The Plan // Jake Seresin

Chapter Forty-Four

Daisy Seresin

    "I think it sounds promising." Poppy was saying, as she tossed more decorations into her cart. She and Jere were hosting a New Years Eve party that night, and Daisy was with her getting the final decorations. The boys had gone out for the alcohol and food. "Assuming he'll agree to it."

    "I don't think he will." Daisy replied, "It's another experimental option." Their Dad had seen one of the specialists Poppy had found the day before for a second opinion. They hadn't had an opening until the end of January but had a last minute spot free up. And when the two people on the waitlist before him couldn't take it, their Dad did. "And all he agreed to was going to see one, not doing any treatment."

    The last week and a half had been hard, trying to figure out ways to process the news still of her Dad. Poppy now seemed more optimistic, but Daisy wasn't there with her. She didn't want to get herself worked up for any kind of false hopes or leads. She looked over the cart, they were inside one of the party stores in town. She thought they had plenty, but her sister liked to go all out. This was in a way their house warming, so she guessed she could get it. "So are you guys telling people you're together or the roommate situation?" She asked, changing the subject.

    "Why must everything be labeled?" Poppy asked, looking at some plastic champagne confetti poppers. She dropped them into her cart. "Our friends we invited obviously know about the pregnancy. Neither of us have ever hid how it happened." She shrugged. "And living together makes sense logistically at first to help."

    "I was just curious. You're always so avoidant of the topic." Daisy pointed out.

    Poppy stopped and turned to Daisy, putting her hand on her hip. She thought her sister looked cute with her baby bump. She was just over half way through her pregnancy, but her bump looked further along than that. "I feel like if I say I want to be with him, people are going to think it's only because of the twins." Poppy said, "And had this not happened, I honestly don't know if we'd ever have been anything more than casual fuck buddies."

    "Since when do you care what anyone thinks?" Daisy asked her sister. "You give less fucks than anyone I know." She certainly did too. "I can argue the same thing. Had I not required a fake boyfriend for your wedding, I don't know if Jake and I ever would have happened. The 'how' doesn't always matter, just what happens at the finish line."

    "I don't believe that. I think you and Jake would have found each other in any life time." Poppy told her. "And I don't care, but I do at the same time. Then I've only been divorced a few months. It feels wrong in some ways, but I know things were over before that." She said, "And there isn't any kind of timeline on dating again. But I feel like people judge you off it."

    "What does Jere want?" Daisy asked, as Poppy looked over some balloons.

    "He wants us to be together. Not whatever we're doing now. Sometimes sleeping together, some other intimacy." Poppy answered. "He's said he'd wait for me, however long that took."

    Daisy was sure it was hormones but she felt her eyes water. Poppy rolled her eyes, noticing Daisy tearing up. "That's so sweet." Daisy said, "I approve, by the way. I take back any reservations I had."

    "He is sweet." Poppy agreed. "And he gets me. Shows genuine interest in what I like and what I have to say. He looks at my work with me sometimes, gives his honest opinion." She started walking again, toward the checkout. "He's not obnoxious as his brother. No offense."