The Rose

Chapter 25

Kay's POV

"Are you ready?" Harry asked, pulling on his coat and shoes. I nodded, looking around the house and sighing. It was the day after I got out of the hospital, and we are doing something that is long overdo.

I pulled on my coat and shoes and nodded, taking his hand. "Let me know if I squeeze too hard," I said, "I'll probably be holding it the whole time."

He smiled and opened the door, grabbing the keys to his car and pulling me out with him. We got inside and sighed, kind of just.... sitting, just for a minute.

"I'm still in awe."

"What?" I said.

"I'm still in awe, over what happened during your recovery," He said. "How you lived in your subconscious for that long, and... how you met him."

"So am I."

Harry nodded and looked out the windshield.

"He misses us," I said, trying to make him a little happier. "He told me that. He told me that he wouldn't want me with anyone else, or you with anyone else. He misses us."

He smiled. "At least we have his blessing."

I smiled and looked out the window as he turned on the ignition. The radio ignited, sending music through the car.

"Because its you and me, and all kind of people-"

"-And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you." Harry sang, looking at me. He smiled and turned to the road, backing out of my driveway and out into the road, onto the interstate, on the way to our destination.

I looked down the bundle of roses in my hand, one dead rose in the middle. All of them I had gotten at the flower shop down the road from the book store, and the one in the middle I had picked from my backyard.

It was the last rose on the bush.

I felt tears pricking my eyes, but I did not let them fall. Don't cry, I told myself.

"I never knew this is how it would end," I said.

"What do you mean?" Harry said, stealing a quick glance at me before looking back to the busy road.

"I didn't think that we would end up together, when it was all over. Louis's sickness. I thought that when he did leave us, you would leave me, maybe even London, for bigger and better things," I said. "And I would be here, alone."

Harry hesitated before responding. "I'm glad it didn't turn out that way. The best thing for me is being here, right now and forever, with you."

I smiled, my doubt and sadness vanishing for the moment.

I imagined what life would be like without either of the boys, Louis or Harry. If I didn't have Louis, I would have never ended up with Harry. If Harry wasn't here, I don't know how I would have dealt with Louis's death alone.

I probably wouldn't have been able to.

"We're... we're here." Harry sighed, pulling into the cemetery gates. He drove on, going to the place that he said that he remembered from the funeral. I don't remember much about that day. But I do remember the pain, the agony.

Realizing he was really gone.

I took a deep breath when we stopped, and he looked at me. "Are you sure that you're ready for this?"

I nodded. He got out of the car and came to my side, taking my hand and leading me to the stone, to the remains of my brother.

Then we found it, and I felt moisture on my cheeks. Harry squeezed my hand.

HERE LIES LOUIS WILLIAM TOMLINSON, LOVING SON, BROTHER, AND FRIEND.

12/24/1991 - 1/12/2014

That's him.

Under all of that grass, dirt, inside a box, was my brother's body.

I felt a gust of warm wind blow around our heads, a contrast against the cold, early February air. I smiled.

"He's here," I said.

"How can you tell?"

"The wind. He used to like listening to it whistling in his ears, and try to find the direction it was going, and he would follow it. He told me, before I came back, that he's always right next to us," I said, tears falling. "No matter where we are."

Harry looked around. "Hello, Louis. We miss you."

The wind blew in circles around us, whistling in our ears three times, as if to say, I do too.

I looked to the roses in my hand, and bent down to lay them at the stone. The dead rose stuck out, but not in an unattractive way. In a way that reminded us of our past, a way to tell him we haven't forgotten him, and I haven't forgotten all of our memories, especially with the bush and all of those roses.

"Louis," Harry said, tears beginning to fall down his cheeks. "I want you to know that I will never hurt Kay, ever again. I shouldn't have, and I'm sorry, and I just want you to know that I will protect your little sister with my life," Harry smiled. "Because I love her. I won't ever let her go." He paused, collecting himself. "I will never forget all of those concerts and parties and talks, that we had. I won't forget how you loved taking pictures, and had us take one together at every concert. I will never forget the smile you had on your face when I told you about my successes. I won't forget your witty comments and funny, corny jokes, and your taste in music. I found the best music in the world because of you, and I thank you for that." Harry paused, a sob wracking his body. "Basically, I-I miss y-you, and I will n-never forget y-you."

I sighed and looked from Harry down to the stone. I focused on his name. "Louis," I began, "I miss you so much. You made my life great, and helped me through everything. From going after mean eight-year-old boys for the eight-year-old me, to laughing and making comments when I tell you about some rude customer or coworker. I'll never forget making tea in the mornings for us, and bringing it to you. I will never forget watching FRIENDS over and over, while sitting in your hospital bed. I will never forget how you helped bring me and Harry together, even though you were my brother and was against it at first." Harry and I chuckled. "I will never forget how you helped me during my crash, when I was in my subconscious with you. I will always be grateful to you for showing me the good in life, even when it seemed that it couldn't get any worse."

"Louis, I love you, and I'll miss you forever." I continued. "I'll tell your story to my kids, to my grand kids, so they will know of their amazing uncle that lived his 21 years leaving more marks on people than anyone could do in one hundred years."

Harry grasped my hand. "We love you, and we'll miss you forever. We're extremely grateful for everything you've done for us, old pal."

We stood in silence for a minute, just staring at the stone and listening to the wind around us, reminding us that he was here and he heard everything, that he misses us and loves us too.

And as the wind whipped my hair as I stood in that cemetery, in front of the stone, holding Harry's hand, I realized I had finally reached it. The thing Louis always wanted me to reach.

Happiness.

And it was all I needed.

THE END  

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A/n

so that's it... the books over... :'(

Thank you for reading- an epilogue, soundtrack, and a letter will be posted soon.

Thank you for reading THE ROSE. :)

-Hope