Chapter Fifty Eight

Chapter Fifty-Eight

December arrived with freezing mornings and Christmas lights strung across every street.

The townhouses looked beautiful.

Especially at night.

Warm lights glowed from every window.

Wreaths hung on front doors.

And for the first time, both families were celebrating Christmas on the same street.

The only problem?

Daisy was now officially impossible.

"I can't get comfortable."

Roman looked up from the couch.

"Try the other pillow."

"I hate that pillow."

"The blanket?"

"I hate the blanket."

"The chair?"

Daisy glared.

Roman wisely stopped talking.

Across the room Harper looked equally miserable.

"My back hurts."

"My hips hurt," Daisy replied.

"I can't sleep."

"I cried because we ran out of cereal."

Harper nodded.

"Reasonable."

The men exchanged a look.

Neither spoke.

Neither was brave enough.

At twenty-eight weeks, both pregnancies felt very real.

Very heavy.

Very uncomfortable.

The doctors remained happy with Daisy's progress.

Which was the important part.

The bed rest was working.

Her blood pressure remained stable.

The baby continued growing beautifully.

Every appointment brought a little more relief.

A little less fear.

Even Roman had started sleeping properly again.

Mostly.

Though he still checked on Daisy at least six times every night.

Old habits.

One afternoon the entire family gathered at Daisy and Roman's house.

Christmas music played softly.

The fire crackled.

The children were decorating biscuits.

Or destroying them.

Nobody was entirely sure.

Theo believed icing should cover everything.

Poppy believed rules should exist.

Lillie believed icing belonged in her hair.

Roman discovered this too late.

"Daisy."

She looked up.

"Your daughter is blue."

Silence.

Everyone turned.

Lillie smiled proudly.

Half her face was covered in blue icing.

Harper laughed so hard she nearly fell off the couch.

Noah immediately took a photo.

Roman looked personally betrayed.

"How did this happen?"

Theo proudly raised his hand.

"I helped."

Of course he did.

That evening, after everyone had gone home, the house finally quietened.

Lillie was asleep upstairs.

The dishwasher hummed softly.

Christmas lights reflected against the windows.

Roman sat beside Daisy on her chair-bed.

One arm draped around her shoulders.

For a while neither spoke.

Simply enjoying the peace.

Then Daisy winced.

Immediately Roman sat up.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Daisy."

"It's fine."

"Daisy."

She sighed.

"The baby kicked my ribs."

Roman looked horrified.

"The baby can do that?"

Daisy stared at him.

"This is your second child."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Daisy laughed despite herself.

A moment later another kick landed.

Hard.

Daisy grabbed Roman's hand.

"Feel."

Roman rested his hand against her stomach.

Then froze.

Completely.

Because a tiny foot—or at least he assumed it was a foot—pressed visibly outward.

For the first time.

"Oh my God."

Another movement followed.

Then another.

The baby was stretching.

Rolling.

Moving everywhere.

Roman looked absolutely mesmerised.

There she was.

His daughter.

Growing stronger every day.

Getting ready.

For several minutes he simply sat there.

Hand against Daisy's stomach.

Watching.

Smiling.

Then quietly he whispered:

"Hi Violet."

Silence.

Daisy looked at him.

Roman looked back.

"What?"

"You just called her Violet."

Realisation immediately hit.

Because until now—

Violet had only been a possibility.

A maybe.

A favourite.

Roman smiled.

"Yeah."

Daisy's eyes softened.

Because somehow...

Without either of them saying it out loud...

The name had become theirs.

Upstairs, Lillie slept peacefully.

Across the street, Harper and Noah were preparing for twins.

And downstairs, little Violet Moretti had just received her name.

❤️