Just By Being You || z.m.

Everlasting Love- Epilogue

It took me years to master the art of tying a tie. I didn’t need my mum’s help this time. I sighed deeply at my reflection, staring at myself. I was much older now that I was when I last wore a suit. I think it was at my bandmate Liam’s wedding about 5 years ago, when I still had Ava. It was still a surprise to me I had made it two years without her but here I am. I promised her I would carry on with my life and for the most part I’ve done a decent job. I was in the final years of my career and I had a 20 year old daughter to finish raising. A couple months before Ava… left me, Isabella introduced us to Ashton who proposed shortly after. He was a nice lad and Izzy really loved him so who was I to be in the way of their love. That’s the reason I’m standing here now, I'm set to walk my baby girl down the aisle any second.

“Zayn?” my mum’s sweet voice called out from outside the door.

“Come in mum.” I called back to her and she walked into the room.

“You are still as handsome as you were on your wedding day.” her voice cracked with emotion.

“And you are still as beautiful.” I said as I wrapped my mum in a strong hug.

“Zayn, you know she’s always with you and she lives on through your beautiful daughter.” My mum’s words struck emotion deep within me.

“I miss her mum, I don’t even know how I'm living without her, and I feel like half a heart. She took the other half of me when she left.” Even after two years I still used the word 'left' to spare myself the added pain.

“I know my sunshine, I know.” my mother’s soothing voice said.

“I love you mum, so much.” I said with my voice still shaking.

“I love you too Zayn, now come on your daughter is waiting.” She adjusted my tie, I gave her a peck on the cheek and I walked out of the room to find Isabella.

I knocked twice on the bride’s room door before a small voice told me to enter. Our beautiful daughter was dressed in white and looked like the angel she was. Her hair was long and brown just like her mothers and it fell over her shoulders in curls. She turned to face me with shimmering green eyes that I had once thought were one of a kind until Ava passed them on to our amazing girl.

“Daddy.” She said with tears falling.

“You look so beautiful my angel.” I said with my own emotion.

She closed the space between us and wrapped her delicate arms around my waist, burying her face into my chest. I pulled her in tight and we stood there hugging for some time before I finally pushed us apart with my hands on her shoulders.

“Are you ready?” I asked my beautiful girl.

“Dad what if I mess up and Ashton and I don't work out? What if we can’t make it? I love him so much it hurts…” she sobbed.

“Hey baby girl don’t think like that. You honestly believe your mum and I knew we would make it all these years?” I lifted her chin with my finger to see the emerald of her eyes.

“I wish she was here I miss her.” She sniffled.

“I do too but she is always with us and you know that.” I smiled down at my daughter. “Come on we better go before Ashton thinks you’ve run away on him.” I managed to laugh.

The ceremony was beautiful. Ashton and Isabella were so in love and everyone in the room could feel it. I couldn’t believe I was watching our daughter marry the love of her life. All our family friends congratulated me and told me how much they all missed Ava. I danced with Izzy and took Ashton aside to give him my ‘scary dad’ speech that I had been planning and now I was standing outside on the balcony alone. Well not completely alone, Ava was here. The wind was blowing softly and the stars were shining brightly. The stars always reminded me of Ava, when they were extra bright I knew she was close by. So many years, fights, tears, my career, her sickness, and managing a family, we had done it all. And we did it all together as Zayn and Ava. She was the love of my life and made me love my life. I will never go a day without her, I know that in my heart.

Its amazing to me how everything can fall into place when you just let it. When you love someone you have to fight for it and that was the biggest accomplishment in my life. All the awards, albums and screaming fans would never compare to loving Ava. She was my angel.

“I love you forever and always Ava.” I whispered into the empty air.

I smiled deeply at the star lit sky and went back inside to finish the celebration. All because we fell in love and never gave up. It's incredible that you can make a life with someone just by being you and following your heart. Love is a mystery that takes a lifetime to explore and Ava sure gave me a life worth of explorations.

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Thank you to everyone who read this story! It was a joy to write and it is finally over! Hope you liked it :)