Girl in a Hoodie: Where the Future Lies

Epilogue

*Four Years Later*

Riley's POV:

James rubs a comforting hand over my back in an overly repeated circle as he held onto Elouise's hand. The wind was cold and we were stood by Mum's grave in a cemetery, some remaining flowers still blooming around the engraved stone with her picture resting besides a candle James had just lit.

I rest my head on his shoulder and sniffle once, causing him to bring a kiss to the top of my head before pulling away shortly after to lean down to Ellie's height. I smile, watching as he wraps his arms around her body and keeps his hands lightly placed on her hips whilst I chuckle and cross my arms over my chest.

"Nanny was pretty," my four-year-old girl mentions, making James laugh slightly at the name. Considering Ellie never knew her, we decided to get her used to calling my mum 'Nanny' and Deborah, 'Grandma'.

"She was, wasn't she," James agrees. "You know who else is pretty?" he asks, making Ellie look up at us both as she giggles.

"Mummy is!" she exclaims. "But Daddy, you're pretty, as well." I chuckle at our daughter's wordings and reach down to their height too, going beside Ellie so that she was squashed between us both in the middle.

"Daddy is quite pretty," I say slowly, causing James to smirk at me when he looks in my direction. "But the prettiest girl is definitely you, princess. And not only are you the prettiest girl, but you're also the cutest angel," I tell her, kissing her cheek. "And Mummy and Daddy love you more than anything, sweetheart. So does Nanny, even if you can't see her. And right now she's sending you plenty of hugs and kisses."

I kiss the side of her face again, making her cute giggle evidently audible once again. James smiles and rubs my knee gently from where we were crouching down on the floor, but suddenly Ellie turns around to face me with her eyes carrying an angelic glint in them.

"Can I go and find flowers to put on Nanny's stone?" she asks in her particularly high-pitched voice. I nod and lean forward to kiss the tip of her nose.

"Okay, but don't go too far and stay where I can see you, okay, baby?"

"Okay," she merrily shouts back, skipping over to a surrounding hedge of rose bushes. 

James and I stand up properly again and he slowly steps closer to wrap his arms around me in a comforting cuddle, his reassuring embrace a coaxing sensation. I smile and rest my head sideways against his chest, breathing in his precious aromatic cologne after circling my arms around his upper torso. 

"I love you," he whispers solemnly. "And I'm always going to be here if you ever want to talk. I know you miss her-"

"I miss her more than anything," I sigh, opening my eyes the slightest to keep a look out on Ellie who had now managed to get one of those white cabbage butterflies to land on her finger - something she seemed to be extremely fascinated by. "Thank you for always being here for me," I say, looking up and resting my chin over the top of his t-shirt while I pout. I drape my arms around his neck as his hand movements begrudgingly pause on my back. "You're truly amazing, you know."

He smiles as I reach up to cup his face with one hand for me to press my lips to his for numerous seconds up until Ellie comes running back to us. I step away from James and kneel down, stroking her light brown hair back whilst listening to how heavy her breathing was.

"Whoa, El. Try not to run too fast, sweetheart. We don't want you fainting again now, do we?" I tell her, kissing her forehead. She relaxes in my arms, practically sitting on my knees but she puts her hand out to me to display a plant she had picked off the bush.