The sun had barely risen when Isabella loaded the last of their bags into the trunk. The Florida heat was already creeping in, making the air thick and heavy. She wiped a hand over her forehead, exhaling as she turned to check on the kids.

Malachi sat in the backseat, legs swinging, clutching his favorite stuffed dinosaur to his chest. His small face looked tired, the lingering effects of chemo clear in the paleness of his skin. But he was excited. Too excited.

Joelle, on the other hand, wasn't even trying to hide her irritation. She stood by the car, arms crossed, brows furrowed. "We really have to do this?" she muttered.

Isabella sighed. "Jojo, please."

Joelle huffed and climbed into the passenger seat, slamming the door just hard enough to make a point.

Taking a deep breath, Isabella got behind the wheel, stealing a glance at her children. This wasn't just a road trip. It was a trip back to a place she wasn't sure she wanted to go.

Back to him.

She pulled onto the highway, the familiar route stretching ahead of them. They had made this drive before, but it felt different now. Heavier.

"Are we gonna live with Daddy now?" Malachi asked, breaking the silence.

Isabella glanced at him in the rearview mirror. "No, baby. Just for a little while."

Malachi seemed satisfied with that answer, hugging his dinosaur closer. "I miss Daddy."

Joelle scoffed. "Yeah, well, he didn't miss us."

Isabella's grip on the wheel tightened. "Joelle."

"What?" Joelle turned toward her, eyes blazing. "You're just letting him come back like nothing happened?"

Isabella sighed. "It's not that simple."

"It is for him," Joelle muttered. "He gets to leave when he wants and come back when it's convenient."

A heavy silence followed. Isabella didn't have the energy to argue. She understood her daughter's anger. She felt it too. But Malachi needed Roman now, and that was all that mattered.

An hour passed before Malachi spoke again. "What if Daddy doesn't remember me?"

Isabella's heart squeezed. "Of course he remembers you, baby."

Malachi nodded, but she could see the doubt in his face. He didn't remember the details of why his father left-only that he had.

Joelle, however, remembered everything.