Epilogue ~ Tammy
Five months later…

I can’t stop smiling as I end the call. I keep staring at the screen as I feel the corners of my mouth going up, making me look like a fool. I just can’t help it. I’ve received the best news and nothing else matters. I turn on my heels, holding my mobile against my chest and still grinning, my eyes lock immediately with Liam’s and my smile grows even wider. I didn’t think that was possible.

“Tammy, you okay?” He asks me and I start giggling like a retarded person.

And the unthinkable happens. I squeal, like a little fangirl, I shake and jump and run and throw myself at Liam. He catches me immediately and looks taken aback, but I hold on to him so tightly, still giggling like I’ve never done before.

“It was Marlene,” I tell him, still hugging him and he pulls me back just so he can look me in the eyes. “She just told me the best news ever!” I add and he raises his eyebrows in a questioning look. “Ray got adopted! Finally, it’s official!”

Liam’s mouth opens in a perfect O before a huge grin makes its way to his lips and he hugs me again, laughing of sheer happiness.

“That’s so great! I told you he was gonna get adopted!” He tells me and I nod vigorously. He was right about that and so many other things.

“Yeah, this family he met at the beginning when he arrived to the orphanage, do you remember? The one who asked him what baby needed them the most? They realised Ray needed them the most! They adopted a baby and Ray! I’m so happy for him because Ray really likes that family, they are so great and nice to him.”

I speak so fast but I’m so happy. I even met that family once and they are incredible. They are the kind of family I would’ve killed to have and it makes me so happy that Ray has them now. He has the opportunity to have a loving and caring family. A family that really wants him. I couldn’t be happier for him! And I know Liam is happy, too! The way he laughs and hugs me shows me how ecstatic he is. Ray deserves this and so much more and I’m so glad he finally will have love. He’ll have what I couldn’t have and that’s the best thing that could have happened to all of us.

I hug Liam so tightly because the happiness is overwhelming me and I can’t properly breathe. I think of all the possibilities and I can’t stop smiling. For months there was always something there in my chest. I could never get over the fact that I didn’t get to adopt Ray, but now I see Marlene was right. It was for the best. He now has a real family, a family that’s ready for him and that will give him only the best.

This is the best!

And the fact that I have Liam with me now makes it even better. He understands the happiness that fills my veins because of this news. He feels the same way towards all this, because he loves Ray almost as much as I love him. And I only trust him to show how I’m really feeling right now, including the tears of happiness. Honestly, I never thought that I was going to cry of happiness. I thought it only happened in movies but no, it happens in real life, too!

“He’ll be great! He really deserves this,” Liam tells me and I pull back to wipe my tears away and nod. “It’s all right now.” He smiles at me in his puppy way that I learnt to love and I giggle again as he helps me to wipe the tears. “And he also has us. Ray is a lucky lad,” he winks and I chuckle.

We are great together, but after the VMAs it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns for us. We had problems adjusting to be with each other, especially me. I know a part of Liam will never let go of what I did, but he put that aside and moved on. We’re together now. In addition, I’ve never relied on someone before and I don’t like becoming dependent of someone, so it was too much in a moment to realise how much I needed him and I fought that. We had so many arguments because I was being a bitch. I just didn’t want to get addicted to him to the point it’d become unhealthy.

Liam is like a drug because he makes me happy, but I lost a dear friend over a drug addiction. I’m afraid of addictions, so it scared me to be that close to Liam. I’m still careful. The fact that he has his career and that mine only goes up helps us to put distance and boundaries. As we don’t see each other that much, we have the perfect excuse to be all mushy when we can be together. Our jobs help me to control my dependency to Liam.

At the beginning I was so devastated for Ray and Liam helped me to pick up the pieces, but now I’m okay. I’m strong, I’m myself. I don’t need him to help me keep going, I can do it myself, but it’s lovely to have him walking by my side, making me company, smiling. It makes everything more endurable. He adds light to my life and I love that about him.

Many things won’t change about me, it’s impossible. The scars in my soul are too deep and the pain will never go away, but Liam soothes the pain, he makes me smile when I feel low, he makes me happy in a life I never thought I could be fully happy. For a moment he was my wheel chair, then he became my crutches… now he is just that hand I take to walk but not because I need him, but because I want to have him near. Because I don’t want to be alone… I don’t have to be alone, it’s my choice.

We don’t have the perfect relationship. I am instable, I’m unpredictable. Some days I’m all cuddles and the next day I don’t want people to touch me and I hate everyone. But Liam knows that, he accepted me that way. He knows that when I’m in a “bad mood” he just needs to give me space. I’ll make it up to him later.

When I’m with him I don’t feel pressured to always look tough and strong. I can be weak in front of him if I’m too tired. I can be worried, I can be stressed, I can be scared, I can be nervous and I like to think that he is the same. I noticed that little by little he doesn’t change that much when he’s around people. When I met him, even his accent changed regarding whom he was spending time with, but not anymore. He still likes to please everyone, but he is more himself. He is finding himself, he is defining who he is. I know he knows that with me he doesn’t have to please me because I want him, Liam Payne, not a version that would blend in with me.

And it’s because I trust him enough to act like I feel is that I can giggle and cry happy tears in front of him.

“I’m so happy,” I say and he smiles widely.

“So am I,” Liam agrees and I chuckle again. “I bet Alan will mock you for being so happy!”

I laugh again. In a few minutes the girls and I have an interview with Alan Carr to talk about our new album. In fact, I should be going. Liam is with me because he has a break so he decided to come with us to the studio. He loves to see the girls, too, and they love to see him around. I think they just really enjoy teasing us. Seriously, they don’t get tired of that.

“Yeah… I gotta get moving, by the way. Let’s go!” I rush him standing on my feet and making sure I’m not a mess. God bless waterproof makeup!

With our hands tangled together, we run to backstage where Leanne, Emma and Sky are already waiting for our cue to walk in.

“We’ll go to see Ray after this,” Liam tells me and I nod, so he kisses me quickly and wishes us all luck before leaving to stand among the camera crew.

“You look happy,” Emma comments and I smile again.

“Life is great,” I say and the three of them are shocked, but then a man tells us to walk in because it’s our turn.

Alan is delighted to see us and as soon as we are seated, he offers us drinks. Of course I accept! It’s a great occasion to celebrate. After that the interview starts and I can’t get rid of my smile. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled like this before and for so long. It just feels like every piece is finally where it’s supposed to be. It’s not perfect, but it’s all what I need right now.

“So, let’s talk about you, Tammy. You are really happy today… could that be because a special gentleman is among the public?” Alan asks me and my smile grows wider.

“Maybe… or maybe I’m just excited to see you, Alan. Maybe you’re the love of my life and I’m just trying to seduce you,” I joke and he gasps surprised, dramatising utter shock.

“Tammy! I’m taken, and I play for the other team. This would never work out,” he carries on, Leanne is cracking up. Even Sky is laughing.

“What a shame,” I sigh shaking my head. “I really thought we could have something special.”

“I get that a lot,” he says and moves his hands as if he is flipping his hair and I burst out laughing. Everything makes me laugh! “But, Tammy dear, you’re taken. You’re the only one in this band who’s taken, right?”

“Yes, sir,” Leanne replies for me. “And we still tease her about it. This was something no one saw coming.”

“It’d be weirder if Sky gets a boyfriend, though,” Emma adds and Alan chuckles incredulously, but Sky nods in agreement. She doesn’t take offence in that and Emma is right, it would be the weirdest thing ever if suddenly Sky gets a boyfriend.

“Last time you were here, we asked you about Liam Payne, Tammy, Do you remember?” He says and I do remember. He then turns to see the screen behind him that shows a clip of me months ago in our interview with him.

Everyone can see as I say, “Have you seen the Noob? Have you really seen him? And then look at me. I’m surprised you’re even asking this. I would never date him.”

The recording ends and he looks at me with raised eyebrows. I take a look at Liam from the corner of my eye and he has a cocky grin, like daring me to say something. I smile mischievously because I know exactly what to say to that.

“I think you have swallowed your words because it’s been made official you two are together now,” Alan tells me making me focus on him again and I smile. “What do you have to say now, Miss Rodenhizer? How can you be with Liam Payne?” He dares me.

I grin again as I carefully utter the words, I see my band mates waiting expectantly as well, dying to tease me about it. “Well, have you seen the Noob?” I ask, same words as in that clip and Alan looks surprised. I even see Liam’s confused expression. “Really, look at him. He is hot! And probably you haven’t seen his abs but let me tell you, oh… my… God.”

At my words, Alan bursts out laughing and my band mates, too. I see Liam shaking his head but he is smiling, although I haven’t finished with this.

“We look great together, don’t we?” I ask and they show a picture of us in one of our outings and I smile proudly. We look like a couple of badass leaving the club.

“I can’t deny that,” he says, still laughing.

“Plus, have you heard the rumours?” Alan stops laughing and looks at me really interested. “They are totally true, Alan.” I add and with a mischievous grin, I look at Liam before I hold my hands ten inches apart. More or less. “Ten inches, man. And we can’t lie, size matters.”

And that’s the moment everyone bursts out laughing, uncontrollably and I grin proud of myself. I look at Liam and his mouth is hanging wide open in shock, so I wink at him. Alan is literally crying on his chair and Leanne fell to the floor. Even Skyler lost it, but I can’t stop smiling. After this, no one will question how I can be with Liam Payne.

Today is a great day.

-:-:-:-

And that's it, the epilogue of MQ. You were waiting for it, right? You can also read the epilogue of the series if you read Unwonted. I really wanna thank you all for reading this story, for sticking with me and for giving Tammy a chance. I'm really proud of all of you.

I really wanna thank you all for reading this story and you know what? I'm so proud of you. You read until the end, even when I gave you such a difficult character like Tammy. You stuck with me and gave her a chance and for that reason, I love you all even more! I hope this was a lesson for life, to give people a chance, even if it's hard.

Dedication to all the Tiam shippers!

And I invite you to read my new Liam story! It's called The Comeback and I really want you to check it out.

Bel, xx