Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

By the time Lillie was two months old, Roman had become part of their everyday lives.

Not in a dramatic way.

Not with grand gestures.

Just quietly.

Consistently.

He showed up.

Every day.

Some mornings he'd stop by before work with coffee for Daisy.

Other days he'd take his lunch break at her apartment just to spend twenty minutes with Lillie.

And every evening, no matter how busy he was, he found his way back to them.

It was becoming impossible to remember what life had looked like before.

One Thursday evening, Daisy was sitting on the nursery floor folding tiny baby clothes when the apartment buzzer sounded.

A moment later, Roman walked in.

His tie was loose.

His jacket hung over one shoulder.

He looked exhausted.

The second Lillie heard his voice from her play mat, her head turned.

Then came the smile.

A huge gummy grin.

Roman froze.

Again.

Daisy laughed.

"You'd think this was the first time."

"It feels like it."

He immediately scooped his daughter into his arms.

Lillie rewarded him by grabbing a handful of his hair.

Hard.

"Ouch."

Daisy laughed harder.

"Welcome to parenthood."

Roman carefully untangled tiny fingers.

"I own multiple companies."

"Mhm."

"I negotiate billion-dollar deals."

"Okay."

"This tiny human terrifies me."

Lillie immediately grabbed his nose.

Daisy nearly fell over laughing.

Later that evening, after Lillie had finally fallen asleep, Daisy and Roman sat together on the balcony overlooking Manhattan.

The city glittered beneath them.

The same city where they'd met.

The same city where they'd lost each other.

And somehow found each other again.

Roman handed her a glass of wine.

Well.

Technically half a glass.

Since Daisy was still easing back into normal life.

She smiled.

"Thank you."

For a while they simply sat together.

Comfortable.

Easy.

The kind of silence that only happened when two people genuinely enjoyed each other's company.

Eventually Roman broke it.

"Olivia hates you."

Daisy laughed.

"What?"

"My assistant."

"Why?"

"Because apparently all I talk about now is you and Lillie."

Daisy smiled into her glass.

"That's embarrassing."

"It is."

"Yet you keep doing it."

Roman shrugged.

"I can't help it."

The honesty made her heart flutter.

Again.

It was becoming a problem.

Eventually she looked at him.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Always."

The answer came immediately.

And somehow that made it harder.

"What happened after I left?"

Roman looked surprised.

"That morning?"

Daisy nodded.

For a moment he stared out across the city.

Then laughed softly.

"I thought you robbed me."

"What?"

"I woke up."

Daisy laughed.

"You did not."

"I absolutely did."

Roman pointed at her.

"You were gone."

"I left a note."

"You wrote 'thank you'."

"It was polite."

Roman looked horrified.

"It was a hostage negotiation ending."

Daisy burst out laughing.

For a moment he simply watched her.

Smiling.

The same way he always did.

Then his expression softened.

"I went back to that bar for weeks."

The laughter faded.

Daisy looked at him.

"You really did?"

Roman nodded.

"Every Friday."

Her heart squeezed.

"I thought maybe you'd go back."

"I almost did."

The admission slipped out before she could stop it.

Roman looked surprised.

"You did?"

Daisy nodded.

"A few times."

The realization settled between them.

Two people.

Both looking.

Neither finding.

All while living in the same city.

Roman shook his head.

"We were idiots."

"Completely."

They both laughed.

Then Roman grew serious.

The playful mood disappearing.

"Daisy."

Something about the way he said her name made her stomach tighten.

"What?"

His eyes found hers.

Steady.

Certain.

"I don't want to be the guy who missed the first seven months."

Emotion instantly rose in her throat.

Roman continued quietly.

"I missed your pregnancy."

She looked down.

"You couldn't help that."

"I know."

"But I still missed it."

The words were filled with regret.

Not guilt.

Regret.

There was a difference.

Roman looked toward the nursery.

Toward the sleeping baby down the hallway.

Then back at Daisy.

"I don't want to miss anything else."

The sincerity in his voice stole her breath.

First smiles.

First words.

First steps.

He wanted all of it.

Every moment.

Every memory.

Every ordinary day.

And suddenly Daisy realised she wanted that too.

She wanted him there.

Not because he was Lillie's father.

Because he was Roman.

The man who brought flowers.

The man who rearranged entire dates so she wouldn't be uncomfortable.

The man who looked at their daughter like she was the greatest thing he'd ever created.

The man she was falling for.

Slowly.

Completely.

Roman shifted closer.

Not much.

Just enough.

His hand found hers resting on the arm of the chair.

Their fingers intertwined naturally.

Comfortably.

Like they belonged there.

Neither moved away.

For a long moment they simply sat together watching the city lights.

Then Roman smiled.

A small smile.

A hopeful one.

"You know."

"What?"

"I think we're doing this backwards."

Daisy laughed softly.

"We've been doing everything backwards."

"We had a baby before our second date."

"That's true."

"I still don't know your favourite colour."

She smiled.

"Blue."

Roman looked genuinely pleased.

"Mine's black."

"That's not a colour."

"It absolutely is."

Daisy laughed again.

And this time Roman couldn't stop staring at her.

Because somewhere between a one-night encounter, a surprise baby, and a second chance neither of them expected—

they'd become something more.

Not quite a couple.

Not yet.

But getting very close.

And neither of them seemed interested in slowing down. ❤️