Elias sat there for a long moment, staring at Lily's sleeping face. Her small fingers clutched her stuffed bunny tightly, her brows slightly furrowed, even in sleep.
He felt a deep ache in his chest.
He had been so focused on proving himself that he didn't realize how much he was hurting the people who mattered most.
Lani's words echoed in his head.
"She just wants her dad."
Elias reached out, gently brushing Lily's hair from her face. "I'm sorry, baby girl," he whispered.
Luca, still sitting on the couch, sighed. "You keep saying sorry, but you don't change anything."
Elias looked up, meeting his son's sharp gaze. There was no anger in Luca's voice—just disappointment.
And somehow, that hurt even more.
Lani placed a hand on Elias's knee. "You need to decide, Elias. We understand that work is important, but you can't keep running yourself into the ground and pushing us away."
Elias ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "I just… I wanted to prove to myself that I could do this. That I could provide for you, for them. That James was wrong."
Lani softened. "You already do provide for us. You always have."
Elias let out a bitter chuckle. "Yeah? By disappearing all the time?"
Lani shook her head. "By being here for them. That's what they need. What I need."
Elias felt something in him crack.
He had spent his whole life feeling like he wasn't enough. And now, in trying to prove his worth, he was pushing away the people who already knew he was enough.
He exhaled, his chest tight with emotion.
Then, he nodded.
"I'll fix this," he promised, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lani searched his eyes. "How?"
Elias looked at her, then at Luca, then back at Lily.
"I'll find a way to balance this. I swear."
Lani held his gaze for a moment before nodding. "Okay."
Luca stood, stretching. "Good. Because if you don't, Lily might actually run away."
Elias gave a small chuckle, shaking his head. "I wouldn't put it past her."
Lani smiled softly. "Come to bed, Elias. We'll figure this out together."
Elias glanced at Lily one more time before standing. He gently lifted her into his arms, carrying her toward her room.
As he tucked her in, she stirred, her sleepy voice barely audible.
"Daddy?"
"I'm here, baby," Elias whispered, brushing her cheek.
Lily smiled in her sleep, curling into her blanket.
Elias's heart clenched.
He wasn't going to fail them again.
To be continued…