𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐞 {𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞} [𝐎𝐂 𝐗 𝐎𝐂]

♡Chapter 180♡

{Poppy's outfit}

It was the middle of the day, the kind of lazy, quiet afternoon where the house felt too big and too still.

Poppy was the only one home—well, her and JJ, of course. The baby was sleeping soundly in his bassinet beside the couch, his tiny chest rising and falling with each soft breath, completely oblivious to the world around him. Everyone else was gone: her mom was at work, Donte was at work, Warren was at work, and Caleb and Scarlett had taken Bailey out for her interview at the school. For once, the house wasn't filled with voices or footsteps or the faint clatter of dishes in the kitchen. Just silence, broken only by the low hum of the television.

Poppy sat curled into the corner of the couch, remote in hand, flipping absently through channels without really settling on anything. Her eyes drifted to JJ every so often, checking on him like her mom had asked her to, before returning to the screen.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

The sharp chime startled her out of her daydreaming. She blinked, sighed, and slowly pushed herself up from the couch, careful not to wake JJ. Whoever it was, she hadn't been expecting anyone.

Crossing the living room, she reached the front door and pulled it open.

A man stood there. Tall. Broad-shouldered. His blond hair caught the sunlight, almost too bright against the dark frame of the door. He didn't look like a neighbour, nor like one of her mom's co-workers. He just stood there, composed but somehow uneasy, his eyes narrowing on her like he hadn't expected her.

"Hey." Poppy said politely, her voice light but cautious. She gave him a small smile. "Can I help you?"

The man nodded quickly, like he'd been rehearsing this moment. "Hi, yeah. I'm Nathan Harrison. Is Olivia—Olivia Marshall—here?"

Poppy hesitated. "Uh...no, sorry. My mom's at work."

Something flickered across his face. Surprise? Confusion? His brow arched slightly as his gaze lingered on her. "Your mom?"

"Yeah." Poppy nodded, tilting her head. "Why? Do you...know her? Are you an old friend or something? She's never mentioned you before."

"Uh, yeah...old friend." Nathan's voice wavered, the words tripping out of his mouth like he wasn't sure he believed them himself. "Just...here." He dug into the bag slung over his shoulder, pulling out a small notepad and pen. He scribbled something quickly, tore the page out, and handed it to her. "Give your mom this when she gets home. Tell her to call me, yeah?"

"Got it." Poppy accepted the note, glancing at the unfamiliar number scrawled across it. She shifted her weight, hand on the door, ready to close it. But Nathan didn't move.

"Sorry, uh..." He started, his voice trailing off.

She raised her brows. "Poppy." She supplied, giving him her name with the same easy smile.