Little One ✹ Zalfie

16

Doctor Leese took me to Zoë's hospital room, and as soon as I made eye contact with her, I started to cry extremely hard. I ran to her side, and held her hand in mine as she started to tear up.

"What's going on?" Zoë asked, and I wiped away her tears. "Is everyone okay?" I slowly shook my head no, then started to explain everyone's condition. She seemed to have become happier once I said Joe was okay, but when Ellie's name came out of my mouth, her eyes watered up again. "No... Please, tell me it's not true..."

"She's gone.." I whispered, and Zoë cried into my chest as I held my arms around her. "She's gone..." I explained how she didn't have a chance, and Zoë stopped crying.

"So... Joe and Caspar are okay?" She asked, and I nodded. "And... Joe tried saving Ellie...?"

"He did.." I said. "He gave her another hour of life... but it was inevitable...." I ran my hand through her hair as I spoke. "I'm so glad you're okay.... Doctor Leese told me what all he had to do.... and I'm lucky to still have you...."

"I'm lucky to have you, too...." She smiled softly at me. "And... Ellie will be better off with... her mum and dad.... in Heaven..." I nodded, starting to cry more as I pictured my sister, Sean, and Ellie together. "We can still start a family...."

"I know..." I said. "I love you so much..." I kissed her gently, and then turned to look at the door. Caspar was wheeling Joe in a wheelchair, and Zoë started to smile when she saw her brother.

"All we wanted to do... was to give you a special birthday..." Caspar said. "And I let this happen..."

"This wasn't your fault, Casp.." She said. "Things happen...."

"Well... we still have a gift waiting for you.." Joe said. "We've been working on it for over a month..." Zoë looked at me, waiting to know what it was.

"As soon as you are cleared to leave... we can take you to see it.. And we will have your party then.." I said.

"So you were planning an elaborate party?" She asked, smiling as I nodded. "I was right this whole time..."

~

When Zoë and Joe were released from the hospital in early April, before taking them home, Caspar and I brought them both to see Zoë's birthday gift. Joe blindfolded Zoë before we arrived, and I led her out of the car.

"Can I take the blindfold off yet?" Zoë giggled. "Pleeeeeease?"

"Just one second, love..." I said. "I need to make sure everything is ready..." I looked inside to see everyone was there and hiding to pop out to surprise her. "Are you ready, darling?" I giggled.

"Clearly... it's not like I just asked if I could take the blindfold off twelve times already.." She said, smiling. I untied to blindfold, and her eyes lit up. "Oh... my God.... No way..." Zoë started tearing up.

"I spoke with the owners... and they agreed to a few changes if... we helped rebuild.." I said. "Everyone helped. Joe and Caspar drove here every morning for the past month, and Mark got a group of people he knew to help..."

"Ellie's..." She said, reading the sign. "They let you... rename the restaurant... after Ellie..." Zoë started tearing up, then turned away from the building to hug me. I wrapped my arms around her, kissing her forehead. "I love you so much, Alfie..."

"I love you more..." I whispered. "Now walk inside..." She looked at me, and I smiled. "There's more..." Zoë opened the doors to reveal all of our friends and family who had survived the multiple bombings on Valentine's Day the previous year. Her mum started tearing up when they locked eyes, letting Zoë know exactly what was going on. "I remembered... you didn't want to have a huge ceremony...."

"Alfie..." Zoë turned to look at me. "I love you so much..." She started to cry.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"Of course..." Zoë said, and kissed me. Tracey walked towards us, taking Zoë into another room, and I walked into a different with Joe and Caspar.

~

Once I got ready, Joe smiled at me.

"My sister is really lucky to have you..." He said.

"She's never been this happy.." Caspar said. "And... now that you're doing this..."

"That's all I've ever wanted to do.." I said, fixing my hair in the mirror. "I have always wanted her to know how it feels to be truly loved. Noel never treated her well, and I have always known I could treat her better..."

"Well, he's in prison.." Joe said. "He's in prison for everything he's ever done to our family.."

"I just wish... that when I first met Zoë... I would've been able to kiss her then.." I said. "When she met Noel... it was at my sister's party.... and I was only fourteen when I laid my eyes on her..."

"All you can do now... is continue to love her. You may not have had a chance to express it then, but you are about to have the rest of your life to show her how much you love her.." Caspar said. "So... are we ready?" My dad walked in, and told us it was time to start the ceremony.

"Alfie, your mum is sitting in the front row with Tracey, so she can take a bloody lot of pictures of you and your girl. If we're even the slightest bit late to start, she's going to throw a fit.."

"Let's do this.." I smiled. "Let's get me married..." We grabbed the boutineers and pinned them on, then left the room. I had asked if Louise would walk her daughter down and throw flowers before myself and my groomsmen, and Zoë and her bridesmaids would walk down.

"Wow.." Joe, Caspar and I said simultaneously, smiling when the doors opened and Zoë walked in. My dad offered to walk her down the aisle, and she looked absolutely stunning in the short, white dress she had picked out with her mum.

"She's so beautiful..." I whispered to myself.