"Lena!" My nephew snarls and as his eyes dart around the room at everyone, I try desperately to think of something to draw their attention. 

"Oh! Did you all get your Tour tickets?" My wife beats me to the punch and her fingers squeeze my thigh as she glances around the room but it's too late. 

"This is so fucking embarrassing!" Luka yells and I hear feet stomp across the floor as my head spins from my Mum behind my back to the two boys or I should say one boy, now. Gem has stood up to follow after her son and I want to do something to help Sammy but by the time I've stood both me and Jessi up, he's gone. 

"Where'd he go?" I nod towards the spot where he stood just moments ago. 

"Robin took him..." The rest of my wife's words trail off as I walk into the hallway where she had pointed. 

"Why would he say I'm embarrassing, Rob? I -" 

"Hey! That's not what he meant," the words are harsher than I intend but I love my nephew and I can't help but defend him. The hurt look in the boy's eye makes me soften my voice, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to snap at you but he just meant that the situation was embarrassing, not you. I mean give him a break, his little sister just outed him to his entire family." 

"Wait! What?" Sammy's jaw almost hits the floor. "I just - but you guys are so cool - I figured you - I guessed he'd told you." 

"He told a few of us, me and Mac, Dad -" Robin points in my direction, "his parents-" 

 "Most of us knew, but we were happy to let him tell us at his own pace," I add. 

"We should go make sure he's okay!" Sammy says as he moves his attention from me to my daughter. 

"I think that would be nice," I smile. "Give him a hug from me." I yell after them as they head upstairs. I knew Luka would be okay once he got over his embarrassment. Not being okay wasn't an option for anyone in this family, the others would literally reshape the earth for you. 

-----

"So we seem to have a moment... you wanna tell me about these names you have tucked away in here?" Jess whispers. Her finger gently taps my forehead before she slides her hand back in the front pocket of my hoodie. Her hand rests softly against my stomach and it feels like my butterfly has sprung to life. 

"I need Mac for the first one, he thought of it," I grin as she quirks her eyebrow at me. 

"Sweetie, using the kids to get me to agree to your ludicrous names isn't gonna work," she chuckles. 

"Bud! Come here a minute?" I yell across the room to where he's sitting with his younger sisters. I smile as he rushes across the floor.  

"Yeah, Dad?" He grins, skidding to a halt in front of us. "Mum, look what we made! Dani and Madi are really good at getting the fidley parts." The look of pride on his face makes my heart happy and I watch as Jess takes the Meccano motorbike from him carefully. 

"It's awesome, Mac. Good job!" She kisses the top of his head and then he sits himself down on the empty spot beside me on the sofa. I grin to myself, glad that he didn't make Jess move, I'm enjoying having her snuggled in beside me. 

"Yeah. You did a great job teaching them what to do." I wrap my arm around him. His patience with his sisters never fails to amaze me sometimes, especially with a task where he likes everything to be neat and organised. 

"Thanks, what d'you want me for?" He looks up at me. 

"Tell your Mum the idea you had for the baby's name." I gently nudge him. 

"Oh, it's an idea for the girl baby. I think you should call her Stevie." He pats her arm repeatedly and her eyes immediately flick to me. 

"His idea I swear!" I'd hold my hands up in surrender but I don't feel inclined to remove either the arm which is hugging my wife or the one hugging my son. 

"Do you like it? Dad has a cool idea for the boy baby too." 

"I do like it. I like it a lot," I catch her grin before she looks down at her bump. "Is Dad's idea silly?" She chuckles, removing her hand from my pocket so she can pull Mac closer. The three of us make a little circle and I glance at them both so I can commit this moment to memory. 

"I like it." He shrugs. "Tell her, Dad!" He nudges my side. 

"Well..." 

"Knew you'd do that." She places a kiss to my cheek and I'm tempted to drag out the word again if that's my reward. 

"Monroe." 

"Yeah, just tell me!" She sighs and I pout at the fact that she answered to that name. She's mine, a Styles. 

"That's not your name but I am suggesting we call our son that." 

"It's a good idea, right?" Mac's voice squeaks with excitement. 

"Monroe and Stevie?" Jess whispers as she pats her bump. "Stevie and Monroe? I love the names and I love you two." Her eyes are glassy as she places a kiss to Mac's cheek and then mine. 

"We love you too!" Mac beats me to it and I can't stop smiling as he climbs into my lap so he can hug us as tight as possible. "Is that it decided? Can I tell my sisters?" He springs apart from us as his voice gets higher and higher. Jess nods and I watch as he sprints off to find his siblings. 

"Harry Edward Styles, I fall more in love with you every day," Jess whispers. She pulls my attention back to her and her glassy eyes seem to sparkle brighter than the twinkling tree lights. She isn't wearing any makeup and her skin feels soft as I run my finger along the curve of her jaw. Her tongue pokes out to wet her lips and I momentarily forget we are not alone until a small set of arms throw themselves around my shoulders from behind the sofa. 

"Uncle Harry!" Luka exclaims. "Sammy told me what you said - thanks." 

"You're welcome little man, how you doing? Did you give Lenny a hug? She didn't mean to upset you." I grin as I spin round to face him. 

"Yeah. I know. I have to forgive her, she's my sister." He rolls his eyes and I can't help but chuckle. "I'm okay. Mum says I can come visit Sammy when you guys are home, can I? Are his parents really as bad as he says they are?" He scrambles over the seat and I notice Jess is no longer beside me. I automatically scan the room for her, my heart racing slightly until I spot her. She's standing with my Mum and Robi, her camera slung over her shoulder. I guess it is almost time for the annual Boxing Day picture. A tradition which my lovely wife started when Robi was just a baby, the boxing day picture becomes the front cover of the following year's calendar which Jess makes up with family photos from the past year and sends it out to everyone in our family. And I'm pretty sure it takes pride of place in each home. 

"Uncle Harry?" Luka's hand taps gently on my arm. 

"Oh, sorry. I zoned out. Course you can." 

"Mhmm. Can I ask you something?" His voice sounds serious so I turn my body towards him and make sure I'm paying attention this time. 

"Go for it." I smile. 

"Do you think you would be this happy if Auntie Jess was a guy?" 

"I don't see why not?" I reply. I'm positive I'd still love Jess no matter what her gender was, whether she was an alien from outer space or if she turned out to be the devil. 

"But - like, she wouldn't be able to have babies. What if you had no kids? I know you'd be sad," he replies and I can't help but glance around the room at my four wonderful kids. 

"I imagine they'd be a little different but there's no reason we couldn't have just as many as we do now. There's so many ways of having children these days, right?" I smile. 

"Mhmm. I guess you're right," He nods. 

"I do get some things right," I chuckle before pulling him into a tight hug. "I want you to listen to me though, you can be whoever and whatever you want, Luka. And if anybody ever tries to tell you any different you just send them to me or tell them to fuck off. Either works." 

"Thanks Uncle Harry. Love you." 

"Love you too, little man." 

"H! Luka! It's picture time!" My wife's voice calls. We both stand up and head towards the mass of people that she's trying to organise into some sort of order. "And where do you think you're going?" She says as she gently grabs Sammy by the arm and pulls him back towards us, "this includes you!"

"Honestly son, it's best to just do what she says, once this lot let you in, there's no escape," Danny chuckles and throws his arm around the boys shoulders. There is definitely no escaping his hugs, that's a fact. 

"Daddy! I wanna be wiv you n' Mummy, pwease?" Madi yells as she tugs on the bottom of my hoodie. 

"There's my Princess! Where've you been all day?" I grin as I scoop my youngest up into my arms. 

"Paying wiv my brudda. We build a mota-bike. You miss me?" She asks as she pats her chest. 

"Missed you loads." I reply as I rest her on my hip. 

"Miss you too!" Her hands grab my cheeks as she presses a clumsy kiss to my nose, her lips make a loud smacking noise which makes me laugh. 

"Okay! Everyone ready?" Jess yells as she looks up from the camera nestled on its tripod. I grin as she makes her way towards me, her body hugging to the opposite side of my body from our daughter. "Say cheese!" 

I can't stop the massive grin on my face as everyone yells out. I squeeze my lady and my little lady tighter as I wonder where the rest of my kids have chosen to stand. 

All too quickly several photos have been taken and Jess is pulling away from me, a whimper burst from my lips without permission and I pray that nobody heard. "Daddy! You pay pincessba-we-weena wiv me?"

"Princess ballerina?" I smile and she nods back at me. "Depends... do I get to be a princess?" 

"YES! WIV ME!" She screams in my ear as she claps her hands. "And dancing!" 

"Yes! I love dancing!" I cheer as she wriggles out of my arms. 

"Be back!" She giggles as she rushes off towards the kitchen before stopping and turning to face me with her hand on her hip. "Bootifool dancing, Daddy. No cwazy arms!" She waggles her little finger at me and I don't know whether to laugh or pout. She doesn't bother to wait for my answer before she runs off again. I scan the room for Jessi but she's nowhere to be found so I patiently wait for my little princess to come back.

-----

I throw my arm out to reach the object which is disturbing my peaceful slumber with Jessi. It's early. Or it feels that way, with the dark winter mornings in Holmes Chapel, it's hard to tell. "Turn it off..." she groans as she pulls the duvet tighter around us. A quick glance at the time tells me it's not even 4am. My eyes drift to the caller I.D. Jeffrey? What does he want at this time? I sit up straight in the bed as I realise Glenne might have had the baby. 

"Hey, man! Is she here?" I blurt out a little louder than I expected which earns me a whiny groan from Jess and a gentle pinch to my thigh. 

"Who? Oh! The baby? No. Glenne is booked in for her c-section in a month." 

"Oh yeah, so what's up, man?" I ask as my wife rolls away from me, my free hand reaches for her thigh, squeezing softly when I make contact with her soft, warm skin. 

"Look I know Robi is only trying to help but her Twitter tirade is only giving this divorce story more traction. And they're picking apart the picture she posted to instagram too." He's talking way too fast for me to keep up.

"Jeffrey, I don't know what you're talking about. What story?" I sigh and I don't realise my grip on Jessi's thigh has tightened until she grumbles, "you're pinching." 

"Sorry, baby." I whisper, my fingers caressing the spots where my nails have left their mark. 

"There's a story doing the rounds, apparently you and Jess are heading for splitsville. That was the headline. Naturally our little firecracker Robi has taken issue with it, just get her to calm down, yeah? It'll blow over on its own." He replies. 

"Okay, I'll talk to her. Night Jeff." I sigh. I'd like to say this is the first time there's been stories about Jess and I divorcing but it happened fairly regularly, especially when we weren't "seen together". 

"Night Harry. Give my love to Jess and the family," He says before he hangs up. I place my phone on the bedside table and swing my legs out of the bed. 

"Hey, where are you going?" My sleepy wife seems to spring to life as if somebody has flicked a switch. 

"Need to have a little chat with Robi, apparently she's sending twitter into a tailspin," I chuckle. 

"Kay. Be quick. Chilly without you," She breathes as she settles back into bed. My skin tingles as she places a kiss to the back of my arm. 

I stand up and pull on a pair of shorts before spinning around and placing a kiss to her cheek, "won't be long." 

She's right about it being cold and when I step into the hallway, I wish I'd grabbed a t-shirt too. I wriggle my toes into the soft carpet as I make my way to my daughter's room, determined to make this a quick trip. 

"Daddy!" Mac's voice startles me as I poke my head in the door. "Is it true?" I can tell he's been crying and it makes my heart ache. Without thinking I sink to the floor and open my arms wide, as soon as my son occupies the space I close my arms around him.

"Bud, does it look like Mum and I are getting divorced?" 

"No, but they know you, Dad. They know the twins are a boy and a girl so I got thinking that maybe you guys didn't want to upset us? You would tell us, right?" His arms are strangling my neck. 

"I told you, it was obvious with my friend Carly. Her parents were constantly fighting." Robi answers. 

"You think we'd let you find out from a newspaper?" I sigh. A little disappointed he thought so little of us. 

"I guess not. I - I got scared. I don't want you and Mum to break up. I love both of you." 

"We love you too, Bud. Neither of us are going anywhere. Promise." I hug him tight, hoping it helps him feel better because it's the only thing I can think of.