mutuality | wroetoshaw

thirteen

CHRISTMAS EVE 2022, TATE HOUSEHOLD

"It's a tradition!" I protest, not having any of the slander from Harry.

"I'm not judging! It's just cute, is all," he shrugs, but the grin on his face says different.

"There is a child in the house!" I say as a comeback, but really I love doing it just as much as Eliza does. "Leaving cookies and milk out for Santa is a perfectly normal thing to do!"

"Sure it is," he replies. "I'll come down and join in a second, I just need to change into my pyjamas," he tells me, and I take it as a sign to leave his room, going down the stairs and into the living room where everyone else currently is. 

It's nearing ten in the evening on Christmas Eve, and over the last couple of days we've been spending a lot of time together as a family - and Harry.

Him and Eliza have gotten on like a house on fire, and I'm really not sure who's going to miss the other more when we are eventually going to have to leave to go back to London. 

I reach the living room, finding a spot on the sofa, saving some space next to me for Harry when he finally gets down here. We're all already in our pyjamas, another tradition we've always upheld around Christmas time.

"Where's Harry?" Ella whispers from the other side of me, nestled into Ryan who looks a little squished at the end of the sofa. 

"Changing into his pyjamas upstairs in his room. Should be down in a minute," I whisper back, then focusing my attention on Eliza, who's opening her Christmas Eve box from mum and dad. They love being her grandparents, and have taken every opportunity to spoil her rotten. I don't blame them, honestly. 

"Ah, we're all here!" My dad says, and I look up to see Harry sliding onto the sofa besides me, wiggling in so he's sat down properly. He's dressed in checkered plaid pyjama bottoms with a white shirt.

"Nice pyjamas," I whisper with a grin plastered onto my face.

"Thanks. I think the fluffy reindeer socks pull the whole outfit together, if I'm being honest," he whispers back, completely serious in his tone.

Sure enough, I look down and see the fluffy reindeer socks in question, and can't help but let out a small laugh. 

"Wow. They're perfect."

"I know, right?"

I nod my head towards Eliza, who has just unwrapped some more chocolate from her Christmas Eve box. "She's just opening her early Christmas presents. Then we'll leave the cookies and milk out, then we just kind of go to bed. I'm planning on going for a smoke before I do, though," I whisper to Harry, who nods his head in agreement. 

"Sounds good with me. Make sure you wear a jumper this time, though," he says, referring to the last few times I'd forgotten to bring one out, freezing to death.

"I will! Just to be even more stubborn, I'll wear yours that I still have maybe forgotten to give back," I grin, the jumper remaining in my wardrobe currently. 

He just smiles and shrugs. "Looks better on you anyway," he says quietly, then turning is attention back to Eliza as I take in his compliment. 

It's not long before Eliza has finished opening her presents and left out the cookies and milk for Santa, and I'm carrying her up to her room because she was insistent that I was the one to do it. 

"Do you think Harry will come back and live with us again?" She asks as we enter her temporary room. The question makes me smile, Harry really does have that effect on everyone.