Hold My Girl

Epilogue

Harry's POV
April 2021

In my line of work standing in front of a crowd isn't such a big deal. I've sold out shows at Maddison Square Gardens and the San Siro Stadium and I wasn't half as nervous as I was, standing in front of our closest friends and family waiting on my fiancé to enter the room.
Walk down the aisle.
Become my wife.

"You ready for this?" Jeff whispers. I look over to my best man standing just over my shoulder.

"Nah, fucking shitting myself" I let out a laugh and my eyes dart to the heavy wooden doors at the bottom of the room where hopefully Nora would make her entrance soon. The gentle chatter of our friends and family drown out my words so only Jeff can hear.

"You think she won't come?" Jeff asked his brows furrowing in confusion.

I shrug my shoulders. "There's every chance" I pull at the black tweed jacket to straighten it out. Like I have no idea what Nora is wearing she has no idea I decided to get married in true Scottish tradition, a small nod to her heritage, in a kilt. I pulled the old one I wore on tour out of storage especially for the occasion.

The string quartet sit in the corner in front of beautiful floor to ceiling windows that look across Camusdarach Bay. We are way up in the Highlands of Scotland in a beautiful Manor House that sits just off the beach and has the most sensational views.

We played a lottery deciding to get married in Scotland. There was no guarantee what the weather would be like, especially in April but it seems like someone from above is looking down on us, despite the chill in the air the sky's are blue and the sun is shining.

I watch the musicians as they ready themselves to begin playing. A wave of nerves fizzle through me as I think of Nora, somewhere on the other side of those doors, waiting to hear what songs I've picked for Avery and Allison to walk to down the aisle to before her. I told Nora she could have the wedding of her dreams, we could get married wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted, however she wanted the only stipulation being; I was in charge of the music. So from what she walks down the aisle to, to our first dance, she has no idea. It fills me with equal amounts of excitement and dread in case I've majorly got it wrong. I think I know Nora. I know her mind. Like she knows me, I know her likes, her dislikes, I know what she's passionate about, I know what turns her on, I know what gets her blood boiling. And I hope to god I've got it right and picked the right piece of music for her to walk down the aisle to.

I'm calmed as the violins and the cello start the first bars of God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. The big wooden doors open and I feel the sting of tears as Avery pops in to view. She's in a beautiful hunter green dress in the same shade as Allison's dress, that stops at her knees. She bounds down the first few steps of the aisle when she see's me at the bottom. I smile as a guest somewhere at the back affectionately tells her to slow down. The quartet continue as Avery slows, and begins tossing petals out of a little wicker basket just like we've practiced plenty of times at home. She's only just turned two and stumbles a little in her sparkly silver shoes but she's not put off by the stumble or the amount of eyes currently on her. She just looks up and grins at me as she makes her way down towards me tossing clumps of petals around the floor. When she's finally level with the front row, a seat saved for her on either side beside my mum or Nora's mum, wherever she decides to sit, she bounds up the few stairs to the raised area that takes up the whole front of the room. We're standing in front of a floral arch placed in the middle of the stage giving everyone, no matter where they're sitting, a perfect view of us and the view behind us.

I bend instinctively and pick Avery up as she races in to my arms.

"Daddy!" She grins

"Hey cupcake" I smile nestling my nose into her brown curls that fall down over her shoulders. At 2 she's becoming such an incredible little toddler. She might have inherited my brown hair and green but she's got her mum's ferocious attitude.