Between the Ice [h.s]

| Epilogue 02 |

-Harry-

Five Years Later...

Standing tall with the warmth of the sun hitting my face, I relax my shoulders with the familiar surrounding. Someone tugs at the sleeve of my shirt and I look down. My eyes stare, admiring the brunette curls on my daughters rounded head. Her green eyes are sparkly, the palm of her hand shading her face.

"Where are we, Dada?" Her soft, curious voice wonders. An uncontrollable smile urges on my lips.

"We are here to visit someone special." I answer, bending down to her height. Confusion is drawn between her eyebrows and I swoop her hair off from her face.

"Someone special?"

"That's right, someone special." I confirm, pressing my red lips to her light pink cheeks.

"Oh."

"You know the necklace around your neck is from this special person." I point to her chest, the silver dove shines.

She looks down, grabbing the charm and smiling, "Really?" Her eyes widen, a wave of emotion washes over her.

I nod, "a dove necklace for my Little Dove."

"Wow," she gasps in admiration.

Lifting myself back up with a groan, I turn to face my wife and kiss her right cheek with appreciation. "Thank you for doing this with me, Alyse."

"Of course, H." She smiles, enveloping our hands as one.

As all our hands are all wrapped around as a family, we begin to walk down the small aisle of grass. Once we reach the tombstone, my eyes read the beautiful name onto it.

"Can you put the flowers down for me, Dove?" I gesture to the bouquet in her left hand, leaning down to stanch the old ones away.

She nods, bending down and laying them down where the old ones were just resting.

I decide to sit down next to her and she jumps into my lap.

Wrapping my arms around her tiny body, I kiss the crown of her head.

"Dada, h-how do you say that name?" She stutters, her tiny finger pointing.

"Eulalia." I pronounce slowly.

She tries to mimic me but it becomes out in a large mess. I chuckle softly, "how about Laylee? Can you pronounce that name?"

"Lay...lee?" She says slow and steady, the name coming out more clear.

"Perfect!" I praise, squeezing my arms around her.

"Dada?"

"Yes, Princess?"

"Why are we here?"

I sigh, "well, sweetheart. Before I met your mama, I new someone else and she was my first love. Today is her birthday, and I wanted to celebrate with my family, the family she wanted me to find rather than being sad all the time."

"Why can't we speak to her?" She picks at my sleeves, her fingers drawing on the stripes of my shirt.

"Because she isn't here anymore. She passed a few years ago, but I still come here and talk, updating her about you and mama."

"I'm sorry," she apologizes, her cute voice aching my heart.

"There's nothing to apologize for. I have moved on and I am happy as ever. Yes, it is sad she is not here but she would not want us to be sad, she would want us to be happy."