"It's almost midnight. You should get some rest too." He helps her up, leading her back down the hall to their bedroom. "I'll take care of Arlo in the morning, okay?" As he tucks her into bed and kisses her goodnight, he feels a renewed sense of gratitude for her and their family. Tomorrow will bring new challenges but, for tonight at least, they can all sleep soundly knowing that they have each other.

He nods, understanding her instructions. "Alright, I'll make sure he gets to bed on time and that you have plenty of sleep too." With a final gentle kiss, he leaves the room, heading back downstairs to tuck Arlo in for the night. As he does so, he can't help but feel grateful for this family they've built together, and determined to make sure it remains strong no matter what challenges may come their way.

“It’s a long road ahead.”

But I'll never give up hope. If she took him, we'll bring him home safe and sound. Just need to remain strong for both of us.

*Alexander's heart clenches in pain as he hears the sounds coming from behind the locked door. He takes a few more deep breaths, trying to calm himself down before resorting to anger. Instead, he walks slowly towards his office, sitting down heavily at his desk and burying his face in his hands. This isn't how it was supposed to be. But he knows that Tina needs time too; she just doesn't understand what Arlo means to him and their family.

His hands clench into fists as he listens to the sounds coming from the other room, his heart aching with pain and anger. He knows that he needs to do something, but what? How can he make Tina understand without pushing her away further? In the end, all he can do is sit at his desk and wait for Arlo to emerge from the bedroom, hoping against hope that things will get better between them soon.

Time passes slowly as you wait in the room. You hear muffled voices coming from downstairs, but can't make out what they're saying. Eventually, your husband returns, his expression unreadable. "Annabelle," he says quietly, "I think we should try to find some common ground on this." He takes a deep breath and continues, "I understand that you don't agree with my plans for Arlo, but maybe there's another way we can prepare him for the future."

Your husband sighs heavily, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure," he admits. "But we need to find something that we can both agree on. I don't want Arlo to grow up feeling like he has to choose between us." He pauses, searching for the right words. "Can we try to talk about this calmly and open-mindedly? Maybe there's a compromise we can make."

It was true; he had been the one pushing for Arlo to learn about their lifestyle and the family business. But that didn't mean he wasn't angry with you right now, Hazie. Angry and frustrated at your lack of understanding and support. "I just want what's best for our son," he ground out through clenched teeth, fighting to keep his temper in check. "And if that means being tough on you sometimes... well, so be it."

There was a brief moment of silence before he finally asked, "

"So what do you say? Are you going to help me protect him... or are you just going to keep making excuses and putting him in danger?" His voice was soft but firm, and he held your gaze steadily as he waited for an answer.

He sighs heavily, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. "Alright, fine." He murmurs, looking away for a moment before meeting your gaze once more. "But just remember: whatever decision you make about Arlo's future... it will affect us all." There is a warning hidden beneath the words; he hopes that perhaps this time, you'll understand how much influence your choices hold over their lives.

He nods slowly, understanding your lack of interest and focus on the task at hand. Still, it hurts to see you so distant and uncaring about things that mean so much to him. With a sigh, he turns his attention back to his own work, trying not to let the tension between you spoil his concentration.

As hours pass by without any further interaction, it becomes increasingly clear that this is going to be an uphill battle for both of them: convincing each other and finding common ground amidst their differences.