The Next Step

Epilogue

Harry was standing at the window of the JHo Club putting up the last of the decorations when he sees a beautiful truck pull into the parking lot. Smiling, he walks to the door and watches as two of the most beautiful girls he's ever seen jumps out and walks toward him, when the taller of the two sees him she grins and yells out.
"Daddy, I made the team." Johanna grins as she runs the rest of the way across the parking lot and jumps into Harry's arms.

"I figured you would Hanna, you're one of the best volleyball players in this town. They would be stupid not to let you play." Harry laughs as he hugs his daughter.

Jo smiles. "It's not only that, she's the tallest girl on the team. The varsity coach checked her birth certificate twice to make sure we weren't lying about her age. She wanted Hanna on her team so bad but when she realized she's only 12 Coach Tucker will just have to wait a few more years." Jo says kissing Harry's cheek before walking through the door.

"Why does she have to wait?" Harry asks, looking fondly at his daughter as she runs to the bar to grab something to drink.

"Varsity players have to be at least 14 before they're allowed on the team." Jo says. "But I think the coach is going to try and get that rule changed now, she told me she wants Hanna so bad that if they can get the ruling to say if a person is over a certain height she can pick the team she wants to play on." Jo laughs.

Harry walks up and wraps his arms around Jo's waist. "Well if they don't it's no big deal, Hanna will get a couple of years of experience playing on the J.V. team. She may not even want to play volleyball by the time she gets into high school." Harry says as he and Jo sways back and forth slowly.
...................

Jo walks up to the karaoke machine and turns it on, she then picks up a mic. "Everyone here knows it's Hanna's special day, but she has a gift to give someone too, this is something she's been working on for months. It's really hard to keep a secret like this from her Daddy when every time she's here so is he, but there was a few times she and I were able to sneak in here without him." Jo grins. "So baby if you're ready." Jo says handing Hanna the mic.

Harry frowns wondering what Hanna's could possibly have to say. He knows how shy she is when it comes to talking in front of huge crowds, even if it's filled with family and people she's known all her life like this one. Then he sees Jo walk to the keyboard and he hears the music start, music he doesn't recognize.
Looking over at the young man who just married his beautiful daughter, Harry saw the tears in his eyes as he watches his new wife on the stage, it makes Harry proud to know that Hanna has someone in her life that loves her as much as he loves his Jo.

"Daddy, I wrote this song just for you, with Momma's help." Hanna tells the bar full of family and friends. "I just hope I can sing it as well as Momma did when we finished it."

I know what you see when you look at me,
As we walk down the aisle.
Little pink tutu, bows and tennis shoes,
And the wide eyes of your child

Those are all the memories,
You'll cherish and you'll carry.
No matter how much time has come and gone.

Chorus
Daddy dance with me,
I want you to see the woman I've become.
Daddy don't let go,
I want you to know I'll alway need your love

Today I became his wife,
But I'll be your baby girl for life.
Don't know what to do,
When I look at you.

Words can't say enough,
What you've done for me,
Gave me what I need,
You were tender, you were tough.

Cause the world you built around me,
Is the strength that will surround me.
And protect me now that I'm on my own.

CHORUS
Daddy dance with me,
I want you to see the woman I've become.
Daddy don't let go,
I want you to know I'll always need your love.
Today I became his wife,
But I'll always be your baby girl.

You gave me faith,
You gave me life,
You trusted me to live it right.
Now you given your blessing on his love and mine.

Daddy dance with me,
I want you to know I'll always need your love.
Today I became his wife,
But I'll be your baby girl for life.

Hanna finishes the song with tears streaming down her cheeks, but she's not the only one. Harry was crying also, and not ashamed of the tears on his face. Hearing his daughter singing for the first time ever, and a song she and her mom wrote for him was almost more than he could handle on a day like today. Hell his baby just got married, now this? We're they trying to kill him?

Hanna walks up to her dad, hugs him around the waist and puts her head on his shoulder. "I love you daddy."

"Oh God." Harry chokes out, hugging Hanna close. "I love you too, baby. That was beautiful, I didn't even know you could sing." He says kissing her cheek.

Hanna chuckles as she raises her head and pulls her mom into their hug. "I didn't either until I started singing with Momma while we were looking for my wedding dress." She smiles as the rest of the family surrounds them, her now husband Zach wrapping his arm around her waist.

"When I heard the sound coming out of our daughters mouth I thought of this little surprise." Jo says. "It took us three months to write the song, Ed helped with the melody, the hardest part was keeping it from you." Jo says as she pokes Harry in the chest.

"Well I'm glad you did, it was a beautiful surprise, thank you, both." Harry says with new tears in his eyes. He then feels a tug on his pant leg, looking down he sees Ryan's youngest son.

"Poppy, up." Theo says holding his arms up.

Harry swings the child up into his arms, kissing his cheek. "What's the matter Theo?"

"Nothing, just wanted you." He grins.

Ryan laughs. "You know I don't know if I'll ever get used to my kids calling a guy a year older than me Poppy."

Jamie slaps Ryan on the back. "How do you think I feel? He's the same age as me and my kids call him the same thing."

"Alright that's enough, I feel old enough as it is without all of you reminding me." Jo giggles causing Harry to look at her and smile. "As much as I hate to say this it time for our baby girl and her husband to leave if they want to get to the airport on time. I'm sure you don't want to miss your flight." Jo reminds them as she hugs the young couple.

After Hanna and Zach leave everyone else does too, Harry and Jo decide to just lock up and go home they would clean everything up the next day sence it was Sunday.
Once they get home Harry swings Jo up into his arms, carrying her into their house.
"I love you so much, Mrs. Styles." Harry says kissing Jo as he lays her on their bed.

"And I love you too, Mr. Styles." Jo says keeping her arms around his neck pulling Harry down on top of her.

Harry reaches up and brushes some of Jo's hair out of her eyes. "You looks just as beautiful now as did the day you walked into our bar 20 years ago." He whispers.

"Harry I'm so glad you think that. I'm almost 70 years old and you're only hitting your 50's." Jo whispers.

"But you don't look a day older than you did when we got married." Harry says. "I know you're worried, but don't, you will beat this, we will, just like everything else that's been thrown our way over the years." Harry says with tears in his eyes.

"I know, and I'll fight with everything I have in me. You know I will." Jo cries. "I don't want to lose you, but we'll have to tell the kids soon. With the cancer treatments I'll more than likely loose my hair."

Harry swollows around the huge knot in his throat. "I know, we'll tell them when Hanna and Zach get back." Harry says as he helps his beautiful wife of 20 years get undressed and ready for bed.
When they found out she had breast cancer Harry thought his world was coming to an end, but his mom had beat a few years before so he knew Jo could to, he hoped.

Jo does beat her cancer, she and Harry live together, happily for another 10 plus years. Shortly after Jo's 91st birthday, surrounded by Harry and the rest of her family Jo dies peacefully holding her husband's hand.
The heart broken Harry ran the club for a few more years with his daughter and son-in-law by his side. But the loss of his wife was so hard on Harry, Hanna found her dad dead exactly 2 years to the day of her mom's death.
See age is nothing but a number, you can't help who fall in love with. If it's meant to be, it will, don't fight it. God puts this person in your path for a reason, don't question it, just go with what your heart tells you. And love.