#dheadcanon

Daisy shivered as he ran a hand along the small smattering of marks across her lower back. This is why she didn’t wear crop tops very often. “Just because you know it’s there doesn’t mean you can touch,” she said swatting his hands away.

Zephyr held them up in surrender, but from the look in his eye, Daisy could tell he was remembering how she’d gotten it.

Some genius in their sophomore Transfiguration class had messed up and messed up bad. He’d said the small wrong, and instead of adding scales to the replica lizard in front of them, an explosion of scale-sized specks of dark magic radiated out. Daisy had been next to him, facing away toward her own table. She and another girl had been hit full force in the back. Both had screamed at the pain of the spell melting through clothing and burning their skin.

Thankfully it hadn’t had lasting effects of any kind, and Zephyr had been the one to carefully carry Daisy to the nurse’s office. No healers had been able to undo the scarring, although it had faded enough that Daisy could pretend it wasn’t there. Walden, thankfully, had asked once and otherwise treated her like it didn’t exist.

Daisy licked her lips, nervous about what it was Walden wanted her to see. He'd been practically buzzing all week, but he refused to tell her what it was about. Clearly he wasn't about to proposal, so she didn't know what else could have him so excited. House plans were underway, and he wasn't about to poof a house into existence for them. Such things took time. Even with magical assistance, Daisy doubted he'd have it finished in time for the wedding, even if she did like the idea of being able to walk over that threshold as husband and wife instead of his abuela's house.

Still, she was trying to be positive. Walden's mother had proven to be an ally to her lately, and Daisy couldn't be thankful enough about it. The woman had made a flippant comment the day after Daisy had returned home about not being sure if she'd last. Daisy found that a bit offensive when she'd picked up her entire life to come be with Walden, and the wedding was so close, she could nearly see it on the calendar. August grew closer every day. Then again, Daisy could kind of see her point. Daisy had been a nice girl, but one her son had just brought home. Now she was the woman who had stood by him during a trial and kept their private disagreement as private business, not telling anyone but the man whose house she had stayed in.

"What is it?" Daisy asked as she came down the stairs. "You made it sound so urgent, but I don't-" Daisy cut off with a cry of glee as she hurtled herself down the remaining stairs. Waiting in the foyer was Bev.

Daisy nearly slammed into her sister with the strength of her hug, but Bev was right there to catch her. "Hey Daise," she said, rocking them slightly.

Daisy didn't want to let go. "What are you doing here?" she asked, unable to process that her sister was right here in her own home. The very idea of it seemed like a dream. 

"Walden wrote. He said that you were missing a bit of home and hoped that we could come earlier."

It was so in line with she and Zephyr's conversation that Daisy wondered if her boys had finally gotten over themselves and talked. Since he wasn't there, Daisy suspected Walden had come up with it on his own, and she didn't know whether to label it better or worse. She was touched by his thoughtfulness.

"Where is he?" she asked, looking around.

"He said we should have this moment for us," Bev replied, but Daisy's attention had snagged away.

Standing in the doorway behind Bev was her husband Don. Daisy wasn't surprised to see him, but bouncing on his hip was their baby girl. "Oh my goodness," she cooed as she stepped forward. "Is this Kim?"

The little girl ducked shyly into her papa's chest, but she peeked back out at Daisy, looking between Daisy and her mama.

"This is your Aunt Daisy," Don told her.

Daisy's heart sang at being called Aunt Daisy. She'd been using it with Katie for the past few months, but even though she loved that little girl, there was something else entirely connected to Kim. "Can I hold you?" she asked the little girl, ducking her head but looking at Kim with a smile.

The little girl dove back into Don's chest, but a moment later she seemed to change her mind and reached out for Daisy.

"Oh, thank you!" Daisy said as she pulled Kim from Don's arms. She smiled at him in appreciation as he helped make sure the little girl was comfortable. "How are you? Still putting up with Bev being bossy."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He laughed, and Daisy was aware of Bev walking up behind her.

"Right answer," she said firmly and put an arm around Daisy's waist. 

Kim reacted by hanging over Daisy to be nearer to her mother, but she didn't demand to move arms again. 

"She's a quite one," Bev said as she looked at her daughter fondly. "How old did you say Zephyr's is?"

"Katie turns one this month, so she's a little behind Kim." Daisy made a face that set Kim off in giggles. "She's sixteen months, right?"

Bev nodded. "You kept up."

It was hard not to when Daisy was holding her niece for the first time. She'd overcompensating by learning and memorizing every fact she could, using books to know about how big she'd be if it had been a while since Bev had mentioned it. She'd sent pictures, but it wasn't the same. It couldn't be.

Don gestured toward the stairs. "Walden said we're in the room next to yours?"

Daisy brightened. "Of course!" she exclaimed, bouncing Kim slightly. "Shall I show you up?" She and Walden weren't used to having immediate neighbors, but Daisy wasn't worried. She was over the moon. "Did he say if we're setting up Kim in yours?" For the couple's sake, Daisy hoped not. Walden was possessive enough about their alone time that she hoped he'd considered that of her sister and Don.

"She's on the other side," Don answered.