk. Six years later, after college parties and a run to the hospital where Annie got in an accident with a drunk driver, he became more than just a family friend. He became someone Annie couldn't live without. She didn't understand it. She said it was crazy to have met her soulmate so young and I agreed.

It may have been crazy...

But with our family, crazy was what was comfortable.

So maybe I pushed her a little, gave her a Swift kick in the ass, but look where she is now, happier than she's ever been. Standing in front of her best friend, exchanging vows while all her friends and family sit and watch.

As for Grace, I can't explain her character.

She's an odd one, I'll say that. But she's mine. She's always trying to find the smoke and take down the fire. Then find the person that lit the fire and help them find their way.

Neither of my girls, luckily ever suffered through any type of eating disorder or stress disorder. I brought them up to believe that they were enough. What they saw in the mirror was perfect. That they shouldn't change for anyone.

Grace has always been my mini me. During high school she would come home and plop down beside me on the couch complaining about how everyone was going to a certain party. I told her she could go, but to be safe and to answer her phone if I called. But that's not what she cared about, oh no. She didn't want to go to the party. She just knew that on Monday there was going to be a girl crying in the bathroom because of what happened that weekend.

She always put her heart into everything she did. She believed in people so intensely that she was even blindsided by it. She's had a few boyfriends and then when she noticed it was going down hill, she backed away. She knows when enough is enough. She knows what she can handle.

Before me stands my two beautiful daughters with Harry at my side. They have so much to learn, still. And I know anything that comes their way, they'll take it with open arms and sort their way through. Because there's two ways you can use pain.

You can take it, absorb it, and let it destroy you.

Or you can take it, absorb it, and use it as your fuel. At the end of the day, it's your choice. And I think they've learned from my mistake.

My little Grace, every time I witness her strength it brings me back. Sometimes it's not even when she's being strong, sometimes when she's weak. Or when we are in a moment like this. Where she stands so tall, holding two bouquets, watching her older sister get married. It brings me back to the moments where I was weak and scared and distressed. She was what helped me when I couldn't help myself. She was, without a doubt, my Saving Grace. And if that isn't a god given gift, I don't know what is.

•••

After a night of complete joy and love, Harry and I are back at our house. The one he surprised me with twenty one years ago. We made a home here. We made a family. We found happiness in the oddest of places and thinking back on everything, I wouldn't change it for anything.

"You're thinking again." Harry chuckles as he climbs into bed beside me.

"And?"

"And I wanna know what you're thinking about."

I nod slowly and look over to his precious smile. It's like everyday I fell in love with him again. Even after so many years. "My life is so different than what I thought it would be. I thought I was going to be a famous photographer for models and Karlie and I would eventually open up our own studio and we would be living in New York by the time I graduated. But none of that ever happened." I pause to take a subtle breath. "I thought that happiness only came with success. And success only came with wealth and fame. But I realize it's nothing like that. I think our family is successful and not in the sense that we have money. I think our love, and our family, and the growth of our girls and ourselves, that's success. And happiness, it came in its finest hour and in the strangest nicks and crannies. We're crazy. Crazy for each other. And I love that about us."

Harry leans in to kiss me gently and I hold his cheek. "I love it too. What we created... It's us. Take it or leave it. But it's us."

"I love you, Har." I take a deep breath and closing my eyes. "Thank you for never giving up on me."

"I love you. Thank you for never giving up. Period. And thank you for continuing to show me beauty in every day. You're the girl of my dreams, and you gave me the family I've always wanted. I'll always be proud of you and our girls. No matter what happens."

"Who would've thought that some strange boy with some beer and twizzlers would be my forever."

"I didn't think it." He says. "I knew it."

A/N

Here's a little surprise for all my amazing readers. I love you so much and I hope this ending did the story good for what you had hoped. LOVE YA.