Later that afternoon, after breakfast had settled and the kids had retreated to the living room to watch cartoons, Roman found himself sprawled out on the couch, flipping through channels. He was just about to settle on a football game when Joelle climbed up beside him, tucking her legs underneath her.

Roman glanced over at her with a smile. "What's up, baby girl?"

Joelle hesitated for a second, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "Can I ask you something?"

Roman turned his body to face her fully, giving her his full attention. "Of course. What's on your mind?"

She chewed on her lip, then looked up at him with those big brown eyes-the same ones she had since she was little, the same ones that always made him weak. "Can we go to the mall? Just me and you? Like... a father-daughter date?"

Roman blinked, surprised for a moment. He hadn't expected that, but his heart swelled at the request. It wasn't often Joelle asked for one-on-one time anymore. She was getting older, more independent, and though she loved him, she wasn't always the little girl who clung to his side.

He grinned. "You wanna go shopping with your old man?"

Joelle giggled. "You're not that old, Daddy."

Roman chuckled and threw an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a quick squeeze. "Good answer. And yeah, of course, we can go. Just me and you."

Her face lit up, and she bounced slightly in excitement. "Really?"

"Really," he confirmed. "What do you wanna do? Shop? Get some ice cream?"

Joelle nodded eagerly. "Yeah! And maybe look at some sneakers? And maybe some new clothes?"

Roman arched a brow. "Ahhh, I see now. You just wanna take advantage of your dad's wallet."

Joelle laughed, nudging him. "Maybe."

Roman shook his head with a smirk. "Alright, alright. We'll go after lunch, sound good?"

She beamed. "Sounds perfect!"

As she hopped off the couch to go tell Isabella, Roman sat back, watching her with a fond smile.

Spending time with his daughter-just the two of them-was something he didn't realize how much he had missed.

And he was going to make sure she had the best father-daughter date possible.

A few hours later, Roman and Joelle strolled into the mall, side by side. Joelle had been practically buzzing with excitement the entire ride there, talking a mile a minute about all the stores she wanted to visit. Roman, on the other hand, was just happy to be spending time with her.

"Alright, princess," he said, adjusting the baseball cap he had thrown on to keep a low profile. "Where to first?"

Joelle tapped a finger to her chin, pretending to think. "Sneaker store!"

Roman chuckled. "Figures. You get that from me."

Joelle grinned and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the nearest shoe store. Once inside, she immediately started scanning the shelves, eyes lighting up when she saw a pair of pastel-colored high-top Jordans.

"Oh my gosh, Daddy, look at these!" She lifted them from the display and held them up for him to see. "Aren't they so cute?"

Roman smirked. "You got expensive taste, huh?"

She pouted up at him. "Pleeease?"

He sighed dramatically. "Man, you know I can't say no to you."

Joelle giggled as he waved over an employee to grab her size. A few minutes later, she was trying them on, admiring herself in the mirror.

"They fit perfect," she said, standing on her toes to get a better look.

Roman nodded approvingly. "Alright, we'll take 'em."

Joelle let out a small squeal of excitement and quickly hugged him. "Thank you, Daddy!"

"Yeah, yeah," he teased, ruffling her hair. "Just don't go growing up too fast, okay?"

Joelle smiled up at him, her eyes shining. "I'll try."

After paying for the sneakers, they wandered through the mall, stopping at a few clothing stores where Joelle picked out some outfits. Roman was patient, giving his input when she asked, though he was mostly amused at how serious she was about her choices.

Once their shopping bags started piling up, they took a break at the food court, grabbing ice cream cones before sitting at a small table.

Joelle took a bite of her ice cream and looked up at him thoughtfully. "Daddy?"

Roman arched a brow. "Yeah, baby?"

She hesitated, then asked softly, "Do you like having me and Malachi here?"

Roman's expression softened, and he reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Of course I do. Why would you even ask that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know... it's just been a long time since we've all been together like this. And I don't want it to go away."

Roman set his ice cream down and leaned forward, taking her small hand in his. "Listen to me, Jo. You and Malachi are my everything. I love having you both here. And I don't want this to go away either."

Joelle studied him for a moment, then smiled. "Okay."

Roman squeezed her hand. "No matter what happens, we're a family. Always."

Joelle beamed. "Always."

As they finished their ice cream and prepared to head home, Roman couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude.

This was what mattered. Moments like this.

And he wasn't going to take them for granted ever again.