Chapter Forty Seven

Chapter Forty-Seven

After Lillie's first steps, the entire family lost their minds.

Completely.

The baby herself seemed entirely unimpressed.

Which only made it worse.

"She walked."

Roman was still staring at his daughter.

Twenty minutes later.

"She did."

Daisy smiled.

"She actually walked."

"Roman."

"What?"

"You've said that six times."

Roman pointed dramatically at Lillie.

"Because she walked."

Lillie sat in the grass chewing on a toy.

Completely unaware she had just caused a family-wide emotional event.

The next morning Roman had already watched the video approximately forty-seven times.

Daisy knew because she'd counted.

The first ten times were cute.

After thirty it became concerning.

By forty-seven even Harper was making fun of him.

"Look."

Roman held his phone up.

Noah groaned.

"No."

"Just once."

"I've seen it."

"Watch again."

"Roman."

"She walks."

Noah rubbed his face.

"I know."

Roman looked genuinely emotional.

Again.

Harper laughed.

"Daisy, your boyfriend is obsessed."

"My fiancé would be more accurate."

The words slipped out accidentally.

Silence.

Immediate silence.

Every head turned.

Daisy froze.

Roman froze.

Harper gasped.

Noah looked delighted.

Because technically...

Roman wasn't her fiancé.

Yet.

The problem was Daisy's pregnancy brain had apparently already decided he was.

"Oh my God."

Daisy covered her face.

Harper immediately started laughing.

Hard.

Roman looked very interested in this conversation.

Far too interested.

"Fiancé?"

"No."

Roman smiled.

A dangerous smile.

"Interesting."

"No."

"Very interesting."

Daisy pointed.

"Don't."

Roman looked entirely too pleased with himself.

For the rest of the week nobody let her forget it.

Nobody.

Not Harper.

Not Noah.

Certainly not Roman.

Every time he walked past her he'd casually ask:

"How's my fiancée?"

Daisy threatened murder repeatedly.

Roman remained completely unbothered.

Meanwhile the gender reveal party was getting closer.

Dangerously close.

The sealed envelopes containing the babies' genders remained untouched.

Locked away.

Protected.

Hidden.

Because Roman absolutely could not be trusted.

One evening Daisy walked into his office and immediately froze.

Roman was staring at the envelope.

Just staring.

Like a man fighting demons.

"What are you doing?"

Roman jumped.

Nothing suspicious.

Which was suspicious.

Daisy narrowed her eyes.

"Were you trying to peek?"

"No."

"You were."

"No."

"You absolutely were."

Roman pointed at the envelope.

"It knows things."

Daisy laughed so hard she nearly cried.

A few days later both families gathered at the townhouses.

Moving day was finally approaching.

The furniture was in place.

The gardens were finished.

The houses looked beautiful.

Home.

Actual homes.

Across the street from one another.

Exactly how they'd imagined.

That evening the adults sat outside while the children played.

The autumn air was cool.

The street quiet.

Peaceful.

For a moment nobody spoke.

Then Theo looked up.

"Can I ask something?"

Noah immediately became suspicious.

"What?"

"When the babies come..."

Everyone waited.

Theo pointed between both houses.

"Which one gets the most babies?"

Silence.

Then laughter.

Lots of laughter.

Harper nearly fell off her chair.

Noah looked exhausted already.

Roman pointed at Harper.

"That house."

Theo looked horrified.

"Four children?"

Noah sighed dramatically.

"Tell me about it."

As the laughter continued, Daisy rested her head against Roman's shoulder.

His arm wrapped around her automatically.

The garden lights glowed softly around them.

Lillie sat between Poppy and Theo happily babbling nonsense.

The babies were healthy.

The houses were ready.

The gender reveal was only days away.

Life felt full.

Busy.

Beautiful.

And for the first time in a very long time, Daisy wasn't worried about what came next.

Because whatever happened—

they'd face it together.

As a family. ❤️📖