Songbird [H.S]

Epilogue

1st June 1981

Soft rays of golden light filtered through the lace curtains hanging in the main bedroom as the morning bird song carried through the open window, painting a peaceful start to the summer day.

But right at that moment, Marley was feeling far from peaceful. Not with a bored toddler wreaking havoc as she was trying to remain still for Aliyah who was focusing on making sure her make-up was perfect. She could hear Josie running around downstairs with Johannah trying to keep her entertained while Marley got ready in the bedroom, the blonde doing her best to ignore her daughter's whines for attention.

"Mumma! Where are you?" Josie's voice echoed throughout the house, her small footsteps thudding up the stairs as she tried to find her Mum.

Aliyah couldn't help but snicker at her friend who let out a big sigh and plastered a fake smile on her face just as the little girl came stomping through the door.

"You okay, sunny?" She asked softly, watching as her daughter stood looking up at her with a big adorable pout.

"I wanna play." The girl huffed, her arms tugging at Marley's dressing gown in an attempt to earn some attention. Giving in, Marley picked her up and placed the girl in her lap, allowing her to see herself in the vanity mirror to have a better look at what was going on. Josie was a very curious child and hated to be left out, especially on days when she could tell there was a lot of fuss and the adults were trying to juggle a lot of things at once. The last thing she wanted was to feel like she was missing something fun and Marley had thought that by leaving her with Johannah to play with all her toys, she would be distracted enough until it was time to get her in her dress.

Apparently not.

Johannah appeared in the doorway already worn out from running around with Josie and the day had barely started.

"Sorry, Mae, she ran off before I could stop her."

"It's fine Mum. We're almost done anyway." Marley smiled brightly, the excitement of the day really setting in now that it was almost time to get her dress on.

With the arrival of their son in early August last year, it had taken Harry and Marley a while to settle into the new dynamic of their hectic lives for them to be in a position to finally get married. They hadn't felt any particular rush in setting a date and both of them knew they wanted a small, quiet occasion with just their closest friends and family so when they felt ready, they started planning in their own time. The only thing Marley was sure about was having their wedding during summer when nature was at its happiest and the warmth of the sun made everything feel golden.

Now that Josie was sitting comfortably on her mother's lap, her curious eyes watching quietly as Aliyah finished applying the tinted lipstick to Marley's lips, the blonde was able to get ready much easier.

"Alright, I'm just about done. How does it look?" Aliyah smiled, stepping back from Marley slightly to allow the girl to take in her appearance in the vanity. Her blue eyes sparkled in the golden sun, making her skin glow and feel the prettiest she'd felt in a while. A smile tugged at her lips as she nodded silently with approval, feeling herself get a little choked up at her reflection and how happiness visibly radiated from every inch of her.

"It's perfect," She pulled Aliyah into a little hug as best she could with Josie on her lap, squeezing her affectionately as she was happy to get to share this moment with her best friend. She couldn't help the huge smile tugging at her lips as she realised that after so long being engaged, in a matter of hours, she was finally going to be married to her soulmate. Glancing over to her Mum who had been watching her get ready from her seat on the bed, she noticed the way Johannah was smiling proudly back at her with teary eyes and knew as a Mum herself how she must be feeling at this moment.