Chapter Fifty Seven

Chapter Fifty-Seven

The next few weeks settled into a routine.

Not a normal routine.

A bed-rest routine.

Which was apparently very different.

And very annoying.

At least according to Daisy.

"I am bored."

Roman looked up from his laptop.

They were in the family room.

Daisy stretched out on her chair-bed.

Lillie playing nearby.

The nanny supervising.

Life carrying on around them.

"I know."

"No, you don't."

Roman smiled.

"You've said that twelve times today."

"Because I'm bored."

Roman nodded.

Fair point.

The problem was Daisy wasn't getting worse.

Which was good.

But she wasn't getting dramatically better either.

Which was frustrating.

The doctors were happy enough.

Her blood pressure had stabilised.

The baby girl continued growing perfectly.

But bed rest remained non-negotiable.

Daisy hated it.

Roman loved it.

Not because she was unwell.

Because she was staying put.

Which meant he always knew where she was.

Daisy had informed him that made him sound insane.

Roman had informed her he didn't care.

One Thursday afternoon Harper arrived carrying shopping bags.

Immediately suspicious.

"What did you buy?"

Daisy narrowed her eyes.

"Nothing."

"You bought something."

Harper looked offended.

"I bought several things."

The shopping bags landed on the couch.

Baby clothes immediately appeared.

Tiny baby clothes.

"No."

Daisy covered her face.

"Harper."

"What?"

"We said we weren't buying loads yet."

Harper held up a tiny pink dress.

"Look at it."

Daisy looked.

Then immediately melted.

"Oh."

"Exactly."

Pregnant women were weak against tiny baby clothes.

Everyone knew that.

Especially Noah.

Who had already lost this battle repeatedly.

Meanwhile, across the room, Roman was looking through another shopping bag.

Then another.

Then another.

His expression changed.

Slowly.

"Harper."

"What?"

"Why are there three identical dresses?"

Harper looked confused.

"There aren't."

Roman held them up.

Pink.

Pink.

Pink.

Silence.

Then Harper burst out laughing.

"Oh."

"What?"

"I forgot."

Roman looked suspicious.

"What did you forget?"

Harper pointed.

"One is for your baby."

Roman nodded.

Reasonable.

"One is for my baby girl."

Still reasonable.

"And one is because I accidentally bought three."

The room exploded with laughter.

Even Noah.

Who had walked in halfway through the conversation.

"That sounds about right."

Harper pointed.

"They were cute."

Noah kissed her forehead.

"I know."

A moment later he looked at the pile of baby clothes.

Then at the pile of boxes arriving almost daily.

Then at Roman.

"We've become those people."

Roman frowned.

"What people?"

"The people who buy baby things because they're cute."

Roman looked genuinely confused.

"That's literally why baby things exist."

Daisy laughed so hard she nearly cried.

Later that evening, after everyone had gone home, the house was finally quiet.

Lillie slept upstairs.

The nanny had left.

The lights glowed softly around the family room.

Roman sat beside Daisy.

One hand resting lightly on her stomach.

Something he'd started doing often lately.

Almost unconsciously.

Then suddenly—

a kick.

Roman froze.

Completely.

His eyes widened.

Another kick.

Stronger this time.

"Did you feel that?"

Daisy laughed.

"Yes."

"No."

Roman looked amazed.

"That was a real kick."

Daisy smiled softly.

They'd felt little movements before.

Flutters.

Tiny sensations.

This was different.

This felt unmistakable.

Their daughter.

Strong.

Growing.

Very much making her presence known.

Roman kept his hand exactly where it was.

Afraid to move.

Another kick landed.

His entire face lit up.

The kind of smile Daisy never got tired of seeing.

"There she is."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

For a moment neither spoke.

The room quiet.

The house peaceful.

The future getting closer every day.

Then Roman looked at her.

A soft smile still lingering.

"I think she's going to be stubborn."

Daisy laughed.

"Based on what?"

Roman rested his hand against her stomach again.

"She's already kicking me."

Upstairs, Lillie slept peacefully.

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

And downstairs, one little girl reminded her parents that she was getting ready to join the family too.

❤️📖💕👶🌸