Two years later.
I sit next to Félicité as she cries, face red and angry as she wipes away her tears with the back of her hand.
"Don't cry, Félicité," I say quietly, rubbing her back before hugging her to me. "She'll be okay."
"I'm so scared," She sobs as another round of hot and fresh tears fall down her face. "The road was so slippy and it was raining, but it's my fault."
"No, darling, it's not your fault," I sigh, shaking my head. "It happens, baby. As you said, the weather and the road was bad, it was out of your control."
She sniffs, resting her elbows on her knees as we sit on the chairs in the hospital's white corridor. "What if something happens to her?"
My heart clenches in pain at the thought, though I try to ignore it as I say, "She'll be fine, darling. Lottie's so strong, she'll be more than okay, alright?"
She sniffs again and nods before staying silent. I stay by her side for the next twenty minutes, rubbing her back and ensuring the both of us that Lottie will be okay. Once I see Mark, her best friend, I smile at him as he hugs her and sits next to her.
"I'm going to go to check on Louis." I tell them and they both nod before I leave. I quickly grab two cups of coffee from the cafeteria before heading to where Louis is, waiting by the operations' room. He is sitting on the floor, with his back leaning on the wall and his head hanging low between his knees.
I feel my heart burning with pain for Lottie and Louis, I hate seeing him like this, even in the toughest of times. I can't stand not seeing his face bright and happy.
Sitting down on the floor next to him, I place my head on his shoulder, making him raise his head before I hand him his cup of coffee.
"Thanks, love." He says quietly, voice drained and eyes tired, but I can't blame him, it's three AM in the morning, we're all tired and drained.
After a few minutes of silence, I squeeze his knee and say, "She'll be fine, you know she will be."
He nods slowly as he whispers, "I know, she's a strong one."
"She is," I smile weakly and he returns it before pressing a peck to my lips. "Where's Johannah?"
"Down with Dan and Phoebe," He answers and I nod. He holds my hand tightly in his, squeezing it as I press my body closer to him. "She will be fine."
"Tallulah?" I turn my head towards the voice and smile when I see Ernest, Louis' youngest sibling.
"Yes, darling?" I smile as he runs to me.
"Where's Evan?" He asks.
"He's at his granddad's, lad," Louis speaks, pinching Ernest's nose. "I'll take him to you soon."
Ernest nods and rests his body on my lap. "I wanna sleep."
However, as soon as he says that, the doctor comes out of the operations' room. Quickly, me and Louis run up to him as he removes his mask, and Johannah, Don, and Félicité join us just in time.
"The brain injury was moderate, thankfully," He says firstly, making me and Louis worry just a bit less. "There was no internal injury. However, there was slight fractured vertebrae, but it'll heal with time and a brace, but there will be a long lasting pain and discomfort with the patient."
"But it will eventually heal completely, right? Like, she won't lose her mobility or anything?" Louis asks as I squeeze his hand tightly, both of us extremely worried and scared for her.
The doctor shakes his head. "I highly trust that she won't lose it, but the injury will surely limit her mobility, and with the right care and treatments, she will be all new soon."
We both sigh in relief before I say, "Thank you, doctor. When will she go to her room?"
"Now, but no one will be allowed to go in for four hours."
"Why not?" Johannah asks, almost crying as she furrows her eyebrows.
"Check ups, some treatments, and surely rest," The doctor informs us and we nod. "Now, excuse me please, I'll go clean up and check up on Miss Tomlinson soon."
"Thanks, doc." Don says, giving him a small smile.
A few minutes later, Lottie comes out on a bed and they lead her to room while we all wait on the chairs by the door of the room. Everyone is drained and tired, but we're all praying for one thing; Lottie's health.
Louis keeps falling asleep next to me, but he wakes himself up every time. However, when his head drops low and he sleeps again, I push his head up and wake him.
"Louis, go home," I tell him and he immediately shakes his head no. "Go freshen up a bit, take a shower, eat something, change your clothes and come back. I'll wait for Lottie here and call you if anything happens."
"I can't leave." He sighs heavily.
"Let's go, darling," Johannah says as she gets up with Phoebe and Félicité. "We all need a shower, and Félicité need to rest. Don will wait with Tallulah."
I nod and smile at Louis. "Go, I'll be here."
He sighs again and presses a kiss to my cheek as he whispers, "I love you."
"I love you," I reply back, just as quietly. "Now, go."
Five months later.
Holding the phone between my shoulder and ear, I place the key in the door as I try to open it without dropping the grocery bags in both of my hands.
"Love." Louis answers.
"Hey, did you pick up Evan from his practice?" I ask, still failing to open the door.
"Yeah, he's covered in dirt from head to toe, but that lad aced it." He speaks and I can just imagine his proud smirk.
"I knew he would, he's very good. Now, get Elliot and get home."
"Yes, ma'am!" I head the two of them say before I chuckle and hang up. However, I groan before I drop the bags to the floor, shove my phone in my pocket and open the door rather angrily.
I throw the keys in my bag before I take everything inside and kick the door behind me. However, as soon as I turn on the lights, I'm shocked to see Louis, Evan and Elliot around the table, with decorations all around with party hats on top of their head and a big "Happy birthday, best mummy in the world." On the wall.
"Surprise!" They scream and I drop my jaw at them.
Evan and Elliot run towards me, engulfing me in a big hug as they say loudly, "Happy birthday!"
I laugh, hugging them back. "Aww, babies, thank you so much."
Louis grins as he walks towards me, wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me closer to him, pressing a small kiss to my lips as he whispers, "Happy birthday, love."
I cup his face and press another kiss to his lips. "Thank you, baby."
"Let's blow the candles!" Evan yells and we laugh before we head towards the table. I hold Elliot in my arms as Evan sits on the table with Louis next to me.
Once I see the cake, my heart melts at all the memories in these pictures on the table, but then I notice what's written and my heart literally explodes.
"Happy birthday, our Midnight Shades." Is written at the corner of the cake.
"Dad, what does Midnight Shades mean?" Evan asks as he dips his finger in the chocolate and takes a lick of his finger.
"That's my nickname for your mum." Louis grins proudly.
"Is there a story behind it?" He asks and me and Louis nod. "Wait, why shades? Isn't it supposed to be one shade only, since it's only mum."
Louis looks back at the cake and widens his eyes before he extends his hand to remove the extra 's', but I stop him before doing so.
"He was my midnight shade, too," I tell Evan, smiling a little before I look back at Louis lovingly. "We were both Midnight Shades."
Louis smiles before he leans down and presses a kiss to my lips. "I love you so much."
"And I love you." I reply back, kissing him once more.
"Well, it's boring, let's blow the candles!" Evan exclaims and Elliot claps.
"Yes, candles!" Elliot says, grinning from ear to ear.
Then we blow the candles, eat the cake and tell jokes, as Evan and Louis keep bickering back and forth while Elliot stays with me and laughs at them, and I'll have to admit; Evan is all in for Louis, but Elliot is definitely his momma's boy.
This is our family, our very much unexpected family. That's my Louis, my furthest dream, and that's our love and story, started under the moonlight, and continued happily under the ceiling of one house, with one family full of love and happiness, and a little bit of silliness, too.
(DON'T REMOVE THE BOOK JUST YET, THERE WILL BE SOMETHING IMPORTANT POSTED LATER! Haaaaa, I tricked y'all IM SO SORRY! But here it is, the epilogue of my very first book. Thank you SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING. Don't forget to vote and comment xox)