‘Slow down,’ Juliet said, laughing. ‘We’re not moving in here.’ Ryan tipped his head to the side, looking questioningly at her. ‘Not yet, anyway. We need to
take this slowly.’
‘But I like this house better. Ryan, you want us to move in, don’t you?’ Poppy asked him.
He put his hands up. ‘Your mom’s right, we can take this slowly. But Charlie and I love having you around, and you know you’re always welcome here.’
‘Should I call you Daddy?’
Juliet covered her mouth to stifle the laughter. Ryan rolled his lips between his teeth, looking at her for help.
‘You already have a daddy,’ Juliet reminded her daughter. ‘Ryan’s your friend, not your daddy.’
‘He’s my daddy though,’ Charlie said, proudly.
‘Yes I am.’ Ryan pursed his lips and blew some air out. ‘And it would give me the greatest pleasure to be your friend, Poppy.’ He offered her his hand, and she shook it firmly, her face lighting up.
‘It gives me the greatest pleasure, too, Ryan.’ Her voice had a serious tone. Juliet bit down another smile.
‘Wait, does that mean Poppy’s going to be my sister?’ Charlie asked, still looking confused. ‘And what about the baby in my mom’s tummy, will Poppy be her sister, too?’
‘Oh yeah, will I be their sister?’ Poppy echoed.
Taking a deep breath, Juliet reached for each of their hands. ‘Try to take it easy, guys. I know there’s a lot to take in at the moment, and you have so many questions. And we’ll both try to answer them as honestly as we can. But we don’t have all the answers either. This is new to all of us. We’ll work through it all together.’
She felt Ryan wrap his arms around her. ‘She’s right,’ he said, his voice low. ‘We haven’t got it all figured out yet, but we know the important stuff. We love you both, and you love us.’
‘And you love each other, right?’ Poppy prompted.
He laughed. ‘Right. We love each other, too. We’re a family, and we want to be together. The rest we can figure out over time.’
‘We’re family,’ Charlie echoed, his eyes wide with wonder. ‘Poppy, me, you and Juliet, Mom and Carl … ’
‘And the new baby,’ Poppy added.
‘Yeah, when she gets here,’ Charlie said. ‘But I’m not cleaning any poopy diapers.’
‘Me either,’ Poppy agreed, wrinkling her nose up. ‘Mommy, how did the baby get in Sheridan’s tummy?’
Juliet’s mouth dropped open. Where the hell did that come from? Ryan winked at her, biting down a grin, as he waited for her response.
‘Um, who wants a drink?’ Juliet asked. ‘I could really do with a glass of water right now.’
A moment later she was headed into the kitchen, thankful for a moment’s respite from the constant questions. Taking four glasses from the cupboard, she placed them carefully on the granite work surface as she felt two arms wrap around her waist from behind.
‘You okay, London?’ Ryan said, nuzzling his face against hers. ‘I thought you were going to have some kind of heart attack in there.’
She turned her head to look at him. ‘I’m sorry about all the questions.’
‘I think they let us off lightly. Just wait until tomorrow, they’ll have even more to throw at us.’
She laughed. ‘You’re right. And you know them too well.’
‘They’re arguing about whose house is best, yours or mine. If they’re not careful, they’ll both be living in the tree house.’
Her eyes widened. ‘Don’t suggest that, they’ll jump at it. And then they’ll start arguing about whose house it is.’
He put his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. His eyes softened as he smiled at her. ‘Do you get the impression that they’re the ones who really rule the roost?’ he asked her. ‘Imagine what they’ll be like when they’re teenagers.’