Join Harry Styles and his wife as they journey through life with their first-born daughter Grace (plus their other two children, Ethan & Penelope) in a collection of realistic, nonlinear short stories that will melt your heart, make you smile, and e...
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"I open it?" Grace bounces up and down on the couch cushion next to her mum, holding a package wrapped in gold paper and a red bow. Harry walks into the front room handing you a glass of wine.
"Sure." Harry plops his bum on the couch next to you, draping his arm over the back of the couch, causing you to snuggle in close as you watch your daughter open her annual ornament. Each year, you and Harry pick out an ornament for Grace. You always take your time to find the perfect figure, something that is special and has a meaning for the year past.
Grace slowly unwraps the gift, pulling the bow with a tender touch, struggling with the knot that is tied tightly. Handing your wine glass to Harry, who takes a sip of the red liquid, you help Grace get past the knot. She sticks her tongue out of her mouth as she pulls the rest of the ribbon off the package, dropping it to the floor. Tearing the gold wrapping revealing a red box. You help her pull the lid up opening the box.
"Dance daddy!" Grace's eyes light up as she spots a beautiful set of crystal covered ballet slippers. You lift the ornament out of the box letting it dance from it's string.
"You are the prettiest ballerina to ever dance, Gracie bug." Harry says, causing Grace to smile as she reaches for the ornament. Kissing your temple, Harry takes one last sip of wine, handing it back to you, and stands up to help Grace put her new ornament on the tree.
"I do it?' Grace asks you. You help transfer the ballet slippers to her Christmas color painted fingers.
"Be careful my love, don't drop it." You instruct your daughter. A crease forms between her eyebrows as she walks slowly towards the tree. She watches the ornament swing slightly from her finger, taking small steps, to ensure it makes it to the tree safely.
"Where do yeh wan' it?" Harry holds out his arm towards the tree. "Yeh got the whole tree." He looks up at the 2.7 meter tall tree that is currently just covered with white twinkling lights.
"Hmmmm..." Grace taps her cheek in thought, with her unoccupied hand. "Right dare." She points to a spot right in the middle of the tree. A perfect spot to display the ornament of the year.
"Good eye, bug." Harry reaches into a storage box, pulling out a bag with ornament hooks. Reaching into the bag, finding a hook, he helps Grace attach the hook so she can place it on the tree. "One.. Two.. Three.. Jump!" Harry grabs his daughter by the waist, lifting her up so she can place her slippers in the spot she picked. Harry places Grace back on the floor, two feet firmly planted as she looks up to see her ballet slippers glimmering against the Christmas tree lights.
"Boot-i-ful!" Grace admires the tree. "My box?" She looks at her father. Harry turns on his heel, picking up a storage box labeled 'Just for Grace'. He opens the box to reveal two other boxes, each with a special ornament from a year in her life.
Grace pulls out a blue box; with the help of Harry, she opens the lid, revealing a gold ornament. A crown. Harry hands the fragile figure to his curly headed girl. She watches as the ornament spins, hanging from her finger.
"Why dis?" She asks, curious for her father to spill with story on why he gifted her a crown.
"Remember how daddy has a drawing for you?" Harry says, pointing to his chest that is covered by a grey jumper. Under his finger is the tattoo he got the day the Grace's gender was revealed. Harry had a crown tattooed over the date you took a pregnancy test, because Grace will always be his princess.
"Mine daddy!" Grace says. She knows that tattoo is for her and it makes a smile appear on her face, a small dimple poking into her cheek.
"Tha's right Gracie bug. You are my princess." Harry kisses her head. "Do yeh know where yeh want this one?" Harry watches as Grace looks all over the tree, trying to find another perfect spot.
"Here!" Grace points to a spot next to her hand, confident that it is the perfect spot for her crown. Harry searches the bag for another hook. Helping Grace attach a hook once again, he helps her place it on the tree, snug on a branch. The lights of the tree shine against the gold crown as it spins in it's place.
Grace walks over to her box, pulling out a gold box. She attempts to open the box on her own but wanders over to you, setting the box in your lap.
"Help pwease!" Grace asks you for your help opening the box. Lifting the lid on the box, you watch as her eyes get wide. "Wow!" Grace gasps at the beautiful crystal snowflake resting in the soft packaging. You reach into the box and help Grace pull out the fragile ornament.
"We picked a snowflake last year, because no two snowflakes are alike. They are all special." You say to Grace who is watching the figure sparkle in the lights.
"You are special, Gracie. Nobody is like you." Harry adds, walking up behind Grace ruffling the curls on her head, still damp from her bath tonight.
"You special too daddy." Grace looks up at her daddy making his heart melt into a big puddle.
"Let's find a space for it. What do ya say?" You ask, setting your wine down on the coffee table. You hand the ornament to your daughter, watching her take small, slow steps towards the tree.
"Look, right dare." She points to another perfect spot on the tree, Harry grabs a final hook from the bag, and hands it to you. You help Grace get the ornament ready to hang, and help secure it on the tree. "Ah-Maz-Zing!' Grace takes the Christmas tree in with her eyes, you watch them sparkle with holiday excitement.
"Daddy?" Grace asks her father. "I get bike next time."
"Are you saying you want a bicycle?" Harry chuckles
"Yes!" Grace claps her hands together with excitement.
"Let's see what we can do." You chuckle. The rest of the night is spent decorating the tree together, bringing in the Christmas spirit one ornament at a time.
