Roman POV

"Bye, Amali! Hopefully we'll see you again soon." Jojo said to her and, to my surprise, gave her a quick hug before picking up her bag and heading for the door.

"Goodbye, sweetie. Take care of yourselves and be nice to your mom. Bye you sweet boys." Amali replied as Waylon and Kingsley gave her a high five each.

Amali laughed at the grins on their faces and I couldn't help but chuckle too. These two days had really been something special. Because it was a really big step for me. And an equally big step for Amali and me as a couple. I had tried not to let my nervousness show. Because I knew that my girl was already very tense.

But all that went away so quickly. The children liked her immediately. And to be honest, I hadn't expected that. Especially not from my daughter. I knew that Jojo was suffering a lot from the separation. That's why it was all the more surprising that she accepted Amali just like that. It was a good feeling, I had to admit.

On the way to their mother's, the children chattered incessantly about everything we had done. Now I could only hope that Galina wouldn't make a big deal out of the fact that the children were so enthusiastic. I had told her that Amali would be with us this weekend, but she hadn't really reacted.

When I brought the children into the house, she greeted us happily and hugged the little ones as if she hadn't seen them for weeks. To my surprise, she asked the children how they had liked it and whether they liked Amali. Her face showed no trace of jealousy or anger when they answered. That was a good sign. Because if I was honest... I had been braced for a tantrum.

*****

On the way back to my house, I thought about how I could thank Amali for being so great with my kids. I knew that was by no means a given. Not every woman had the courage to get involved with a divorced man with three children. And it took even more greatness to get so lovingly involved with these children and look after them.

That's why I decided to make a short stop to get something very special. Something I had already tried once to express my feelings with. Amali normally had an eye and a certain curiosity for detail. But in her situation and attitude at the time, she probably hadn't thought that there might be more to it than that.

When I entered the house, the first thing I heard was music. The soft sounds reached my ears and seemed to come from the kitchen. This surprised me, as I had told Amali to just relax. She deserved it, because my three whirlwinds were definitely a handful.

I stood in the doorway and leaned against the wall as I just looked at this special woman. The way she danced back and forth to the music while she unloaded the dishwasher. I was so mesmerized by her. I was from the very first moment.

"Hi Ro! When did you get back? Everything okay?" she suddenly asked when she noticed me.

"Oh, everything is perfect. I love watching you dance. Even if it wasn't necessary to clean up the kitchen, baby girl." I replied and walked towards her.

I put one hand around her and pulled her close to me with one hand on her butt while my other hand hid the little something behind my back.

"I just wanted to make myself useful. And this way we have some time alone," she explained to me as she placed her warm, soft hands on my cheeks and then stood on tiptoe.

Amali kissed me gently before sighing softly and then simply hugging me without saying a word. That felt so good. It was almost as if we were one. One body, one heartbeat.

"I have a little thank you for you..." I said after a few minutes of silence.

I gave her a kiss on the side of her head just before she lifted her head and looked at me curiously.

"What do you mean?" she wanted to know.

"Oh, you know... You were really great with the kids. And it means a lot to me that you get along so well. Here." I replied and handed her the long-stemmed purple rose.

"Roman, you know I loved doing it. And I adore your munchkins. Thank you, it's beautiful. I love these purple ones best. They were also the first ones you sent me to the hospital," she said with a little sniffle as she took the flower in her hand.

She still had one hand on the back of my neck. She stroked it gently and played with my hair, lost in thought.

"I know. Did you maybe... by chance... looking up the meaning?" I wanted to know, suddenly nervous.

"I meant to, but then I forgot. You know...because of all the shit that was going on. Do you want me to check now or do you just want to tell me?" Amali wanted to know.

"Well, I'd like to see your face when you read it out loud..." I replied and gave her a kiss on the nose.

"Okay... then hang on a second." she said before pulling her phone out of her pocket and starting to type.

"Alright... what do we have here...? The language of purple roses....

These roses are often an expression of love at first sight, adoration and a sense of wonderment. For those who wish to convey deep admiration and appreciation, a bouquet of purple roses can speak volumes and express a deep connection that goes beyond words.

Wait... Oh my God, really? Do you really mean that?" she asked as her voice gradually turned more into a whisper with each word.

"I absolutely do... Amali Mae Stryker... I love you!" I replied.

"Oh Ro! I love you too... you don't know how much you've changed my life." she said softly, her eyes glistening with tears.

Happy and overwhelmed, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. Everything felt so right. And I knew that this moment was more precious to us than any championship.