The storm raged on through the night, but inside the house, the chaos seemed to quiet, replaced by a sense of calm. Roman didn't want to let go of Joelle after her panic attack, but he also didn't want to make her feel like she couldn't handle things on her own. Still, he remained close, not moving from the hallway even when her breathing had steadied.

Joelle hadn't said much, just stayed close, the weight of what had happened sinking in slowly. She had allowed herself to lean into her father's embrace, something she hadn't done in so long. And for once, she didn't feel like she had to hide her emotions. She had been so afraid of letting herself be vulnerable, but in that moment, with Roman's steady presence surrounding her, she felt a shift.

When she finally pulled away, her eyes met Roman's, and she saw something she hadn't noticed before-a kind of softness that hadn't been there in the years before. The walls he had built around himself seemed to be coming down, brick by brick.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Roman shook his head, brushing her hair back from her face. "No need to apologize. You don't ever have to apologize for needing me. I should've been there for you more... but I'm here now. Always."

The sincerity in his voice, the openness, made Joelle's heart ache. "I just don't know how to... trust everything again," she confessed, her words coming out in a breathless rush. "I don't know how to let go of everything that's happened. I'm scared."

Roman's eyes softened, his own heart heavy with the weight of his mistakes. He reached out, taking her hand in his. "It's okay to be scared. I'm scared, too. But we're going to figure this out, step by step. Together."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. It was as if the storm outside had mirrored the storm inside their hearts-a chaos they were slowly learning to navigate.

Joelle glanced over his shoulder toward the kitchen, where Isabella had gone to check on Malachi, leaving the house quieter than it had been earlier. "I know Mom's trying, too," Joelle said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "I just don't know how to be around her and not feel like things are so broken."

Roman's heart twisted. "She's trying, Joelle. I know it doesn't always feel like it, but she is. And I promise, I'm going to do everything I can to help put things back together, for all of us. But it's going to take time."

Joelle nodded slowly, wiping away the tears that had begun to form in her eyes. "I know. It's just... it's hard to know what to believe anymore."

Roman pulled her close again, enveloping her in a tight hug. "You don't have to believe everything right away. Just believe that we're going to be okay. We'll take it one day at a time."

Outside, the storm had begun to lose its intensity, the wind slowing and the rain lightening to a steady drizzle. The world outside was wet and dark, but inside, the warmth of their small family remained intact, fragile but steady.

-

The following morning was eerily calm. The sun broke through the dark clouds, casting a soft light through the windows. Roman had woken up early, his mind already swirling with the conversations he had yet to have. There was still so much to mend, and he wasn't sure where to start. But he knew he had to start somewhere, and it had to be today.

Isabella was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, and Malachi was sitting at the table, trying to color in his new coloring book. Roman approached his son first, his heart swelling as he ruffled the boy's messy hair.

"Hey, champ," Roman said softly, sitting next to him. "How'd you sleep?"

Malachi smiled up at him, his bright eyes full of innocence. "Good, Daddy! Can we go to the park later? I wanna swing real high again!"

Roman chuckled, his heart lifting at the thought. "Yeah, we can do that. We'll make it a family day. Sound good?"

Malachi's face lit up. "Yeah!" He threw his arms around Roman's neck in a tight hug. "I love you, Daddy."

Roman's breath caught in his chest, and he held his son tighter, unwilling to let go of this small moment of peace.

"I love you, too, buddy," he whispered, trying not to let the emotion overtake him. This was what he had been missing. This was what he was fighting for.

Isabella came into the room with a cup of coffee, noticing the moment between father and son. She gave Roman a small, knowing smile.

"You're up early," she said quietly, her voice still carrying traces of sleep. "I figured you'd sleep in after last night."

Roman shook his head. "I couldn't. I've been thinking... we need to talk."

Isabella's smile faded slightly, but she nodded, setting the coffee down on the counter. "About what?"

"About everything," Roman said, his voice firm but gentle. "About how we move forward. About how I need to make things right... with Joelle, with you, with all of us."

Isabella took a deep breath, her eyes meeting his. "I think that's a good place to start," she replied softly.

Roman nodded. "I don't know where to begin, but I want you to know... I've been a fool. I didn't show up when I should've, and I hurt you both in ways I'll never be able to fully fix. But I want to try. I want to be the father I should've been all along."

Isabella's gaze softened, and she took a step closer to him, her voice low. "We'll figure it out, Roman. It's not going to be easy, and it's not going to happen overnight. But if we're going to make this work, we all have to be in it. We can't keep living in the past."

Roman nodded again, taking her hands in his. "I'm in it. For the long haul. Whatever it takes."

Just then, Joelle entered the room, looking more composed than she had the day before. She glanced at Roman, and for a moment, the tension between them was palpable. But then, she met his eyes, and something shifted.

"I... I'm sorry about last night," Joelle said quietly, her voice steady but hesitant. "I didn't mean to worry you."

Roman's heart swelled with relief, though he knew it wasn't a clean slate. It was a start.

"You don't have to apologize, Joelle," he said softly, his tone gentle but sincere. "You don't ever have to apologize for being scared or feeling like things are too much. I'm here, okay? We're in this together."

Joelle looked at her parents, the weight of everything hanging in the air. For the first time in a long while, she felt a flicker of hope.

"Okay," she said, her voice quieter now. "Let's try. All of us."

Roman smiled softly, pulling both of his kids close. It wasn't perfect, and it wouldn't be for a while, but at least they were starting to rebuild. One step at a time.