Chapter one

Chapter One

The evening air was warm for early summer.

From her apartment balcony overlooking Manhattan, Daisy Miller sat curled into a chair with a cup of tea she had long since stopped drinking.

The city stretched endlessly before her.

Lights twinkled against the darkening sky. Cars moved steadily below. People hurried home after long days while others were only just beginning their nights.

Usually, Daisy loved this view.

Tonight it felt different.

Tonight she felt different.

Her hand drifted unconsciously to the gentle curve beneath her oversized sweater.

Pregnant.

Even now, the word felt strange.

Unreal.

At thirty-two years old, Daisy had always imagined her life would look exactly as it did now.

A successful pediatric doctor. A beautiful apartment in New York City. A career she genuinely loved.

She'd spent years working toward it.

Medical school. Residency. Long shifts. Missed holidays.

And she'd never regretted any of it.

Children had always been part of her future.

Just not in the way most people imagined.

Daisy loved children.

She loved helping them. Protecting them. Watching frightened little faces relax when she told them everything would be okay.

But having children of her own?

That had never been the plan.

Yet here she was.

Pregnant.

Alone.

And completely terrified.

Not because she didn't want the baby.

Because she already knew she did.

The fear came from everything else.

How would she do this alone?

Would she be a good mother?

Would she know what she was doing once the baby arrived?

For someone who spent every day helping children, Daisy felt surprisingly unqualified.

A soft breeze stirred her dark hair.

She leaned her head back against the chair and looked up at the fading evening sky.

The last few years had changed her more than she liked to admit.

Losing both parents had left a hole that never fully disappeared.

Some days she still reached for her phone wanting to call her mother.

Some days she still heard her father's laugh in memories so clear it physically hurt.

Thankfully, she still had Harper.

Her older sister had become her anchor after their parents died.

Harper had her own family. A husband. Children. A wonderfully chaotic life.

Yet somehow she always found time for Daisy.

Always showed up.

Always checked in.

Especially now.

Harper called daily.

Sometimes hourly.

Daisy smiled faintly at the thought.

Her sister's reaction to the pregnancy had been exactly what she expected.

Excitement. Panic. Planning.

Lots and lots of planning.

Meanwhile Daisy still felt like she was trying to catch up.

Trying to understand how her carefully organised life had taken such an unexpected turn.

The city hummed softly below.

A siren echoed somewhere in the distance.

Daisy closed her eyes briefly.

And as she rested her head against the balcony chair, her thoughts drifted back.

Back to a girls' night out.

Back to laughter. Music. Cocktails.

Back to a crowded Manhattan bar.

And back to the man standing at the bar whose smile had changed everything. ❤️