Rome didn't move.
He stayed where he was, half-hidden beneath the tree's shadow, the cake box held uselessly against his chest. From this distance, he could see everything clearly enough—Sylvia standing stiffly, the way her shoulders had gone rigid the moment she recognized the man in front of her.
Bern.
Rome had memorized his face long before this moment.
But seeing him here—standing so comfortably in front of Sylvia's house—felt different.
Bern looked… at ease. Like he belonged there.
Rome's jaw tightened.
He watched as Sylvia spoke his name slowly, like she was testing whether it was real.
Then Cairo appeared.
Small feet padding across the floor. Curious eyes lifting toward the man at the door.
"Dad?"
The word hit Rome like a blow to the chest.
He sucked in a quiet breath, gripping the cake box harder, the cardboard bending slightly under his fingers.
Bern's face softened immediately.
Rome hated that part most.
