Chapter Thirty Two

Chapter Thirty-Two

Six months.

Lillie was somehow six months old.

Daisy didn't know where the time had gone.

One minute she'd been bringing her home from the hospital.

The next she was sitting upright in a highchair demanding food and attention every waking second.

Today's meal was mashed banana.

Most of it was currently in Lillie's hair.

"Daisy."

Lillie grinned.

A banana-covered grin.

Daisy sighed.

"You look exactly like your father when you're causing trouble."

Lillie banged her spoon happily.

The apartment buzzer sounded.

A few moments later Harper walked in.

Immediately, Daisy frowned.

Something was wrong.

Harper looked exhausted.

Not normal tired.

Not "Theo and Poppy have been arguing all morning" tired.

Actually exhausted.

The kind of tired that sat behind her eyes.

The kind Daisy noticed instantly.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Harper dropped onto the couch.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

Daisy watched her for a moment.

Then another.

Then another.

Finally Harper sighed.

"Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Doctor staring at me."

"I'm not."

"You are."

Daisy ignored that.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Harper."

"I'm just tired."

"How tired?"

Harper groaned.

"This is why nobody likes doctors."

Ten minutes later Daisy had successfully interrogated her sister.

She felt sick in the mornings.

She was exhausted.

Her coffee tasted strange.

She'd been emotional.

Hungrier than usual.

And generally not feeling herself.

Daisy slowly sat back.

"Oh."

Harper immediately pointed.

"What does that mean?"

Daisy laughed.

"It means you're probably pregnant."

Harper looked horrified.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Harper."

"No."

Daisy was already standing.

"I'll get a test."

Harper immediately jumped up.

"No."

Daisy blinked.

"What?"

"I'm not taking one unless you do."

Silence.

Then Daisy laughed.

"What?"

Harper folded her arms.

"For support."

"That's insane."

"You've just accused me of being pregnant."

"Because I think you are."

Harper pointed dramatically.

"Then support me."

"Harper, I'm not pregnant."

"Please."

"No."

"Please."

"Absolutely not."

"Please."

Daisy stared at her sister.

Harper stared back.

Stubbornly.

The exact same way she'd stared her down their entire lives.

Eventually Daisy groaned.

"I hate you."

Harper smiled.

"You love me."

Unfortunately, that was true.

An hour later, both sisters had successfully settled Lillie down for her afternoon nap.

The baby monitor sat on the bathroom counter.

Lillie slept peacefully in the nursery.

Completely unaware chaos was unfolding.

Harper held two pregnancy tests.

Daisy still looked offended.

"This is ridiculous."

"It is supportive."

"It is ridiculous."

Harper handed her one anyway.

Daisy sighed dramatically.

"Fine."

Several awkward minutes later, they found themselves sitting on the bathroom floor waiting.

Neither spoke.

Harper looked nervous.

Daisy looked amused.

At least at first.

Then Harper reached for her test.

Daisy picked hers up too.

Both women looked down.

Harper froze.

Daisy froze.

Silence.

Complete silence.

Harper stared.

Then slowly nodded.

"Yeah."

Honestly?

Neither of them were surprised.

The symptoms had practically announced themselves.

Harper looked shocked.

But not completely.

Not really.

Deep down she'd known.

Then Daisy looked at her own test.

And her entire world stopped.

Positive.

Her test was positive.

For a second she genuinely couldn't breathe.

"No."

Harper looked over.

Then blinked.

Then blinked again.

"Daisy."

"No."

Her voice came out as barely a whisper.

"No."

Harper grabbed the test.

Looked at it.

Then looked back at her sister.

"Oh my God."

Daisy continued staring.

Completely stunned.

Because Harper being pregnant made sense.

The symptoms.

The tiredness.

The nausea.

All of it.

But her?

No.

No.

That wasn't possible.

Was it?

Her hands started shaking.

Harper sat beside her.

Silent for once.

A rare occurrence.

Because they were both staring at the exact same thing.

Two positive tests.

One expected.

One absolutely not.

Daisy laughed suddenly.

A completely shocked laugh.

Then covered her face.

"Oh my God."

Harper looked equally stunned now.

"We took these for me."

"I know."

"We took these because of me."

"I know."

Neither sister could stop staring.

Because somewhere down the hallway, Lillie was asleep in her crib.

And somehow—

without either of them expecting it—

it looked like she might not be an only child for much longer. ❤️📖