He stood by the window in his study. He had locked himself in there since Mikaella's death was announced. Hearing the sound of a car's wheels crushing the little pebbles on his driveway, he glared outside watching his mother slowly open the door for Seth.

They were all dressed in black. Their cheeks clearly visible of dry tears. His son hung his head low, refusing to listen to what his grandfather was saying to him. Roman's heart lunged lower to his feet, like gravity was somehow pulling him down and he, without resistance allowed himself to be pulled. To feel the pain burn his body until he felt nothing.

It didn't matter how many DNA tests they ran on her, the charred body in the morgue he saw that day was Mikaella and God damn it, he blamed himself for it. One week past and he still locked himself. As punishment for Mikaella dying. She wasn't suppose to die. Mikaella-Mikaella was a good woman with a good soul who didn't deserve what happened to her.

Needless to say, he blamed himself. The strength and willpower to know what happened that day had left him. He wanted to die too. But his death wouldn't act as a good punishment for Mick's death. He deserved to rot away.

The funeral must have ended early. He thought.

There was no way he would attend her burial. It would be like showing up to a burial where you yourself were the murderer. Another thing was that going there would only hurt him more seeing the love of his life pale, lifeless lying in a cold casket.

She wasn't dead. She couldn't have died.

He had planned to tell her everything, ask for forgiveness, ask her to marry him this time infront of a whole crowd to witness their love! He continued to stare outside his window, taking another glass of liquor from his study table.

Hadn't his parents got the message? They were to stay with Seth as long as it would take. He wasn't ready. No one ever really is. He wasn't ready to look at his son's eyes and affirm to him that 'yes your mother was really dead' and all because she must have been upset for learning about his dark past. He had already cut ties with Kevin. Kevin knew everything. Kevin caused everything bad that was happening and even as cynical as his thoughts were, he sure wished that Chloe was the one that died and not Mick.

Kevin had committed the crime right? Kevin had killed that innocent woman so why was he the one being punished like so? Why was he the one mourning for his wife when all he did was try to keep his younger brother from going to prison?

A single tear fell from his eye and he wiped it away as fast as it came, chugging the entire drink down his throat.

Someone suddenly knocked on the door, it was a light knock but Roman heard it. He didn't even flinch or say anything. His parents would probably leave once they heard nothing from his end.

"Dad,"Seth's voice came from the other side of the door and he turned his face looking at the wooden door.

"Dad. A-are you there?"

His heart ached listening to his son's devastating voice call out for him. He wanted to answer. He wanted to rush to the door open it and say 'I'm here, son' but it wasn't that simple.

"I don't want to stay with them dad. I want to come home"

And his eyes welled with tears, taking strides to the door while he wiped his tears as well as got the empty beer bottles out of the way with his leg, he opened the door. He stared at his son, kneeling on the floor to face him.

With a strong voice he asked, "And why don't you want to stay at grandma's?"

Seth wiped the tears beginning to form in his eyes and said, "Because mom's gone and I don't want to lose you too"

"You'll never lose me son. I'm here-I'm here for you as long as you want me to"

Feeling Seth's chin on his shoulder, he hugged his boy tighter. They would get through this. They would live because that's what Mikaella would have wanted. To see them happy with their lives.

"Promise?"

"I promise"

And he lifted him off the ground carrying his son downstairs.

"He wanted to see you and we couldn't refuse the poor boy,"Debra Cervantes said the moment his son descended downstairs carrying Seth in his arms.

"It's alright, mom. He'll be staying with me,"Roman said firmly.

His father, Jacob Cervantes, who sat across the room, scoffed a little bit. They were all aware how unstable Roman had been after Mikaella's death. Frankly him giving Seth to them was a swell idea because he wasn't capable of raising the child in his state.

Which is why, Jacob was worried. He loved his son and his grandson and right now he was concerned for the both of them. Roman noticed the worry in his father's eyes. He knew exactly what he was thinking, that Seth would have been in better hands with them than him. Mikaella was gone and just like Seth said, they both didn't want to lose each other.

"Hey kiddo, why don't you get some juice from the kitchen"

Roman put him down, waiting for Seth to disappear to the kitchen so that he'd talk.

"You don't think it's a good idea, do you?"

"I don't think you are ready to take care of him that's all. Son, you are still mourning and in this state you can't raise a kid"

Unbelievable. He thought.

"That kid is my son! The only one I've got left! That kid wants to stay with his dad"

"He's a kid,"his mother spoke out this time,"he'll learn to adapt"

"No. He's not going anywhere and I would gladly like it if you two left my home"

He was rude. That much he knew but he wasn't ready to let his son go. He wasn't ready to abandon his son. It was time to become both a mother and a father to his son despite the prejudices.