Chapter Sixty one

Chapter Sixty-One

Christmas Day ended exactly how everyone expected.

With too much food.

Too many presents.

And children who were far too excited to sleep.

Lillie finally gave in around seven o'clock.

Completely exhausted.

The toddler had spent the entire day being passed between family members.

Opening presents.

Stealing wrapping paper.

Attempting to eat a candy cane.

Roman had stopped counting how many photographs he'd taken.

Now she slept peacefully upstairs.

Clutching a stuffed rabbit she'd received that morning.

Downstairs the adults finally had a moment to breathe.

The children were asleep.

The dishes were mostly done.

The house was quiet.

For once.

Harper and Noah were sprawled across one couch.

Harper's feet firmly in Noah's lap.

A position she'd decided was permanent.

Across from them Daisy lay comfortably on her chair-bed.

Wrapped in blankets.

Roman sitting beside her.

One hand absentmindedly resting on her leg.

The fire crackled softly.

Christmas lights twinkled around the room.

Outside, snow drifted gently through the street.

It should have felt peaceful.

Instead Daisy felt strange.

Not scared.

Not exactly.

Just...

Off.

She shifted slightly.

Trying to get comfortable.

Immediately Roman noticed.

Of course he did.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Daisy."

She sighed.

"I'm fine."

Nobody believed her.

Especially Harper.

The twins had apparently given her some sixth sense.

"You're doing that thing."

Daisy frowned.

"What thing?"

"The thing where you say you're fine when you're not."

Roman sat up straighter immediately.

Noah groaned.

"Here we go."

"I'm fine."

Daisy repeated.

Then stopped.

Because suddenly she wasn't.

A wave of dizziness rolled over her.

Hard.

The room tilted.

"Daisy?"

Roman was beside her instantly.

Too instantly.

His voice sounded far away.

For a second she closed her eyes.

Then opened them again.

"I'm okay."

But her voice sounded weak.

Even to herself.

And Roman's face had gone pale.

Very pale.

The room fell silent.

Harper was already trying to stand.

Noah immediately stopped her.

"Stay put."

"But—"

"Stay put."

Meanwhile Roman was crouched beside Daisy.

One hand gripping hers.

The other against her forehead.

"Daisy."

"I'm here."

His jaw tightened.

Because she looked exhausted.

More exhausted than she'd looked in weeks.

And suddenly all those reassuring doctor appointments felt very far away.

"I think we should call."

Daisy immediately knew who he meant.

The doctor.

"No."

"Yes."

"Roman."

"Yes."

The answer came instantly.

Completely non-negotiable.

For a moment nobody spoke.

The fire still crackled.

The Christmas lights still glowed.

The snow still fell outside.

But suddenly the room felt different.

The happiness of Christmas replaced by something much heavier.

Worry.

Real worry.

Because everybody remembered the hospital.

The monitors.

The specialist.

The warnings.

And nobody wanted to go through that again.

Especially not Roman.

He squeezed Daisy's hand gently.

Trying not to show how frightened he was.

Failing completely.

Because beneath the businessman.

Beneath the confidence.

Beneath the control.

He was just a father.

A partner.

A man terrified something might happen to the people he loved most.

And as Daisy rested back against the pillows, trying to ignore how weak she suddenly felt, one thought echoed through the room.

Something wasn't right.