Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty

The following Sunday lunch turned into something completely different.

A house meeting.

Not an official one.

Nobody had planned it.

Yet somehow everyone ended up gathered around Harper's dining table discussing where they should live.

The children were playing in the garden.

Lillie sat on a blanket chewing on a toy.

Theo was attempting to teach her how to kick a football.

Poppy was attempting to stop him.

Meanwhile the adults had maps, coffee, and opinions.

Lots of opinions.

Especially Harper.

"I don't want to leave Manhattan."

Harper folded her arms.

Immediately defensive.

Noah sighed.

"We're not leaving Manhattan."

"You said uptown."

"That's still Manhattan."

"It feels further away."

"It's twenty minutes."

Harper looked unconvinced.

Roman laughed.

Daisy smiled into her coffee.

The exact same argument had happened three times already.

Roman spread a few property details across the table.

"Okay."

Everyone looked at him.

"Let's break it down."

Noah nodded.

"Please."

Roman pointed at one property.

"Townhouse in Manhattan."

Harper immediately leaned forward.

Interested.

Very interested.

Roman smiled.

"Large garden."

Harper smiled.

"A good start."

"Five bedrooms."

Noah looked relieved.

"A very good start."

"Walking distance to parks."

Now Daisy looked interested.

Lillie loved the park.

The thought of being able to walk there sounded wonderful.

Then Roman pointed at another property.

"Uptown."

Noah leaned forward.

"And?"

"Bigger."

"How much bigger?"

Roman shrugged.

"A lot."

Harper's eyes widened.

"Really?"

Roman nodded.

"Bigger garden."

Harper looked tempted.

Then suspicious.

"What are you selling?"

Roman laughed.

"The house."

Noah nearly spat out his coffee.

For the next half hour the discussion continued.

Schools.

Parks.

Commute times.

Space.

Gardens.

Children.

Future babies.

Everything.

Eventually Daisy noticed something.

The conversation wasn't really about houses anymore.

It was about family.

About the future.

About where everyone imagined themselves in five years.

Ten years.

Maybe longer.

"Where do you want to be?" Roman asked quietly.

The question surprised her.

Everyone stopped talking.

Waiting.

Daisy looked out through the patio doors.

At Lillie.

At Theo.

At Poppy.

At the life they'd built.

Then back at Roman.

"I want somewhere the kids can run around."

Roman smiled.

"So a garden."

"A proper garden."

Harper pointed immediately.

"See?"

Daisy laughed.

Roman looked far too pleased with himself.

"What about you?" Daisy asked.

Roman looked surprised.

"What?"

"Where do you want to live?"

For a moment he looked toward the garden.

Watching Lillie crawl after a football twice her size.

Then he smiled.

"I don't care."

Daisy rolled her eyes.

"That's a lie."

Roman laughed.

Then shook his head.

"No."

Everyone waited.

Roman's eyes found hers.

Then drifted briefly to her stomach.

Then back to Lillie.

"As long as it's home."

The answer instantly silenced the table.

Because nobody doubted he meant it.

Roman wasn't thinking about investments.

Or prestige.

Or the most expensive postcode.

He was thinking about his family.

About Daisy.

About Lillie.

About the baby.

Harper immediately pointed.

"See? That's why everybody likes him."

Noah sighed dramatically.

"It's annoying."

Roman looked amused.

"What is?"

"Being perfect."

Daisy laughed so hard she nearly choked.

Roman looked horrified.

"I am not perfect."

"Tell that to your pregnant girlfriend."

Unfortunately for Roman, Harper and Noah both nodded.

Outside, a loud squeal interrupted the conversation.

Everyone turned.

Theo had somehow convinced Lillie to chase him across the grass.

The eight-month-old was crawling as fast as her little arms and legs would carry her.

Poppy was following behind.

Trying to stop whatever disaster was clearly coming.

Too late.

Lillie toppled onto her bottom.

Then immediately burst into laughter.

The kind of laugh that made everyone smile.

Roman was already halfway out of his chair.

As always.

Daisy watched him go.

Then looked around the table.

At Harper.

At Noah.

At their growing families.

At all the possibilities ahead.

City townhouse.

Uptown house.

Big garden.

Small garden.

None of it really mattered.

Because for the first time in her life, she wasn't looking for a place to live.

She was looking for a place to build a future.

And somehow, that felt even more exciting than finding the perfect house. ❤️📖