Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

The following morning, Daisy woke up smiling.

Which was unusual.

Not because she wasn't happy.

Because she was exhausted.

Lillie had decided three in the morning was the perfect time to be awake.

Then four.

Then six.

Yet somehow Daisy still found herself smiling as she made coffee with one hand while gently rocking Lillie with the other.

The date with Roman kept replaying in her mind.

The balcony.

The conversation.

The way he'd checked on Lillie every few minutes.

The fact he'd completely rearranged the evening because he knew she wasn't ready to leave her daughter.

A soft knock sounded on the apartment door.

Before Daisy could even reach it, the door opened.

Harper.

Of course.

"You look disgustingly happy."

Daisy rolled her eyes.

"Good morning to you too."

Harper took one look at her face and immediately pointed.

"See?"

"See what?"

"That."

"What?"

"The smile."

Daisy failed miserably at hiding it.

Harper gasped dramatically.

"Oh my God."

"Stop."

"No."

Harper dropped onto the couch.

"Tell me everything."

Daisy laughed.

"You already know everything."

"I know how it started."

Harper pointed toward the kitchen.

"I want details."

For the next half hour Daisy found herself telling her sister about the rest of the evening.

The conversation.

The stories.

The way Roman spoke about Lillie.

The way he'd listened when she talked about work.

The fact he'd made her laugh.

A lot.

Harper sat quietly for once.

Which should have worried Daisy.

Finally Harper smiled.

"He really likes you."

Daisy looked down at her coffee.

"We barely know each other."

"That man organised private chefs because you looked nervous."

Fair.

Harper leaned forward.

"And he looks at Lillie like she hung the moon."

That was true too.

The thought made Daisy smile again.

Later that afternoon, her phone buzzed.

A text message.

Roman.

Immediately her heart did something embarrassing.

Good morning. How are my girls?

Daisy stared at the message.

Then laughed.

Harper looked over from the couch.

"Oh."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Harper was grinning.

Which meant it was definitely something.

Daisy ignored her and replied.

One of us is asleep. The other is surviving on coffee.

The reply came almost instantly.

I'm guessing Lillie is the one asleep.

Daisy laughed.

Very funny.

Another message appeared.

Can I come by later?

Daisy looked toward the nursery.

Then smiled.

You don't have to ask.

A few seconds passed.

Then:

I think I do.

The simple message caught her off guard.

Because he wasn't assuming.

Wasn't pushing.

He was asking.

Respecting that this was still her home.

Her space.

Their daughter.

It mattered.

More than he probably realised.

That evening, just before six, the apartment buzzer sounded.

Roman arrived carrying dinner.

And somehow a teddy bear.

Again.

"Does she need another teddy?"

"No."

Roman looked down at the bear.

"Okay but this one looked lonely."

Daisy laughed.

"You're impossible."

He smiled.

"Probably."

A few minutes later he was sitting on the couch holding Lillie against his chest while Daisy watched from across the room.

The sight still felt surreal.

Roman gently rocked their daughter while she slept.

Completely content.

Completely natural.

Like he'd been doing it forever.

"You know," Daisy said softly.

"What?"

"You're surprisingly good at this."

Roman looked down at Lillie.

Then back at her.

"I've had a good reason to learn."

Emotion caught unexpectedly in her chest.

Because he meant it.

Every word.

Every effort.

Every visit.

He wasn't there because he felt obligated.

He was there because he wanted to be.

As evening settled across Manhattan, Daisy found herself watching Roman and Lillie together.

And for the first time, she allowed herself to imagine something she'd been too scared to consider before.

A future.

Not just for her.

Not just for Lillie.

For all three of them.

The thought should have terrified her.

Instead...

It felt right. ❤️