Same Mistakes

Same Mistakes: Epilogue

“Hey Mum,” Luke whispered, as he walked slowly up the gravestone, where fresh flower, preassembling from his grandparents, were still on display. He knelt down next to the grave and traced his finger along the letters, heart heavy in his chest.

He didn’t remember his Mum, prior to this gravestone. The stories he’d heard of her, from his father, were just stories. In reality, in his mind, all his Mum was a slab of marble to talk to once a year, on the anniversary of the car crash that had taken her life, and given him a new life and family.

The car crash that had thrust him into Louis and Harry’s life.

“I know I haven’t been here in ages, missed a view anniversaries,” Luke bit his lip, sitting down cross-legged on the patchy grass, “I’ve been busy. Trying to finish up with revisions and such. You know how it is. Well, actually, I guess you don’t. You stopped all that when you had me…”

His voice trailed off and he cleared his throat, shaking out his curls.

“Anyways, I’m doing really well. Uh. Well. There have been a few bumps in the road. Good news, kind of, you’re a grandmother! Try not to freak out though, Abigail, you remember Abby? I spoke about her last time, when we were only just starting to date. Anyways, it was Abigail’s and we decided to give little Alfie up for adoption to this lovely couple, you’d like them, probably. I guess. Alfie. Can you believe that? God Mum, I wish you were around so, so-“

Luke’s breath caught in his throat and he took a deep breath, wiping at his eyes.

“-So you could tell me what the hell you were thinking, naming my middle name Alfie,” Luke laughed through the tears that began to fall and he sighed, “But Dads helped me come up with that right decision. They’re, they’re kinda great Mum. And I hate every second that you’re not here in my life, but they’ve done a damn well job raising me, without killing me and stuff. I mean, when I was little, I think you probably looked down and questioned if I’d live to see eighteen. But here I am, eighteen in just a few months, and a spiffy young gentleman.”

A hand rested on Luke’s shoulder and he looked up to see Harry, smiling softly down at his son.

“Hey Mary,” Harry said slowly, ruffling Luke’s hair as he turned to stare at the headstone, “I miss you. We’re doing pretty great down here, I’m sure Luke’s filled you in-“

“I didn’t tell her about the twins,” Luke whispered and Harry smirked.

“Ah, the twins. Mary love, you would love to hate them. They’re into all that pink frills you always said you hated. Though, to be fair, they’re only four. So give them time. But you helped raise a wonderful brother for them. I know you were cut out of his life too soon,” Harry paused as Luke began to silently cry, and he reached down, squeezing his son’s shoulder in comfort, “But you built a great foundation, Mary, you helped shape Luke into the man he is today, just as much as Louis and I did. And I can not thank you enough for giving me such a wonderful, perfect, son. Yeah?”

Luke smiled and slowly pushed himself to his feet, turning and falling into his father’s arms, which wrapped easily around him, pulling him into a familiar hug.

Harry slowly pulled back after a minute or so and smiled at Luke, “You ready? Louis’ waiting in the car, we have to be at the arena in half an hour.”

His son grinned and nodded, “Another summer. Another tour.”

“You’ve gotten good at them, haven’t you?” Harry laughed, as he and his son walked through the graveyard, towards Louis’ car that was parked by the gate. “What’s this, your sixth one with us?”

“First one with the twins though,” Luke noted and Harry groaned, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

“Oh lord, I’m having flash backs to dragging you on tour with us when you were four,” Harry moaned as he climbed into the front seat of the car, pecking Louis on the lips, “You remember that Lou?”

Louis snorted, glancing at Luke, who had situated himself in-between the twins’ car seats, through the rearview mirror, “Lets see. Was that the tour where Luke got lost on the streets of New York, because we’d broken up, and Niall broke his arm?”

Luke raised a brow, “Wait. What? I don’t remember that!”

Harry laughed, reaching for Louis hand, and holding it as Louis maneuvered his way through town, “Good. Maybe you’ve subconsciously blocked that out.”

Luke rolled his eyes, “Well try not to lose one of the twins on the streets-“

“Don’t lose me Daddy!” Riley cried and Rebecca chimed in with worried whines, which turned to giggles as Harry turned in his seat, tickling his twin daughters, making them squirm in their car seats.

And so the Styles-Tomlinson family, in all their mismatched, turmoil, glory, pulled up to the 02 arena, ready to start a new tour, new chapter of their life. Together.