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'I don't know.'

Maggie's voice was firm. 'You know exactly what you want him to be. You're just too scared to say it.'

'I want him to stay, and yes, to be part of our lives. I want the girls to like him and I want him to like them and I want us to be a family.'

'There. Was that so hard to say?'

'Yes, actually. You don’t get it, Mags.’

Annabelle took the wine bottle out of the fridge and topped up all their glasses. 'So, what are you going to do about it?'

'I have absolutely no idea.'

'Well, you can't do nothing.'

'What if I mess it up?'

Annabelle countered and joked. 'What if it's wonderful? What if the girls love him and he loves them and you all live happily ever after in your little boho bookshop by the sea?'

Daisy snorted. 'Happily ever after is for fairy stories.'

'Maybe. But being happy for now is perfectly achievable.'

Maggie nodded. 'Annabelle's right. You don't have to plan the rest of your life. You just have to plan the next step.'

'Which is?'

'Which is letting Miles meet the girls properly. He needs to really meet them and not just a quick hello at the bookshop.'

Daisy's stomach clenched with anxiety. 'How am I supposed to do that?'

'However feels right to you.' Annabelle said. 'There's no rulebook for this. There's no right or wrong way.'

'That's not helpful.'

‘Just muddle through and hope for the best.'

Daisy took a large gulp of wine. 'This is so much harder than I thought it would be.'

'Nothing about relationships is easy. You just have to take it one day at a time.'

Daisy sighed deeply. 'So, what do I do? Just invite him over for Sunday lunch and hope for the best?'

'That's not a terrible idea.' Annabelle raised her eyebrows. 'Sunday lunch is casual and friendly. It's not too formal or too intense.'

'What if the girls ask awkward questions?'

'That’s a given! Of course, they'll ask awkward questions. I’ve trained them well.' Maggie grinned.

'What if they ask if he's my boyfriend?'

‘They will.’

'I've never had to explain that before.'

'Well, what is he?' Maggie asked bluntly. 'Is he your boyfriend?'

Daisy felt her cheeks flush. 'I suppose he is.'