The school bell shrieked across the playground, followed by the thunder of shoes against the tarmac. Children poured out of the building in a messy wave some running, some laughing, others searching for familiar faces.
Bella stood just outside the gate, her heart beating faster than it should have. She hadn't realised how tense she'd been all day until now. Jessy sat on her hip, his teeth showing as he chewed on his fingers, babbling, "Mama, baba, baaa."
Chris was beside her, his tall frame impossible to miss. A few parents glanced at him more than once, some even whispering, but his arm stayed loosely around Bella's waist, his presence grounding her.
And then she saw her.
Arabella's violet eyes stood out instantly in the crowd. She walked with her satchel bouncing against her side, her ponytail slightly crooked, but her face oh, her face was lit with the kind of smile Bella had never seen before.
"Mummy!" Arabella called, breaking into a run.
Bella crouched just in time for Arabella to fling herself into her arms. Bella wrapped her tight, inhaling the scent of crayons and fresh air, fighting back tears. "I missed you so much, sweetheart. How was your first day in your new class and school. Did you like it?"
Arabella leaned back, her cheeks flushed. "It was amazing! My teacher's name is Mrs. Collins, and she said I have the neatest handwriting in the class. And guess what?"
"What?" Bella asked, brushing a stray hair from her daughter's face.
"Two girls asked if my eyes were real." Arabella giggled, a little shy. "I told them yes, but they're not magic. Just mine."
Chris's lips curved slightly, pride flickering in his gaze. "Good answer, princess."
Arabella puffed her chest. "And a boy named Oliver wanted to sit next to me at lunch. But I said no because I wanted to sit by a girl named Maya. She's nice. She gave me half of her biscuit."
Bella laughed softly. "Sounds like you already made a friend."
Jessy clapped his hands as though he understood. "Yay-yay!"
Arabella reached for her baby brother, pressing a kiss to his chubby cheek. "I missed him too. Did he cry?"
"Not once," Chris said smoothly, though Bella raised an eyebrow. Jessy had wailed for a good ten minutes after Arabella left that morning. But she let Chris have his protective lie.
As they walked back toward the car, Bella noticed Arabella's steps falter. She looked up at her. "What is it, love?"
Arabella bit her lip. "Some kids asked why I have two last names. Walters... and Hampson. I didn't know what to say."
Bella's chest ached. She glanced at Chris, who was listening quietly. Then she knelt to Arabella's level. "Do you know what matters, Bella?"
Arabella blinked. "What?"
"That you're ours. You're mine, and you're Daddy's. A name doesn't change that. People might not understand right away, but you'll never be less loved because of it."
Arabella's eyes softened, and she nodded slowly, hugging her mother again.
Chris finally spoke, his voice steady, protective. "If anyone asks again, you can tell them you're special. Because you are. They'll figure out the rest."
Arabella grinned. "Special. I like that."
They climbed into the car together, Arabella pressed between Bella and Chris in the back seat, Jessy dozing in his car seat. As the driver pulled away, Arabella leaned against Bella's arm, her voice already growing sleepy.
"Can I go back tomorrow?" she murmured.
Bella laughed through the tears she hadn't realised were slipping down her cheeks. "Yes, sweetheart. Every day except on holidays."
And as Chris met her gaze over Arabella's head, Bella knew this wasn't just a school day. This was a new chapter, for all of them.
Romero was filled with noise that evening the kind of good noise that carried warmth.
Arabella spread her new exercise book and a sheet of coloured paper across the coffee table. "Look, Mummy, Daddy this is what I drew today!"
Bella leaned forward, Jessy balanced on her lap. Arabella had drawn a picture of herself standing between a tall man and a woman with long hair, both holding her hands. Beside them was a baby with four crooked teeth.
Chris arched a brow. "That's me?"
Arabella nodded proudly. "Yes. You're taller than everyone. Even the teacher."
Jessy slapped the page with his tiny hand, giggling. "Dada!"
Bella's eyes softened at the sound. He had been saying "mama" and "dada" for weeks now, but every time it still melted her heart. She pressed a kiss to his soft curls. "That's right, love. Dada."
Chris's chest warmed, though he tried not to show it. Instead, he ruffled Arabella's hair. "You're quite the artist. I'll have to hang that in my office."
Arabella beamed. "Really?"
"Really."
Dinner was simple but lively. Arabella chattered about her new friend Maya while Jessy banged his spoon on the high chair, determined to join the conversation. Bella laughed when he smeared carrots across his cheek, and Chris, against his usual polished nature, leaned over with a napkin to clean him up only to end up with baby food on his sleeve.
Arabella giggled. "Daddy, Jessy beat you."
Chris gave his son a mock glare, but Jessy only shrieked with joy.
After dinner, Arabella insisted on reading the short story her teacher had sent home. She stumbled over a few words, cheeks flushing, but Bella squeezed her hand. "You're doing so well, sweetheart. Keep going."
Chris listened quietly from the armchair, his gaze flicking between Bella and their daughter. He wasn't a man of many words, but moments like this cut through him in ways boardrooms and victories never could.
By the time the clock ticked past eight, both children were tucked into bed. Arabella curled under her blankets with a stuffed bunny Bella had given her, whispering, "Goodnight, Mummy. Goodnight, Daddy." Jessy mumbled "Mama, baba," before finally dozing off in his cot.
The house fell into silence.
Bella walked into the living room, exhaling softly. "It feels so strange... normal, almost. School runs, homework, bedtime." She sank into the sofa, her shoulders easing.
Chris joined her, close enough that their knees brushed. "Strange isn't bad," he murmured.
She turned to him. "You've changed."
His brow lifted. "For the better, I hope."
Bella smiled faintly. "For the steadier. You were always fire. Now you're... fire that knows where to burn."
Chris leaned closer, his voice low. "That's because of you."
Her heart skipped. For months, they had been so consumed with courts, scandals, safety, children they hadn't had this. Space to breathe. Space to feel.
His hand brushed hers, deliberate, slow. She didn't pull away.
"Chris..." she whispered, but the word melted when his lips found hers.
It wasn't rushed or desperate it was grounding, steady, a kiss that tasted of survival and second chances. Bella clutched his shirt, her chest tightening as warmth flooded through her.
When they parted, foreheads pressed, Chris's voice was hoarse. "I almost lost this. Lost you. I won't make that mistake again."
Bella cupped his face, her thumb brushing his jaw. "Then don't. Stay with us. Not just as their father, but as mine too."
For a long moment, silence carried the weight of her words. Then Chris kissed her again, deeper this time, pulling her into his arms as though he was finally, finally allowed.
And in the quiet house, with their children safe and sleeping upstairs, Bella let herself believe that maybe normal wasn't strange anymore. Maybe it was exactly what they had been fighting for all along.