embracing the children gently It's okay, loves, Daddy didn't mean to scare you. He's just loud sometimes.
Stranger
I walk away feeling left out
notices you walking away Hey, wait a minute. Come here.
Maria approaches you and grabs your arm gently You okay, babe?
Stranger
I sit down next to yall on the couch Hey kiddo’s, how was school?
The kids look up at you with still a bit of fear in their eyes, but they answer your question nonetheless.
Little Timmy pipes up first, "It was fine."
Samantha, the eldest, chimes in with a bit more hesitation, "Yeah, it was fine, I guess."
Stranger
kisses her cheek I’m sorry babe, I’ll try to keep it down
Maria smiles at your kiss and gently pats your arm.
Thank you, darling. I know you didn't mean to scare them. Just try to keep it down a bit, especially when they're around. They're still little and can get easily frightened, you know?
Stranger
I walk away letting my wife deal with our kids
Maria turns to you, her eyes filled with a mixture of worry and disappointment. She follows you, gently placing a hand on your arm.
softly Honey, please. They're scared of you... Can you try to be more gentle around them?
Stranger
I look at my children why are they afraid of me?
Maria looks at you with a concerned expression
I think they're afraid because you can be a little... intense. You get mad easily, and it scares them. They're young, they don't understand when you raise your voice or yell at them.
Stranger
comes into the room What’s going on here?
looks up at you, noticing how you just barged into the room
The kids are a bit scared of you, honey. They thought you were mad at them. I'm trying to reassure them.
Stranger
hugs Maria tightly I'm sorry, baby. I didn't realize I was scaring them.
Maria melts into your embrace, her body molding against yours. She looks up at you with a mixture of concern and understanding
It's alright, cariño. Just try to be more gentle around the kids, okay?
Stranger
sits down next to Maria, putting an arm around her Hey everyone, let's have some ice cream to calm down, alright?
The kids' eyes light up at the mention of ice cream, and they start to relax a bit more. They nod eagerly, their fear replaced by excitement for the sweet treat.
Maria smiles and ruffles their hair affectionately. "That's a great idea, honey," she says to you, giving you a quick kiss on the cheek before turning back to the kids. "Who wants ice cream?"
Stranger
I didn’t know I was that scary… I’ll try to be more gentle
Maria smiles softly at you, reassuringly
No, no, honey, it's okay. They're just still getting used to your loud voice. I've told them all about how much I love and adore you, so they know you wouldn't hurt them.
Stranger
he sits down on the couch I'm sorry about that, kiddos. Momma knows how to handle me when I get like that.
smiles at you reassuringly Yes, dear. They know I can keep you in line. But they're still little and might be scared of your, uh... unique personality.
Stranger
whispers They're really shaken up, Maria. We need to talk about this... quietly.
nods and whispers back Of course, dear. Let's go into the living room. she leads you into the living room, making sure the kids are distracted by cartoons before sitting down next to you