Legacy // H.S

30.

'It's okay as long as I've got you baby'

*

We're lucky to have a sunny day as the wedding rolls around. Cold, of course, given the time of year, but pleasant. In the garden an aisle has been created with a satin throw leading up to the front, chairs lining either side. The colours are far from traditional, instead switching between blacks, reds and oranges, like the fire that burns within them, as Zayn tried to explain. The arch is also adorned with roses and lantanas, with small pots of them scattered around the space. And thankfully, the whole scene is covered in a fancy looking gazebo, with outdoor heaters set up to keep it warm.

We tried to reason with them to make it an indoor ceremony, and we offered to pay for it too, but they had a vision and they refused to go for anything else. Of course, they had always intended a summer wedding on a nice warm beach somewhere but given the precarious situation we find ourselves in these days, there's no time like the present. Love shouldn't have to wait for anyone, especially Zayn and Babz.

Inside is still buzzing with energy though, parts of the reception still set to take off in here. Harry has been busying himself with the food for a few days now, and I've helped whenever he's let me, but often Babz has had me running around collecting last minute tokens for the day. I haven't protested, though, because the idea of seeing her happy again is enough for all of us.

She's usually so energetic, so carefree, but recently that light has dimmed, and often we've found ourselves wondering if it would completely darken. But somehow, in the buzz of wedding planning with the promise of something good and pure to hold onto, the glow has begun to grow again, and we may be bathed in light once more after today.

She's been getting ready in mine and Harry's room, the sides cleared so all the makeup and hair products can be placed out, while her dress hangs in a bag near the window. We've been doing all of it ourselves, insistent that this entire day is kept within the bounds of family, not hiring outside people expect for a few services because right now we only feel safe when we're together. And it's been nice, to be honest.

It's like having a sister, sometimes. The way she frets about certain things, the conversations we have amidst the friendly rivalry and banter. She lets me help with her hair, curling and pinning it in certain places, while she helps with my makeup. Something I always wished to have growing up and feel so completely fulfilled with now that I have it. Like a piece of me was missing until I met her, because she's as important to me as Harry is, and she's one of the key people that has kept me afloat this year.

I know when we first met, she was colder to me, but it was only on account of her love for Harry, and how deeply she cares for him. He saved her, he saved all of them, someone just needed to look out for him too, and she wanted to take on that role. I like to think it's mine now, but we're all so invested in it that it's a group effort at this point.

All of us, so dedicated to protecting one another, because so few people have given us that courtesy in our lives. The outcasts, now a family.

It's a beautiful thing having all of us here today to celebrate something as pure and innocent as love. In the corners of our minds, George and Louis appear, and we find ourselves stopping at certain moments of the day to mourn the fact that they are not here. But they linger, of course they do, they're as real as the wind in the air and the birds in the sky. Always watching, always smiling – they're just safer now.

Babz has only stopped to mention them a couple of times today, because in truth it's her family she misses most, and sometimes when I leave her for a few minutes I know she finds herself dwelling on the fact that they're not going to be in the row of chairs while she says her vows. To counter that, though, Harry and I decided to leave some seats out for them, their names written across them, right next to Zayn's parents.