chericlo's masterlist | h.s imagines

𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘦?

synopsis: harry's a single parent and an important day is coming up

This week was a very important week for both Harry and his little girl, Mai.

He had been counting down the days since the very first day she was placed on his doorstep three years ago and it was closer than it had ever been before.

"Morning Mai," Harry whispered, gently pushing back his little girl's curls coaxing her to wake up for nursery.

Mai reaches for her papa's hand and places it over her face, her eyes still shut as she smacks her tiny lips together, a sign she was going to go back to sleep. Harry chuckled and easily bundled Mai up into his arms with the duvet still wrapped around her, sitting on her bed and kissing her forehead.

"Maiiii, time to wake up." He kisses her cheek and sees the small smile on her lips.

Mai raises her small hand and opens her palm, placing it over her face and pulling it down. 'sleep' she signed and Harry laughed.

He brushed his thumbs over her eyelids and she gently opened her eyes, 'Nursery' he signed to her and she huffed, wriggling out of her father's grip and making her way downstairs without another word.

Mai was deaf. It was something Harry nor his family knew until she was slightly older and wouldn't react to any kind of sound. Harry took her to the doctor's where they ran tests and eventually told him she had sensorineural hearing loss which she would have for the rest of her life.

It was a difficult adjustment. Not only was Harry a single parent to a child he didn't know he was having but he also had to find a new way of communicating with his daughter. He spent many late nights doing crash courses in sign language which he'd soon have to pass onto Mai who was slowly picking up signs here and there.

Harry picked out an outfit for Mai since she was going to nursery today. He worked at a music shop four days a week. He loved his job since it revolved around music but he did find it bittersweet as he was constantly reminded of the fact that Mai wasn't going to be able to hear music the way most people do.

Mai went to nursery on the days Harry had to work, sometimes Anne and Gemma would take care of her if Harry needed a few extra hands, but nursery was the place she went to most of the time.

He walked downstairs and saw Mai sat on the sofa with one leg hitched up as she watched a cartoon on his iPad. She squealed in delight when something funny happened and the sound made Harry's heart soar. He loved hearing her little sounds as a way of communicating her emotions.

He served her breakfast and got her dressed, putting her favourite, little, red shoes on her feet. "Ready Mai?" Harry signed and she put a thumbs up, a smile on her face.

Harry drove to the nursery which was only a ten minute drive from where they lived. Harry played music and grabbed Mai's hand to place against the speaker so she could feel the beat. Despite not being able to hear, they always found ways to help her. "Feel that Mai?" Harry smiles and Mai giggles, she wiggles in her seat and keeps her hand against the speaker as Harry puts the volume up slightly.

They turned into the nursery and Mai begged for her papa to carry her to the doors. Harry's heart picked up as they walked closer to the front doors and eventually he saw her. Mai's assistant teacher. The woman he had been crushing on since Mai started nursery.

"Hi Mai!" Y/N signed, Mai shifts in her papa's arms and Harry eventually lets her down. She runs on little legs into Y/N's arms.

Mai loved Y/N. The nursery had hired her when Harry told them Mai was hard of hearing. She knew sign language and how to work with deaf children and was probably better at communicating with Mai than anyone else.