The door clicked shut behind them, and the silence in the house was almost suffocating. Roman, holding Malachi on his hip, stepped into the living room, where the warmth of the home felt both comforting and alien.

Isabella stood in the doorway, watching him, watching the way he moved-so effortlessly with Malachi in his arms, as if he had never been gone. The ache in her chest deepened. She had fought so hard for so long to hold everything together, to be both mother and father, to shield their children from the heartbreak of abandonment. And now, here he was, trying to step back in like nothing had happened.

"Let's get you settled, buddy," Roman said softly, walking over to the couch and sitting down with Malachi in his lap. The little boy smiled at him, his small hand resting against Roman's chest as he leaned into his father's embrace.

Isabella stood frozen, unsure of what to do. She had expected this-Roman being there for Malachi. But for her? For Joelle? That was a different story entirely.

Joelle was the first to break the silence. "I'm going to my room."

She turned sharply on her heel, her voice cold as ice. "You should be used to being alone anyway."

The words stung, but they weren't untrue. Roman's chest tightened as Joelle disappeared down the hallway, the sound of her bedroom door slamming echoing through the house.

Roman let out a slow breath, looking at Isabella, his gaze softening. "I'll talk to her."

"No," Isabella said, her voice shaking. "Let her be. She's angry. She has every right to be."

Roman's eyes lowered to the floor. He knew that. He felt the weight of her anger, the bitterness that had built up over the past year. But he couldn't help but wonder if Joelle would ever see him as more than just the man who had left.

The sound of Malachi's quiet giggle brought him back to the present. He gently rubbed his son's back, the weight of his small body in his arms grounding him. "You hungry, buddy?"

Malachi nodded eagerly. "Can I have pizza?"

Isabella's heart softened at the innocence in his voice, but the worry was still there. She had been focused on Malachi's diagnosis, on making sure they had everything they needed, but this-the distance between her and Roman-was something they would have to confront eventually.

She took a deep breath, walking over to the kitchen. "I'll order some pizza."

Roman followed her, but the distance between them felt like a canyon, the years of silence and missed moments stretching out in ways neither of them had prepared for. He stood in the doorway, unsure how to bridge the gap.

Isabella glanced over her shoulder. "What's really going on, Roman?"

His brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," she began, her voice steady but tinged with pain, "you left us. You abandoned your family. And now you're here-acting like everything's fine, like nothing's changed. You think you can just walk back into our lives and make everything okay? You think you can just fix it?"

Roman winced, his heart sinking at the accusation. "Isabella, I-"

"No, don't. Just don't," she cut him off. "I've been doing this on my own for over a year now. And now, suddenly, you're back because Malachi's sick. Because you're scared. But this? This isn't about you. This is about him."

She gestured toward Malachi, who was now playing with his dinosaur in the living room. "I can't keep letting you in and out of our lives when it's convenient for you. I can't keep pretending like it's not breaking me."

Roman swallowed hard, his hands tightening into fists at his sides. She was right. He had been selfish. His career had consumed him, and he hadn't thought about the damage he was causing. He hadn't thought about them.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I should have never left. I should've been here. I know that."

Isabella's eyes softened, but there was still a guardedness there, a wall that she wasn't sure she was ready to let down. "You can't just say sorry, Roman. You can't just throw out an apology and think that fixes everything. You want to be a father? Then be here. Show up. Do the work."

"I will. I'm here now," he said, his voice urgent. "I'm not going anywhere. You have my word."

Isabella met his gaze for a long, quiet moment. She wanted to believe him. But could she? Could she really allow him back into their lives, knowing how much he'd hurt them?

"Prove it," she said finally. "Prove it to me. Prove it to Joelle. Prove it to Malachi."

Roman nodded, the weight of her words settling deep in his chest. He had nothing but time now. He would prove to them that he was here to stay.

"I will," he said again. "I swear to you, I will."

Isabella turned away to order the pizza, her back still tense. But for the first time in a long while, Roman felt like maybe, just maybe, he could be the man his family needed him to be.

Roman stood there for a moment, his mind racing. He knew this wouldn't be easy, but he had never been one to shy away from a challenge-this, though, was something different. His family had been through so much, and he had been absent. The guilt gnawed at him, but it was the determination to make things right that fueled him now. He had to prove he could be the father and the man they needed him to be.

He walked back toward the living room, where Malachi was still playing with his stuffed dinosaur, lost in his own world. Roman sat down beside him, careful not to disrupt his son's focus.

"You like dinosaurs, huh, buddy?" he asked softly, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

Malachi looked up, his eyes lighting up as he nodded vigorously. "Yeah! They're big and strong! Like you!"

Roman's heart squeezed at the innocence in his son's voice. He ruffled Malachi's hair and chuckled. "Well, I'm big, but you're stronger than me. You're fighting something tough right now, huh?"

Malachi's face fell for a second, but he quickly shrugged it off. "I'm strong. I can fight it. Daddy fought it too, right?"

Roman's throat tightened. He didn't know how to explain the reality of it to his son without scaring him, without making it seem like a battle he couldn't win. Instead, he just nodded.

"Yeah," he said softly. "Yeah, you're just like me. You're tough. And you're gonna get through this."

Malachi smiled, his confidence restored. "I'm gonna get better, right?"

Roman hesitated. His son was looking at him like he had all the answers, like his word was gospel. Roman could feel the weight of that trust, the responsibility pressing down on him. He wasn't sure how to give Malachi the reassurance he so desperately needed, but he couldn't lie.

"You're gonna fight like hell," Roman said finally. "And we're all gonna fight with you."

Malachi beamed, his little hands clutching his dinosaur even tighter as he nodded, returning to his game.

Roman sat there for a moment longer, watching his son, trying to commit every detail to memory. This wasn't just about being a father now; it was about making up for the time he had lost.

He glanced toward the kitchen where Isabella was finishing up the order. She hadn't said much since their argument, but he could tell she was still processing everything. Roman knew he'd have to give her time, but he wasn't going to back down.

Joelle was still in her room, the door firmly shut, but he wasn't going to ignore her either. He had hurt her too. He couldn't fix everything in one night, but he could try.

The front door opened suddenly, and Roman looked up to see Isabella standing there, holding a stack of pizza boxes.

"Dinner's ready," she said, her voice still carrying a hint of caution.

Roman stood up and walked over to take the boxes from her, the weight of them in his hands somehow grounding him.

"You alright?" he asked, his voice gentle.

She nodded, though her eyes held a mix of exhaustion and guardedness. "Just... tired."

"I know," Roman said quietly. "But I'll take care of everything tonight. You don't have to worry about a thing."

Isabella met his eyes, and for a moment, he thought he saw a flicker of something softer in her gaze. She nodded, not saying anything else, but that small gesture told him he was on the right path.

They moved into the living room, and Malachi immediately grabbed a slice of pizza, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm gonna eat all of it!" he declared.

Roman chuckled, taking a seat next to him. "I bet you are, little man."

Isabella sat down on the other side, and they all started to eat in relative silence. The tension in the room wasn't gone, but it was more bearable now. At least they were together. At least, for the first time in a while, there was a sense of normalcy.

"Malachi," Isabella said suddenly, her tone softer now, "when you're done eating, maybe we can watch a movie? Something you like?"

Malachi nodded, his mouth full of pizza. "Yeah! Can we watch Dino Rangers?"

Roman smiled at the request. He remembered how obsessed Malachi was with that show. "Sounds perfect to me."

They ate their pizza, the laughter and chatter from Malachi filling the room, and for the first time since he'd walked through that door, Roman felt like there might be a chance for them after all.

When the last of the pizza was eaten and the kids started to settle down, Isabella stood up, wiping her hands on a napkin.

"I'll start the movie," she said, before turning to Roman. "I'll go check on Joelle."

Roman watched her walk down the hall, feeling the familiar ache in his chest return. He wanted to make things right with Joelle more than anything, but he knew it would take time. He couldn't rush this.

He turned back to Malachi, who had already pulled out his favorite blanket and was snuggling in, ready for the movie. Roman sat beside him, wrapping an arm around his son's shoulders.

"Hey, buddy," Roman said, his voice low.

Malachi looked up at him, his eyes bright and full of innocence. "Yeah, Daddy?"

Roman smiled softly, squeezing him just a little tighter. "I'm proud of you, you know that?"

Malachi smiled back, his small hand resting in his father's. "I'm proud of you too, Daddy."

Roman's heart clenched as he looked at his son. This was where he belonged. With them. He wasn't going to leave them again. No matter how hard it got.

Together, they settled in for the movie. The room was quiet, save for the hum of the TV and the soft breathing of his kids. Roman leaned back, his arm around Malachi, feeling a sense of peace for the first time in what felt like forever.

But deep down, he knew that this was only the beginning. The real fight was just starting.