Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

Daisy should have known something was wrong the moment Harper called at eight o'clock on a Saturday morning.

Nobody called Harper at eight o'clock on a Saturday morning.

Harper usually appeared uninvited with coffee and opinions.

Calling meant trouble.

"Daisy."

The second she answered, Daisy sat upright in bed.

"What happened?"

Roman immediately looked over from beside her.

Lillie was still asleep in her crib.

The penthouse was quiet.

Peaceful.

For now.

Harper sighed dramatically.

"I need a favour."

Daisy relaxed.

"Oh thank God."

"What did you think happened?"

"You sounded serious."

"I am serious."

That should have been a warning.

An hour later they were standing outside Harper and Noah's house.

Roman carrying Lillie.

Daisy carrying coffee.

Theo carrying what appeared to be a pirate sword.

Nobody knew why.

Poppy opened the front door.

"Thank God you're here."

Daisy frowned.

"What happened?"

Poppy pointed inside.

"Theo happened."

Fair enough.

Inside, chaos greeted them.

Absolute chaos.

Theo had apparently decided he wanted to build a treehouse.

Today.

Immediately.

Without consulting anyone.

Noah looked exhausted.

Harper looked one minor inconvenience away from a breakdown.

"Theo wants a treehouse."

Daisy blinked.

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Noah laughed.

"You say that now."

Unfortunately Theo had somehow convinced half the neighborhood children that a treehouse was essential.

The backyard now looked like a construction site.

Roman watched the chaos unfold.

Then made the mistake of making eye contact with Theo.

A fatal error.

"Roman!"

The six-year-old ran over.

Immediately.

"We need your help."

Roman glanced at Daisy.

She was already laughing.

"No."

Theo looked horrified.

"Why?"

"Because every time I help you, something catches fire."

"That was one time."

"It was twice."

Theo considered this.

"Okay but this time we're building."

Roman should have walked away.

Instead he followed.

Which was exactly how he ended up spending most of the afternoon helping build what was rapidly becoming the world's most over-engineered treehouse.

Meanwhile Daisy sat beneath a large umbrella in the garden.

Lillie asleep in her arms.

Harper beside her.

For once there was no emergency.

No panic.

No drama.

Well.

No adult drama.

Theo was currently giving orders like a tiny construction foreman.

Daisy watched Roman laughing with Noah while carrying wooden boards across the garden.

The sight made her smile.

Harper noticed immediately.

"You love him."

Daisy nearly choked on her drink.

"Harper."

"What?"

"Stop."

"You didn't deny it."

Daisy looked away.

Which was answer enough.

Harper's grin widened.

"Oh my God."

"Please stop talking."

"No."

Later that afternoon the treehouse was finally finished.

Or at least finished enough for Theo.

The children immediately climbed inside.

Noah collapsed into a chair.

Roman looked equally exhausted.

Theo appeared moments later.

Proud as ever.

"We built it."

Roman raised an eyebrow.

"We?"

Theo nodded.

"Team effort."

The audacity was honestly impressive.

Everyone laughed.

Even Roman.

Lillie chose that exact moment to wake up.

Her eyes immediately searched the garden.

And landed on Roman.

Instant smile.

Every single time.

Roman melted instantly.

Every single time.

Daisy watched him scoop their daughter into his arms.

Watched Lillie grab his shirt.

Watched him smile down at her like she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Maybe she was.

As the afternoon sunlight stretched across the garden and laughter echoed from Theo's treehouse, Daisy found herself looking around.

At Harper.

At Noah.

At Poppy and Theo.

At Roman holding Lillie.

Family.

The word still surprised her sometimes.

Because she'd never planned any of this.

Never imagined any of it.

Yet somehow it had become everything.

And sitting there surrounded by the people she loved most, Daisy realised she wouldn't change a single thing. ❤️📖