Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty

The week after the gender reveal was chaos.

Not bad chaos.

Happy chaos.

The kind that came with baby names, nursery ideas, and family members suddenly having very strong opinions.

Especially Harper.

"No."

Noah looked up from his coffee.

"What now?"

Harper pointed at a notebook.

"We are not naming our son after your grandfather."

Noah looked offended.

"Why?"

"Because his name was Gerald."

"So?"

"So?"

Harper stared at him.

"Gerald."

Noah sighed.

"It was a family name."

"It can stay in the family."

Across the table Daisy laughed so hard she nearly cried.

Roman immediately looked interested.

"What are we talking about?"

"Baby names."

Roman sat down.

The worst thing he could have done.

Within ten minutes everyone was arguing.

Not seriously.

Just enough to be entertaining.

Roman had a list.

Of course he did.

The man apparently had lists for everything.

Daisy discovered he'd been secretly keeping baby names on his phone.

For months.

Months.

"You made a list?"

Roman looked completely unapologetic.

"Yes."

"When?"

"Recently."

Olivia, who happened to be on speakerphone discussing work, laughed.

"He's lying."

Roman narrowed his eyes.

Traitor.

"He started that list after Lillie was born."

The entire table turned toward him.

Roman looked caught.

Daisy looked emotional.

Because of course he had.

Of course he'd been imagining a future with them long before he'd admitted it.

Meanwhile Lillie had become obsessed with walking.

Or trying to.

The little girl now took several wobbly steps before falling onto her bottom.

Then she'd laugh.

Stand up.

And try again.

All day.

Every day.

Nobody got a break.

Sunday lunch that week took place in the new houses.

Not fully moved in yet.

But close enough.

The kitchens worked.

The furniture had arrived.

The gardens looked beautiful.

And everyone wanted to spend time there.

The children certainly did.

Theo had already claimed one corner of the garden as a football area.

Poppy had decided another corner would be for tea parties.

Lillie simply wandered between both.

Happy with everything.

Roman stood watching her through the kitchen window.

Smiling.

As usual.

Daisy walked up beside him.

"You know she's going to have us running after her soon."

Roman nodded.

"Probably."

"You're smiling."

"I know."

"You like it."

"I love it."

The answer came so quickly it made her laugh.

Outside, Noah was attempting to measure something.

Harper was questioning every measurement.

Naturally.

"That's not right."

"It is."

"No."

"It is."

"The twins' swing set won't fit."

Noah blinked.

"We don't even own a swing set."

"We will."

Noah looked toward Roman.

"Help."

Roman immediately stepped backwards.

"No."

Smart man.

Later that evening, after everyone had gone home, Daisy and Roman sat together on the back porch.

The garden lights glowed softly.

Inside, Lillie slept peacefully.

The house was quiet.

Peaceful.

Home.

Roman reached for her hand.

Intertwining their fingers.

For a while neither spoke.

Simply enjoying the moment.

Then Daisy smiled softly.

"What are you thinking?"

Roman looked out across the garden.

Then toward the house across the street.

The one where Harper and Noah would soon live.

Then back toward their own home.

His home.

Their home.

"Our daughters."

Daisy smiled.

Both of them.

He still seemed amazed by it.

Roman laughed quietly.

"I keep picturing Lillie teaching her little sister things."

Daisy groaned.

"That's dangerous."

"Very."

"She's going to be a terrible influence."

"Absolutely."

Roman looked entirely too happy about that possibility.

The autumn wind rustled through the trees.

The houses stood warm and welcoming beneath the evening sky.

And as Daisy rested her head against Roman's shoulder, she realised something.

For the first time since she'd found out she was pregnant with Lillie...

There were no unanswered questions left.

No uncertainty.

No fear of doing it alone.

Just family.

A growing family.

And a future that somehow looked brighter with every passing day.

Across the street, two twins were waiting to arrive.

Inside her own belly, a little girl was growing stronger every day.

And upstairs, one determined toddler was sleeping before another day of conquering the world.

Life was busy.

Messy.

Unexpected.

But it was theirs.

And neither of them would have changed a thing. ❤️📖💕