Page 140 of The Rogue and His Flower

Yes, Dr. Wigmore might’ve given us a glimpse of hope with talk of IVF treatment, and whilst we haven’t had a chance to discuss it, I already know that hiding that process from my father isn’t going to be easy. As far as he’s concerned, Daisy is recovering from having her appendix out, and not trying to come to terms with the devastating news of her miscarriage and the prospect of fertility treatment. I don’t even want to think about how he might react to the news, but if I know my father as well as I think I do, then it won’t be good. He doesn’t give a shit about Daisy, anyone for that matter. Sympathy for her situation will be the last thing on his fucking mind.

“Wanna see my new toys, Daisy?” Toby asks, interrupting my thoughts as he reaches over and pats Daisy on the arm.

“You’ve got some new toys, huh?” Daisy asks him after a beat.

The kid tips his head to the side as he looks up at her, and even though he’s unaware of the truth behind her unhappiness, there’s no doubt that he senses it and is trying, in his own way, to fix her heartache. He’s such a sweet kid and a credit to Lia.

“Yes, they’re in the den, do you wanna see?” he persists, his small hand wrapping around her fingers.

“Do you mind?” Daisy asks, looking between us.

“Of course not,” Lia replies. “Toby’s missed you. Go hang out whilst we clear away the dishes. The apple pie isn’t ready to be served yet anyway.”

“Thanks,” she murmurs, flicking her gaze my way briefly before taking Toby’s hand and slipping off the stool, following him out of the room.

“I don’t know what to do,” I blurt out, raking a hand through my hair as I look across at my friends helplessly.

“You went to see the consultant today, right?” Drix asks. “What did he say?”

“Pretty much what we know already. He said it’s unlikely that Daisy will be able to conceive naturally. He suggested IVF as an option,” I explain.

“I see,” Drix replies, exhaling heavily. “That’s a lot to come to terms with. Have you talked about this with Daisy?”

“We haven’t had a chance. I wanted to, but in the car on the way over she shut down on me… I thought coming here and being with family, with people who love her, would help. Fuck, she doesn’t deserve this, Drix,” I say heavily.

“IVF can be very successful,” Lia adds, reaching over and giving my arm a squeeze. “Try not to lose hope.”

“I appreciate that it can be, but we have the added complication of my father, and keeping this from him…” I say, grinding my teeth in frustration.

“He doesn’t ever have to find out. Women don’t always fall pregnant immediately anyway,” Drix says.

“Drix is right,” Lia adds. “It took me six months to get pregnant with Toby.”

“And what if the treatment fails, what then?” I ask.

“Then we cross that bridge when we come to it,” Drix replies. “We’ll figure this out.”

“You make it sound so fucking easy, but we all know my father is a canny bastard. It’s a fucking miracle he hasn’t figured out what’s really going on already. I keep waiting for the fucking guillotine to fall.”

Drix leans back in his chair and lets out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples as he contemplates my words. “Then I’ll take the debt back on. I’ll do it for you and Daisy. It was never meant to be yours in the first place,” he says.

“Drix…” Lia whispers, gripping his hand.

“Absolutely not,” I say, shaking my head. “That isnotan option. You’re my best friend, and there’s no way I’m going to let my father rule over your life like he has done mine. I let him do that to you once, and I let you down. I refuse to do that again. No. I just need some time to figure this out.”

With that I push back from the table, my mind whirring as I go in search of Daisy. I need to protect her, to shield her from my father, and one way or another, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I don’t care what it takes.

“Daisy?” I say, pushing open the door to the den to find her sitting on the floor with Toby in her lap as she reads him a story.

She looks up at me, acknowledging my presence before continuing to read, and I lean against the doorframe, watching her, caught by her beauty, gutted by the sadness that lingers in her eyes. Eventually she finishes reading, and Toby throws his arms around her neck.

“Thank you, Daisy,” he says, planting a kiss on her cheek before jumping up. “I’m gonna see if the apple pie is ready.” With that he runs off, leaving us alone.

“You okay?” I ask, dropping onto the floor beside her, stretching out my legs, wincing at the stupid fucking question. Of course she isn’t okay.

“Not really,” she replies, heaving out a sigh.

I reach for her hand, wrapping my fingers around hers. “Do you want to go ahead with IVF treatment?” I ask her.

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