Christmas Eve - 7:30PM
No Ones POV
The household was getting ready for Christmas they had set out the cookies and milk for Santa. Harper never really experienced much of Christmas growing up gifts were rare in foster care and often when she did get gifts they would be stolen by the other kids. This would be one of Harper's first proper Christmas after being in foster care. Amelia was excited for Harper as this Christmas would be magical for Harper, the gifts she had bought for her would make Harper's eyes sparkle.
HARPERS POV:
Christmas Eve, ugh I'm dreading Christmas. The family meal, Aunt Meredith has invited a lot of people from the hospital around including some people from Station 19, whom I haven't really met. Christmas hasn't felt the same since foster care, the thought of it is making me more anxious. What if Mom forgot about me? What if she didn't get me gifts? What if I don't like the gifts? I don't want to seem ungrateful if I have a meltdown over something I don't like, it's not really my fault it's the way my brain works. I don't really know how to communicate my needs or wants.
"Harper can you read me a bed time story" Said Ellis tugging on my shirt. "Of course sweetie, go get your jammies on and pick a book!" I said ruffling Ellis' hair. Ellis is Meredith's youngest daughter often she's my favourite I can talk to her about anything and she wouldn't even be able to understand much and she doesn't tell anyone my secrets something I treasure.
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After I had read Ellis her story Aunt Meredith came in to kiss her goodnight, she was settled and went to sleep quickly despite all the Christmas excitement. Meredith wanted to tire the children out so they would actually fall asleep.
I made my way downstairs where I saw Mom sitting at the breakfast table. "Hey Harper" She said getting up to stand next to me. "You're lurking" I said as I saw her watching over my every move. "No I'm just excited for tomorrow" She said, I was confused she was an adult how could she be excited by something for kids.
"Excited? What are you like 7?" I asked chuckling a little bit. "Harper I can be excited about Christmas even if I'm not a child, I'm excited for you and to be with you" She said, sure I kind of understood that, but why wasn't I excited.
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After my long chat with Mom, I decided to go up to bed. Well more like Mom told me to get to bed, so her and my aunts could lay out the presents, which I had to keep secret to the kids who still believed in Santa.
I was laying in my bed staring at the ceiling, my door creaked open. "Harper" Said the voice. It was Zola. "Zola are you okay?" I said as I was sitting up. "I can't sleep" She said softly. "Oh come on" I said patting to the space on my double bed. "Are you sure?" She said as she walked into my room.
"I don't mind, we can have a sleepover" I said scooting over to the other side of my bed. Zola climbed in "Thankyou" She muttered as she closed her eyes and quickly went to sleep.
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2AM I was still awake sick to my stomach with anxiety, I got up out of the bed and headed down to Mom's room. I opened the door slightly but then thought to myself What if she was sleeping? What if I had disturbed her?
I closed the door, but heard a small voice "Harper?" Mom said quietly. I walked into the room and she was laying on her bed half asleep. "Harper what's wrong?" She asked rubbing her eyes and letting out a slight yawn. "I can't sleep, I feel too anxious and I-I don't know why s-sorry if I woke you" I said anxiously as I bit down on my lip. "Oh Harper come on" She said as she patted the bed gesturing me to get in.
I snuggled up to her which soothed my anxiety, I rested my head on her chest, I looked up to see Mom smiling at me. I started to feel my eyes shut.
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Christmas Morning
AMELIAS POV:
It was Christmas morning and Harper was still sleeping like a baby, even though I was 100% sure that all the kids were up and bursting to open the presents. Harper was casually snoozing away, she didn't get much sleep last night and honestly I couldn't either.
I headed down stairs to make myself a coffee, before all the kids raced down the stairs. The rules were always wait till everyone was downstairs to open gifts. The kids would have to wait till Harper was awake which I'm sure would take hours.
But surprisingly as I turned round Harper was behind me stretching and yawning. She came in and hugged me tightly. "I love you" She said softly, my heart sank. She barely ever said I love you to me, I know it might sound a bit cold of her, but she always struggled to communicate things and open up, this was a step. I'm ever so proud of her today, Christmas will be such a magical event.
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All the kids practically raced down the stairs, Bailey being the fastest. "Bailey you cheated" Ellis said running into the kitchen. Meredith and Maggie soon followed.
"Can we open presents yet" Ellis said jumping up and down in excitement. "Yes, if we are all ready to?" Meredith said making our way to the living room. The kids faces shocked at the amount of presents under the tree. I saw Harper begin to tense up, she was biting her finger nails and tapping her foot.
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HARPERS POV:
I felt overwhelmed at the sight of the presents, they was so many, but what if none of them were mine? I sighed and backed away a little. "Harper there's a pile of presents for you over there" Mom said pointing to the presents that were wrapped in a light pink gift wrapper and tied with a lace bow and gift tags that spelt out my name Harper. I was surprised, they was a lot more then I expected.
I didn't know where to start, I sat down in front of the pile looking puzzled. Were these presents all for me? Why was they so much? I saw the kids ripping off the gift wrapping, the noise made me unsettled the scrunching of paper and the tearing of it made my ears bleed. All I wanted to do was sit in a corner and rock myself with my hands on my eyes, but I decided to mask it and open the presents to seem somewhat normal.
I teared open a present carefully to reveal an Ugg box, they was a blush pink pair of Ugg boots that had a fluffy pink material inside and pink bow on the back of the boot. They were gorgeous, I looked at the box and saw the price sticker, $260 no way that was too expensive, what if I ruined them?
I opened a few more presents, they were just simple items like skin care and make up. I reached in for a rectangular box, I tore of the paper and it revealed an iPhone 15 in pink, with a pink charger and plug. I felt excited and shocked, Mom bought me a new phone. What!
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After we had finished opening our gifts, it was time to give the gifts we had bought each other, even though Mom bought gifts for me and Meredith bought gifts for her kids, they still believed that Santa did and they made efforts to buy or make gifts.
I quickly ran upstairs to get the bag of gifts I had got for Mom, Meredith, Maggie and the kids. I had put a lot of effort into finding the perfect gifts. I even made some of the gifts using my art skills.
It was time to exchange, first we gave Ellis her gift. I got her an art set as she was always trying to use my art supplies I thought something more her age would be more suitable. When she opened my gift she squealed in excitement and came rushing to hug me. Then we moved onto Bailey, I got him a few spider-man things I wasn't really sure on what to get him, but he had seemed to enjoy it. It was now time to give Zola hers, she tore apart the paper to see the gift I had gotten her. It was a French notebook that had the word L'agenda printed on it. I also bought her a book that was French, she'd been wanting to read it ever since she saw me reading it I thought I would buy her own copy of Suite Française.
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It was now my turn to open up the exchanged gifts. Ellis made me a photo frame that had a picture of us two sticking out of tongue, the frame was decorated with pink bows and pearls. Bailey got me a small music box that had a ballerina and mirror inside. Zola, Meredith, Maggie and Mom got me art supplies.
Now it was time to give my aunts and my Mom their presents. I handed the first present to my Mom, as she opened it her mouth opened with shock as she saw the brain I had sculpted and painted it had a small slot at the top where you could pull out a string of photographs that showed memories of me and my Mom. "I call it the memory brain" I said as she was pulling out each of the pictures smiling at every single one.
For Aunt Maggie I had created a painting of a human heart that I decorated with flowers and nature. For Aunt Meredith I had created her a filing box that had Best Chief of Surgery at Grey Sloan written on the sides. It had a few compartments and some slots for pens, this would be able to store paper work for her role as chief of surgery.
Everyone was happy with their gifts, Mom even decided she would be creating a special place in her office at work for my model brain for it to be placed on show. I knew she was proud of it.
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Authors Note:
It's Christmas in the household of Greys, Shepherds, Pierce.
How will their Christmas dinner go?