Back To December

Epilogue

4 years later

"Slow down Claire!" I yell after her.

It's summer and we are spending a month at the beach house like we've always done. After the first summer we spent here with Claire, we couldn't help but buy the house and make it our vacation home. The boys and Eleanor are already here getting settled in. I unbuckle Danny from his booster seat and set him down outside the car.

"Da! I help!" He says walking to the trunk.

I nod smiling. "Alright lil man. Here you go." I hand him something small to carry.

Danny is almost 4 now. He looks like my mini me just like Claire looks like a mini Harry. Daniel Edward Tomlinson-Styles was born on February 1st like his dad. He doesn't know how much he saved me but he will one day. When Eleanor found out he was a boy there was no doubt what his name would be. Harry and I had spent ages going over baby names and he was adamant on naming a little boy Daniel. I grab my duffle bag and Danny's while Claire walks back over to grab hers. She hugs me and kisses me on my cheek.

We walk inside and set the bags down. Niall has Danny up in the air and is running around making airplane sounds. I roll my eyes but walk over and give his wife Amy a hug. Next Liam has me in the air and tosses me on the couch.

"TOMMO!!! You were almost late."

I shove him off and stand back up. "I had to turn around. I forgot something important."

He rolls his eyes and we all decide to go swimming. After we get changed Claire runs off with Becca and Jess to start surfing lessons with Niall. I stay in the shallow water with Danny. Eleanor stays with me while Mike continues to teach Will to swim. After a few hours Danny is ready for a nap so I take him inside, get him dry, and lay him down on mine and Harry's bed. I look around the room and take everything in. The pictures of Harry and I were still on the side table and dresser. A few even hung on the walls. Some have changed though. The wall in the living room now held pictures of an older Claire and a baby Danny. I walk downstairs and into the garage where the surfboards are. I run my hand over mine and then smile as I grab Harry's board.

I know Eleanor will listen for Danny. After the first two years I stopped asking. I paddle out far enough and just lay on the board on my stomach. I listen to the water. I take my finger and absently start tracing the letters carved into the board.

H + L

Liam, Zayne and Niall join me soon enough. At first they're silent. I do this every year. I sit up and take a deep breath before kissing two of my fingers and placing them on the letters.

"So. Are we gonna surf or just float?" Niall asks.

"Man who catches the smallest wave is on kitchen duty!" I yell pushing him off his board and paddling out farther.

The boys laugh and quickly catch up. After surfing for what feels like hours we decide to head in. Niall lost. Zayne is making fun of the baby waves Ni kept getting stuck with while Liam and I discuss what to cook for dinner. As night falls everyone talks less but that's okay. The silence isn't as sad as it used to be. As we sit around the table the spot to my right is always empty. No one will ever take that place.

One by one everyone settles in for bed. Claire asks me to walk her to bed and she picks Danny up to take him with her. I know what she wants even if she won't ask for it anymore. She doesn't have to. Even at 10 years old she wants to hear her favorite fairy tale. The same one that is becoming Danny's favorite. She gets dressed for bed and I get Danny is his pajama pants and matching shirt. He grabs Boo the bear and settles into bed next to Claire.

"This story while it may have a happy ending it had an even better beginning. It began with a little boy named Harry." I begin.

Danny claps and Claire smiles grabbing the locket I gave her. "Shh. Listen to the story little one."

The door cracks open and Liam sticks his head inside. "Can we hear it too?"

I nod. Liam and Zayne. Becca and Jess. Niall and Amy. Eleanor, Will and Mike. They all sit down on the floor and motion for me to continue.

"One day Harry moved to a big city where he met the person who would change his life forever. Most changes take time but this change only took three words. Harry walked into his neighbor's backyard with his mum hiding behind her almost falling over his own feet. He didn't notice the boy with blue eyes watching him. Once their eyes met and the little boy came over Harry was so nervous. 'Hi! I'm Louis!' was all the blue eyed boy said but it changed Harry's life forever."

Page after page.

Chapter after chapter.

"There were many who didn't believe that true love existed and sometimes the two boys walked among them. Sometimes they didn't. Sometimes they paved their own road. A road they walked together. They loved each other the most and they were each other's most favorite. They each made mistakes and they each fought for each other. They would always go back to December, every single time. After their long journey there was one thing they both knew. They were each others forever. If they never had anything else they would always have each other. Always and forever. 1. 4. 3."

I finish the book and set it down.

He was right. Most things in our life brought us back to December. Some were mistakes we wished we could fix. Some were happy memories like when he told me he wanted to start a family with me. I trace my fingers over the title of his book.

Back to December.

"1. 4. 3." I whisper to Harry closing my eyes.

I smile and I see him looking back at me. Those green eyes. I pull our kids closer and fall asleep to dream about my forever. 

A forever I know I will get one day.