Chapter 59

L I N D Y

After the honeymoon, I bravely decided to go back to college and finish where I left off. Harry has been very supportive of my decisions and he has been my confidante in almost anything. When he asked me if I would move in with him in London, I didn’t hesitate to agree. Mom and dad felt sad that I was moving to another continent which made them feel a little bit emotional before we parted ways. Yet, they have been supportive of me too as long as I would call them all the time and I did.

Harry bought a new home in a span of five months, where he was able to finish the renovation with the house designers. He asked me for some advice for our two-storey modern Victorian home which we put a lot of effort into to make a place we can call our own.

When we first got to the house after it was finished, I gushed at how huge it was. The house was massive and the backyard was insanely huge where we had a square pool where there was a wraparound porch in front and on the back as well with intricate columns and railings. The windows from the first storey is different from those in the second storey in terms of shapes and sizes. The turrets and towers, which are used the bedrooms, parlors and in the studies, extend up to multiple floors, giving the house an asymmetrical look from the outside.

As soon as we entered the house, it instantly felt like home. The kids loved the backyard the most as well as our own theater and pizza area in the kitchen where they enjoy making various kinds of pizza since I don’t limit their imagination. With our guidance as parents, we help the twins in pizza making and placing them in our pizza stone oven. It’s what we do every Saturday night for family night before we indulge ourselves with movies.

Harry and I made sure that we spend an amount of good times with our kids while they are still young and I guess my kids and my husband are my inspiration in life.

Six years passed, graduating college in University College London, finally getting a degree and passing the Bar exam, I felt more accomplished in my life than I have ever been. My parents and Avery together with Dahlia flew to London to celebrate with me. Martha, who is now engaged to Niall, is also living in London too and we often hang out as much as we can.

Life has been amazing.

For the past six years, I have been an advocate to people who are struggling mental illness and I have promoting the platform for years now. I encourage the ill people to embrace themselves and their flaws is a good way to accept who they really are because it is a good start. I help them be aware that having a mental illness is not something to be embarrassed about and should be something to taken seriously. Also, my advocacy is also promoting, educating and calling out to people who are mentally stable to never ridicule and discriminate those who are experiencing these illnesses.

Harry and the lads managed to help me with my charity and advocacy since the beginning and I am forever grateful for them. Harry and I have been running it for years now and it’s so rewarding to see people who were in my shoes before and are now recovering from their own tragic past, trauma and have managed to fight the battle against their own demons.

It’s truly amazing to witness seeing people being inspired from what I have been through. It’s almost very inspiring to be an inspiration to everyone.

Now, I am thirty-two, working as an attorney, while Harry is thirty-seven, a One Direction alumnus and now a world known music producer. I feel a little older and wiser but this was a good kind of old. A lot of things changed now in our lives and a lot of things came and gone by. My mom had passed on three years ago since she has succumbed to her illness and my dad followed a year later. It was truly heartbreaking but then life goes on.

We are now celebrating our 13th year wedding anniversary together with our close friends who celebrated our wedding on that same day too. Things are looking up now both our career, our lives and our family.

Ezekiel and Emerald are now turning fourteen years old while both of them have a passion for singing and playing instruments. Ezekiel is a splitting image of Harry from the green eyes to the brown curls while Emerald very much resembles me too but with Harry’s green eyes and brown tousled locks as well. We were then blessed with another girl who we call Adi since she’s Adeline Suzette Styles who’s now a bright eight year old and as they say is like my mini me. Our youngest is Benjamin Theodore Styles, who we call Jams, is now five years old.

Our family is really growing and I could not ask for more.

“Lindaaaay!”

I hear Louis’ voice and saw him approaching me with a huge smile on his face. He is walking hand in hand with Maxine who is my college friend in UCL whom he ended up marrying with. She is now pregnant for five months and I am too happy for them.

He hugs me, “Oh God Lord you look outstanding!”

“Lou, you do know how to lie.” I say jokingly. “You look pretty dashing as well.”

He pulls himself away and jokes back, “Well you know how to lie too.”

I chuckle before I face Maxine who gives me a warm hug, “Hi Max.”

“It’s so good to see you!” She chimes.

“So good to see you as well.” I answered. “How’s it going with the Kingson case?”

She groans, “Still no progress at all.”

“You’ll win it.” I smiled.

“By the way, congratulations on your 13th anniversary.” Louis says.

“Thanks Lou! It wasn’t easy but it was worth it. Still worth it.” I answered.

He smiles, “Ah, lucky lad. Are the lads here?”

I nod, “Zayn is in the backyard garden with Denise and their son Emmett. I think Harry’s with them as well.”

“Thanks Lindy. Shall we go and join them?” Louis asks Maxine.

“Do you want any help in the kitchen?” Maxine asks me.

“No, it’s fine. I can do it. The twins are helping me as well.” I answered.

As soon as they left, I walked back to the kitchen and check on Emerald who is busy transferring the pasta sauce with Ezekiel’s help. “Ah, it’s such a nice view to see.” I joked after they fought last night over a petty online game.

“Mum is uncle Niall here already?” Ezekiel asks.

“Not yet. Why?”

“He promised me that he would give me the newest edition of Wild Ride Kickers and that we would play with uncle Louis today.”

“Ezi, didn’t I tell you not to focus too much on video games?”

“That’s what I told him, mum.” Emerald chimes.

“You’re just jealous because I always win.”

Emerald rolls her eyes and interrupted them before they would fight again, “Guys, can we make foods with less fight please?” I placed my hands over their shoulders.

“Yes mum.” The twins chimed.

“Thank you.”

As soon as we were done, the maids started helping us in placing the foods out to the gazebo where the lads were all gathered. I see them finally complete now and it’s so nostalgic to see them all here, all grown ups having their own family. Before, it’s them and girlfriends but now, it’s the five of them, wives and kids running all around, laughing and playing. It’s all different now and it’s a very nice different.

Liam is with his wife, Jocelyn with their two kids who are ten and eight. Niall is with Martha now and everyone seemed so relax and happy. Everyone was still the same but everyone looked different at the same time.

We started eating together and we began to talk about anything while we celebrated our wedding anniversary with good wine, great foods and amazing conversation.

“Let us all make a toast.” Louis stands on his feet with a smile on his face. “For Harry and Lindy’s successful marriage.”

We raised our glasses filled with champagne.

“I’d also like to make a toast.” I hollered and stood on my feet. Harry looks back at me with furrowed brows but I just smiled at him, “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone of you who helped me through so much in my life. I would also like to thank my husband who has been there for me ever since.”

He smiles at me. “I love you.” He takes my hand and kisses the back of my hand.

“I love you too, baby.” I smile back at him before I stare at everyone who was looking at me. I raised my glass, “To friendship, better days, more love and this new life that’s been growing inside me for 8 weeks now. Cheers!”

“Cheers!!” Everyone chimed happily.

Until Harry finally realized, “Wait. Wait, you’re pregnant?” His smile widens.

I nod with a happy smile on my face and everyone else were surprised too as soon as they found out I was expecting again. Harry placed his glass of champagne on the table and leaped towards me. I stare at my kids and they looked so happy too.

“This is such a blessing!” Harry exclaims before planting his lips on my mouth.

“Harry’s family isn’t stopping now, huh!” Louis jokes and makes everyone laugh.

Harry chuckles before he takes the glass from the table and raised, “Cheers!”

“Cheers!!”

A week after our celebration, I flew to America to help Martha with her cousin’s case in the court. It was a tough case to crack with clues and evidences which were hard to find and solve but I tried to be patient with my two-week stay in Washington. Being away from home and my family is really tough, most especially that Jams is such a mama’s boy. Harry’s having a hard time taming him down when he is crying at night and looking for me but I know he was trying his best. He always does.

On my 16th day stay in D. C, I went to Starbucks, which had been my constant favorite place to drop by in the morning, and ordered myself some organic super fruit greens before I would start my day since the coffee shop was just on the way to work. As soon as I grabbed my drink from the bartender who called out my name, I thanked him and headed towards the front door to finally head to work.

The moment I stepped out of the coffee shop, my phone suddenly rings in my pocket and it was Harry calling.

“Hello?” I answered.

“You look lovely on that corporate attire, baby.” He commented.

My brows creasing and remembered this exact scene years ago. “You see me?” I ask.

“Clearly.” He answers and I can sense him smiling because I am too. “I have been wanting to see you today and I am so glad I did.”

I can’t help but laugh, “This happened 15 years ago, same lines and in a coffee shop too.”

Harry laughs as well.

“Where are you?” I asked and began to walk away like how I remembered it.

“No, don’t go.” He says the exact same words.

“I know where you are, Harry.” I say as I turn around and he was not inside the coffee shop like how I remembered it well. My brows creasing as I tried to stare at each of the people who were inside, but it wasn’t Harry. I can hear him laughing from the other line and it makes me wonder where he is actually hiding.

“Where are you?” I ask.

“Turn around.”

In a split second, I spin around and found him standing right in front of me with his handsome dimpled smile while his phone was still pressed against his ear.

“Hey you.” He greets in his deep and sexy raspy voice that I always love.

I hang up, “I didn’t know you were coming here. How did you know I was here?”

“GPS tracker?” He smirks.

“You little slick.” I smile at him, “Just like old times.”

“Yeah, exactly fifteen years ago this happened and how kickass you were telling the One Direction lads that you weren’t a fan.” Harry hugs me.

People come and go. People will drift in and out of our lives like waves. People can either be temporary and permanent. But when you choose them to be permanent, make sure that they are willing to stay and that they are worth risking everything for.

So never expect things to happen because the best things in life are the ones you didn't expect the most.

Who knows, you might accidentally swap phones with a celebrity and you'll just get lucky?

~ FIN.