Look After You - A Louis Tomlinson Love Story

Chapter 55: Remembering Sunday (Epilogue)

"Daddy! Will! You're here!" Victoria yelled and everyone turned, coming over to Will and telling him congratulations. I stayed off to the side and hung out with Victoria.

"How was your day love?" I asked her. She looked exactly like her mother, just younger. And that was awful for me, because every time I looked at her, I wanted to cry. She was just as sweet as Ashley, and I hope she can remember her mother so she knows how much of a great person she was.

"It was great! Grandma Jay and Grandma Anne took me out for lunch and then we set up for the party." she said.

"That's great sweetie! Do you want some cake?" I asked her and she nodded quickly. I laughed and got up, making my way over to the yummy cake waiting on the table. I cut her a piece and handed it to her before she ran off to Perrie so she could show her.

"Hey mate, how are you doing today?" I heard someone ask. I looked up and saw Niall there. Marlee was back talking with Danielle. I'm guessing Niall was tired of the girl talk.

"I'm okay, actually." Niall and Marlee were always checking up on me, just to make sure I was handling it well. I was most of the time and when I wasn't, they were always there to help.

"So, how are you guys doing?" I asked him, trying to change the subject.

"Great. Do you think you could take care of Natalie for a week or so? Me and Marlee's wedding anniversary is coming up and I really want to take her somewhere special. I was thinking Hawaii. She's always wanted to go there."

"That sounds cool. I'm sure she'll love it." And I never get to do that for Ashley anymore.

"I hope so. I haven't really done anything for her in a while and... she's just so amazing. She's such a great wife and an even better mom. I love her so much."

"Yeah, I bet she is." I sighed. Didn't Niall get that bragging about his perfect wife wouldn't help me?

"Oh, sorry Louis. Anyways, what did you get Will for graduation?"

"It's a surprise. Hold on, I'll go get it." I ran in the house and entered my bedroom. I walked over to the desk and unlocked one of the drawers where I kept important things. I shuffled things around, looking for the key. Yeah, I got Will a car. Technically, Ashley and I both did. We had been planning this for a while. I still couldn't find the key so I began to pull things out. I finally found what was in the way: the photo album Ashley had made me back on our first anniversary. I picked it up and began to look through it, flipping through all the old pictures. Finally I found one I didn't recognize; a new one. It was all four of us in her hospital room. I checked the date at the bottom: February 21, 2036. That was three days before she died. I flipped it over and expected an empty page. But instead, there were four envelopes under the plastic slipcover. The words on the front of the envelopes were in her handwriting. I slowly took them out and looked at them one by one. The first read:  To Will on his graduation day. The second read: To Victoria on her wedding day. The third confused me. It simply said: To her. And the last only said one word: Louis. I had never seen these before, but I think I was meant to. I set the other three down and looked at the one with my name on it. I slowly ripped it open and took out the crisp piece of paper. I took a deep breath and began reading, almost instantly feeling her presence.

My dearest Louis,

       I love you now as I write this, and I love you now as you read this. In our time together, you claimed a special place in my heart, one I'll carry with me forever and that no one can ever replace. There are moments when I wish I could roll back the clock and take all the sadness away, but I have a feeling that if I did, the joy would be gone as well. So I take the memories as they come, accepting them all, letting them guide me whenever I can. The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected. It's possible to go on, no matter how impossible it seems, and that in time, the grief . . . lessens. It may not go away completely, but after a while it's not so overwhelming. Sometimes you have to be apart from people you love, but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes you love them more. I remember when I came in with tears in my eyes. You always knew whether I needed you to hold me or just let me be. I don't know how you knew, but you did, and you made it easier for me. You're a hero and a gentleman, you're kind and honest, but more than that, you're the first man I ever truly loved. And no matter what the future brings, you always will be, and I know that my life is better for it.