The Adventures of Harry and Grace (H.S.)

When All Else Fails

"Bug! Bug!" Ethan hands open and shut as he makes the clear sign he wants his sister. Grace's sparkly pink headphones sit on her head of curls as she watches the latest Pixar movie, Edwin, a story about a baby penguin. She must have heard her name because she looks over at her brother, pulling her headphones off her ears and letting them rest around her neck.

"Hi Eth, wanna come to bug?" She holds her arms out to her brother, signaling to you she is ready for you to pass the chunky 18 month old boy across the section between the two first class seats.

Ethan struggles hard against your arms, letting out a small fuss when you don't allow him to go to his sister.

"Not now, Gracie! He will be all over the place. But thank you for being a helper." You say to your daughter. The flight from London to NYC is long, but an hour into the flight from NYC to LA, and you and Harry are both exhausted.

Little monkey pants decided he didn't want to sleep, and was either crying, climbing, fussing, or wiggling throughout the entire flight.

"Five more hours to go." You say under your breath, trying your best to stay calm and keep your frustration low.

"Mum, Eth can come sit and watch a movie with me!" Grace tries again, attempting to be helpful by offering her services as a certified big sis.

"It's alright Gracie bug! Watch your show okay?" Grace shrugs her shoulders and places her headphones back on her head. You reach into the leather bag by your feet and pull out a red car, handing it to Ethan. He takes it in his hand, looks over it once and lets it fly. The car rolls down the aisle, making you groan in slight frustration.

"Time fo' man time?" Harry looks up from his notebook, forehead crinkled with a question. You don't speak, just nod. "Alright Stud, come to daddy!" Harry stands from his seat across the aisle, taking the little one from your arms. You mouth a silent thank you as Harry kisses your forehead and takes Ethan to his seat, sitting him on his lap.

"Alright buddy, can you see the clouds? Look out the window!" Harry's voice comes off as overly excited as he attempts to sell this majestic view of the sky to his son.

"Vrmmm." Ethan says, as he flies his hand through the air, mimicking an airplane flying through the sky.

"Is that like an airplane? Are we riding on an airplane?" Harry asks Ethan, who has now decided he is done looking out the window. Arching his back, he tries to slide out of Harry's grasp. Pushing the air out of his mouth, a small frustrated whine escapes. This move is unexpected and Harry catches Ethan late in the game, but decides it's okay if he wants to walk in the tiny pod space for a minute.

"He doesn't want to stay still, does he?" You say to your husband, chuckling slightly, mostly because you are tired and also because you are amazed little Eth hasn't fallen asleep yet.

"No, he doesn't!" Harry laughs as he places his leg in such a way so Ethan cannot escape into the first class cabin. Ethan pushes his father's leg, trying to get it to move, but Harry stands firm.

"Go da-da!" Ethan pushes hard again, wanting Harry to move. Ethan drops to the floor, thinking if he can crawl through the hole he can escape the trap Harry has created. As Ethan presses forward, Harry moves his leg back, trapping him in once again. "No da-da!" Ethan starts to cry. Frustrated that he cannot get out of this small contained space. "Bug! Da-da! Bug!" Ethan points towards Grace, indicating that he wants his 6 year old sister. Grace looks up from her coloring book and makes eye contact with Harry.

"Ethan can come color with me!" Grace is excited to show her parents that she can help with him too. "Come on Eth! You can sit by me!" Grace pats her seat, hopeful her parents will give in and let her try.

"Grace, he is a lot to handle right now. I'm sorry!" Harry says, blocking his son again with his leg as Ethan lets out a loud wail.

"Come 'ere!" Harry lifts him up onto his lap, and motions for a toy. You hand him a book full of touch and feel animals. "Look Stud, daddy sees a soft kitty!"

"Titty!" Ethan is distracted by the book, petting his stubby fingers against the fur on the kitty on the page. "Da-da, titty!" Ethan's smile creates mini crinkles by his eye as he points towards the cat.

"Yes. Kitty!" Harry grabs Ethan's wrist, moving his whole hand across the picture, petting the cat. Turning the page, Harry continues to distract. "Let's see, can yeh find the porcupine? It's spiky!" Harry takes Ethan's hand in his and touches the spikes on the back of the animal.

"Ow!" Ethan pulls his hand back, not liking the pokes. He inches his hand close to the picture again, thinking it will feel different this time. Once again the pokes slightly prick his finger. "Ow ow ow!" Ethan says. "Diss?" Holding his finger up to his daddy's lips, Harry gives him a kiss and they turn the page.

Harry is able to distract Ethan for about thirty minutes, exploring the different animals and textures they have to offer. The air hostess brings around snacks and Ethan is happy to eat some goldfish crackers. After his crackers are all gone, the exhaustion hits him hard.

"Maybe try singing to him; that might help." You say, looking over at your husband helplessly. Ethan is bawling and nothing is working; he doesn't want to be held, but when Harry puts him on the ground he cries to be picked up. The sadness and pure exhaustion of being on an airplane for 10 hours has hit the poor little man and it hurts your heart.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free
Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night
Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night"

Harry's voice is soft as he holds Ethan tight to his chest. Rocking softly to the beat, Harry attempts to calm the cries from his son. After multiple attempts, Ethan takes his burp cloth, chewing on the corner in an effort to calm himself down like he has done since he was three months old. His cries become softer as he listens to the deep, raspy melody coming from his daddy.

"Want me to hold him? We can watch a movie! You've had him for a while." You say to your husband who looks absolutely exhausted. You still have about two more hours on this flight, and Harry needs rest before his big day at the Emmys tomorrow.

"Sure! Wan' to go to mumma?" Harry looks down at Ethan whose cries are now soft whimpers, but is holding strong on his commitment to not sleep. Kissing his son's forehead, Harry stands up and places him in your arms. You find the movie Cars and place a pair of blue wireless headphones on his ears.

Cuddling in close with your baby, you close your eyes, hoping he will watch the movie and maybe give into his fatigue. His body cuddles close as he chews quietly on his burpee, eyes glued to the screen.

Your body doesn't hold out for very long, and soon you are asleep holding your baby boy. Grace looks over at her daddy, noticing his snores from across the airplane. She moves her head to her mumma who has her eyes closed and looks like she is sleeping. Ethan makes eye contact with his sister. Looking across the way to the place he wanted to go all along.

"Eth, come to bug?" Grace's voice is soft, but loud enough that Ethan hears what she is saying. Climbing across his mum, and over the consol that separates the two pods, Ethan reaches his sister's arms, cuddling close.

"You want Bob?" Grace asks, holding up her stuffed sheep. Ethan grabs the sheep from her hands and pulls it close to his body, taking the once in a life opportunity to hold his sister's best friend. Grace pulls Ethan close to her, and places her blanket over both of them, cuddling her brother close. "Time to go sleep, okay?" Ethan looks up at Grace, his eyelids struggling to stay open.

"Now run along home, and jump into bed. Say your prayers. Don't cover your head. There's just one more thing I ask of you. You dream of me, and I'll dream of you!" Grace finishes the goodnight song with a small tap on Ethan's nose. His eyes finally give in as he falls asleep, cuddling next to his sister.

"Goodnight, Eth. Sissy loves you butterfly much!" She kisses his forehead and cuddles close. Closing her eyes, she falls asleep. The rest of the airplane ride is quiet as the whole Styles family has sweet dreams.