Charlie Robin Styles [Addition to We're Having Our Baby]

Big Sister

Harry's P.O.V. Charlie, 8

Today, I have the big task of telling Charlie that she's going to be a big sister. At least every month, we go on Charlie-Daddy dates. No matter where I am in the world, we've never missed a month since starting these when she was three. Em and I made a rule that I wouldn't go more than four weeks without seeing Charlie, but so far it hasn't even been that long. At first Charlie and Em came with me for most of my tours, but now she's in school and we can't just take her out of the third grade to fly across the world.

Tonight, we have a Charlie-Daddy date, and she's been talking about it all week. I let her pick the restaurant if it's a Friday night, like today, or if it's a Saturday or Sunday we may also do an activity like going to the park or seeing a movie.

Charlie told me ahead of time that she wanted to go to the Cheesecake Factory, so I made a reservation for 6pm. It's currently 3pm and I'm waiting in the school parking lot to pick her up. Either Em or I try to take her to school and pick her up every day, but sometimes she has to carpool with a friend.

I hear the bell ring, and seconds later small children are running from every door, looking for their parents. Charlie's face lights up when she sees my car, and she sprints to me. Luckily, I'm pulled up to the curb of the sidewalk, otherwise I'd have to lecture her for running in the car park.

"Hi, Charlie-bean! How was school?" I ask as Charlie climbs in the back seat, panting a little from running so fast. She throws her backpack into the seat next to her and quickly buckles her seatbelt.

"It was," she pauses for a breath, "good," another pause, "I had music class today."

Picking up Charlie from school is always my favorite part of the day, but Fridays are the best. One, because it means the weekend is here, and two, because she has music class on Wednesdays and Fridays.

"What did you do today?" I ask while checking my surroundings to make sure I don't hit a kid on my way to the road.

"We had a quiz on instruments. We had to name them and match them to the correct group. Like is it a string or a wind instrument." For an eight-year-old, Charlie is very smart and sophisticated. It's one of the traits I know she got from Em, because I was the goofy kid that would make jokes in class when I was her age.

"How do you think you did?" I ask.

"Oh, I got them all correct," she says so nonchalantly, like it's obvious that she would get a perfect score. To be fair, she should know her instruments, so I'm not surprised.

"Woohoo! Good job," I reach my hand backwards for a high five.

"It was super easy, like the easiest quiz ever. Miss H said next week we'll start learning songs for the school concert. I asked if we could play instruments like we did last year, and she said maybe. I hope I get to play the xylophone. William Lockwood got to play it last year, but he wasn't very good. Do you think I should tell Miss H that I play piano, and then she'll let me play the xylophone at the concert?" This is another thing about Charlie, she'll talk your ear off every day telling you about school, especially music class.

"I remember that concert and I think William did a good job."

"Yeah, but I would have been better," she says.

"Charlie, be nice." Charlie really is the sweetest kid ever, but sometimes she gets a little cocky when it comes to music. So, on occasions like this she comes across as rude. In reality, she just wants to share her talent.

"I think it's okay to tell Miss H that you play piano, but maybe she didn't put you on the xylophone because she wants to give other kids a chance to learn. Not everyone has a bunch of instruments laying around in their house. You're very lucky for that, Charlie."