Roman had spent the entire drive home thinking about how he wanted to give Isabella the ring. It had to be special-not rushed, not overly flashy, just... right.

Joelle, of course, was practically bouncing with excitement beside him. Every few minutes, she'd sneak a glance at the small jewelry bag in the cup holder and then at her dad, as if she was trying to will him into giving it to Isabella tonight.

By the time they pulled into the driveway, Joelle couldn't hold it in anymore. "Daddy, you have to give it to her tonight!"

Roman laughed as he turned off the engine. "You're really into this, huh?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, unbuckling her seatbelt. "It's so romantic. And Mommy deserves something special."

Roman nodded, his smirk softening into something more serious. "Yeah, she does."

Joelle grinned. "So, are you gonna do it?"

Roman exhaled and ran a hand over his beard. "Yeah. I think I will."

Joelle squealed, throwing her arms around his neck before scrambling out of the truck with her shopping bags. Roman followed, shaking his head with amusement.

As they stepped inside, they were greeted by the sound of Malachi laughing from the living room, where Isabella sat beside him on the couch. The little boy was playing with a toy wrestling ring, his action figures clashing in battle.

Isabella glanced up when they entered, a warm smile on her lips. "Hey, you two. How was the mall?"

Joelle smirked at her dad before skipping over to Malachi to show off her new sneakers. Roman walked over to Isabella, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"It was good," he murmured. "Had some quality time with our daughter."

Isabella looked up at him, her expression fond. "I love that."

Roman glanced at Joelle, who was watching him expectantly. He chuckled under his breath before turning back to Isabella. "Come outside with me for a bit?"

Isabella raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Sure."

She stood, following him through the back doors onto the patio. The night air was warm, a light breeze rustling through the palm trees. Roman led her toward the lounge chairs near the pool, the glow of the string lights casting a soft ambiance over them.

She crossed her arms, watching him curiously. "What's this about?"

Roman took a deep breath, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the small jewelry box. Isabella's eyes widened slightly as he opened it, revealing the delicate gold promise ring.

"Roman..." she breathed.

He took her hand in his, his thumb grazing over her fingers. "I don't wanna rush anything, Izzy. I know we're still figuring things out. But what I do know is that I love you. And I want to do this right this time."

Isabella swallowed, her eyes shining under the soft lights.

"This isn't a proposal," Roman continued. "Not yet. But it's a promise. A promise that I'm all in. That I'm not going anywhere. That we're building something real-for us, for Joelle, for Malachi."

Isabella let out a soft laugh, her voice thick with emotion. "You really had to go and make me cry