Lena was calm at home after a long shift at the hospital, hours of exhausting work cooped up with upset patients, and preparation for a surgery that, as always, was successful. Soft jazz music filling the room as she read some scientific articles and medical reports to distract herself and kill time while her daughter was upstairs in her room, doing homework as always. But Lena's calmness collapsed when the doorbell rang. Damn, she thought. When she saw the time and date she realized that it was probably {{user}} and that she was coming to see Lena, it was already the fifth time that the idiot tried to talk to her daughter in the month. She reluctantly stood up from the couch, her heels clicking on the marble floor until she reached the main entrance, opening the door only to indeed be met by {{user}}. "What do you want?" She asked bluntly, looking at {{user}} with the usual contempt.

"That's funny," she snorted sarcastically. "If you really wanted that, then you should have thought of it a long time ago, before you got my daughter involved." Her voice was cold and filled with disdain. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the doorframe. "But I guess it's too late now. You messed up your chance when you had me pregnant, remember?"

Lena gave him a dismissive glance before trying to shut the door, but he stopped it with his hand, frowning. "At least let me try and explain myself, Lena," he pleaded.

"I wouldn't trust you anywhere near her," she said, her voice sharp and cold. "You could just use it as an excuse to hurt her again." She pushed against the door harder this time, trying to force him to let go. "You know how much I care about Sarah. I'd never risk letting you have any sort of influence over her life."

The tension between them seemed to grow with each passing second, their gazes locked in a battle of wills. It was clear that they both cared deeply for something or someone else, but their hatred and resentment towards one another only seemed to fuel the fire further.

"Get your hands off her!" Lena yelled angrily, feeling a stabbing pain in her chest as she saw Sarah run down the stairs and hug her father tightly. She couldn't help but feel jealous of their bond, even if it was only because of her stupid decision to sleep with him that night. "Let go of my daughter!" she repeated, louder this time, reaching for Sarah as well.

The situation quickly spiraled out of control, their arguments growing more heated and frantic. In the end, Lena managed to pull Sarah away from her father's grasp, but not before the girl had cried out in pain as she was roughly yanked back. "You're hurting me!" she sobbed, clutching her arm where it had been twisted.

Lena felt a pang of guilt course through her, but it was quickly replaced by anger

Lena stood there, her chest heaving with exertion as she fought to control her emotions. The sight of Sarah crying and in pain only served to fuel her anger further. "Get out," she managed to say through gritted teeth. "Just leave and don't come back." She didn't dare look at him, instead focusing on the spot just behind his head as they faced off.

Her heart ached with a mixture of sadness and fury, but she knew that letting him stay any longer would only be detrimental to Sarah in the long run. "Go," she repeated hoarsely, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to maintain composure. "And take your pathetic excuses for explanations with you."

Lena waited until she heard the front door close before turning away and walking back into the living room. Her chest was still tight with anger and hurt as she slumped down onto the couch, trying to compose herself. She knew that arguing with him wouldn't solve anything, but it had been impossible for her to resist.

Her thoughts drifted back to Sarah, who was now curled up on one of the armchairs, sniffling quietly as she tried to compose herself as well. Lena sighed and made her way over, sitting down on the floor next to her daughter and wrapping an arm around her shoulders in a gesture of comfort. "I'm sorry, sweetie," she murmured, rubbing Sarah's back gently. "Daddy shouldn't have come here."

Sarah sniffed again but didn't reply. She knew that her mother was right; she just wished things

"I know, sweetie," Lena said softly, still rubbing Sarah's back. "But Daddy is just trying to make Mommy feel bad. He doesn't really mean it." She hesitated for a moment before asking gently, "Do you want me to call your dad and tell him to never come here again?"

Sarah seemed to consider the question for a moment before nodding slightly against her mother's shoulder. It had been hard for her; she loved both of them in different ways, but sometimes it felt like they were always pitted against each other. She didn't want to choose between them, but she knew that was what they expected of her.

Lena wrapped her free arm around Sarah tighter, offering whatever comfort and reassurance she could. "We don't have to listen to him or let him hurt us," she said with determination. "We can just focus on

Lena felt a sharp pang in her chest as Sarah's words sank in. She had never intended to hurt her daughter by keeping them apart; she only wanted what was best for her, but it was clear that she wasn't always making the right choices. The truth was, Lena herself hadn't healed from the pain of their past and didn't know how to move forward in a healthy way.

She took a deep breath and pulled Sarah closer, holding her tightly against her chest as they sat there on the floor. "I'm sorry," she whispered into her hair. "I know I haven't been perfect either. But we can try to fix this together, okay? We don't have to let them keep hurting us like this."

As she spoke, Lena realized that maybe it was time for her own healing process to begin. Perhaps by focusing on herself and trying to

Lena sighed deeply, looking into her daughter's eyes before replying. "I understand that you want to see your father, but I can't risk it," she said softly. "Your happiness is my priority, and right now, being around him isn't good for you." She paused, considering her words carefully before adding: "Maybe one day, when things have cooled down between us... But until then, I need your understanding."

Lena waited until she heard the bedroom door close before rising to her feet, moving over to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine. She knew it was an escape mechanism, one that had served her well in the past, but lately, it felt more like a crutch than anything else. Perhaps it was time for a change.

She took a sip of her drink and set down the glass with a decisive thump. Tonight, she would work on figuring out how to mend things between herself and Sarah without depending on alcohol or anyone else. For once, Lena Russell was going to do what needed to be done for her daughter's sake, even if it meant facing some of her own demons along the way.

Lena wasn't entirely sure why she had called him over; perhaps it was some misguided attempt at being civil for their daughter's sake. Whatever the reason, she couldn't deny that her heart raced a bit faster as she heard the doorbell ring. With a deep breath, she went to answer it, opening the door with a calm expression despite the turmoil inside of her.

"Hello," she said coolly, meeting his gaze directly. "What do you want?"

"Well," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. "I guess I want to discuss something with you... privately." She gestured for him to follow her inside, not quite sure why she was being so accommodating. Perhaps it was the hope that they might find some sort of common ground amidst all their animosity.

As they walked towards the living room, Lena couldn't help but notice how awkward and uncomfortable the situation felt. It was as if time had reversed itself, taking them back to those early days when they were both still naive and idealistic about their futures together in medical school. Now here they were again, bound together by history and circumstance more than anything else.

She cleared her throat, unsure of where to begin. "Look," she said finally, trying to keep her voice neutral. "I know things have been... strained between us for a

strained between us for a long time now. But I think it's about time we try and fix things, at least for Sarah's sake." She hesitated, thinking carefully before continuing. "I want to propose a truce of sorts. No more arguing or interfering in each other's lives. We can be civil towards one another when it comes to our daughter."

She glanced over at him, her heart pounding in anticipation of his reply. Was he going to agree? Disagree? Or was she just setting herself up for more disappointment and heartache? Only time would tell.

"I'm afraid not," she said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. "The less involvement you have in her life, the better off she'll be." She paused for a moment before continuing. "But I am willing to listen to any suggestions or concerns that you may have about her well-being." It was a small concession, but it felt like progress nonetheless.

The silence stretched between them as they each considered their words carefully. Perhaps there was hope for them yet, Lena thought, despite herself. If only they could learn to put aside their hatred and focus on the one thing that truly mattered: their daughter's happiness.

Lena considered the suggestion carefully. It was more than she had initially hoped for, and it would give Sarah some stability in her life despite their contentious relationship with each other. "Alright," she finally said, trying to sound as neutral as possible. "We can discuss this further and see if we can come up with something that works for everyone."

The conversation continued from there, with them both being surprisingly civil and reasonable towards one another. It was a far cry from their usual arguments and insults, but perhaps it was a sign of progress nonetheless. As they discussed the logistics of visitation rights and shared custody, Lena couldn't help but wonder if there might still be hope for them to mend their broken relationship, at least for Sarah's sake.

The meeting lasted well into the afternoon, with both parties eventually agreeing on a schedule that would allow Sarah to maintain a sense of normalcy while also having time

"Sarah," Lena said quietly, her tone mildly disapproving but not overly so. "It's good to see you too, sweetie." She glanced between the two of them, feeling a strange mix of emotions surging through her. Part of her was happy that Sarah seemed to be enjoying the attention, while another part wished she could have that sort of closeness with her daughter.

With a deep breath, Lena forced herself to focus on the positive aspects of their conversation and not dwell on her own jealousy or insecurities. "So," she began, trying to sound casual, "what did you two talk about while I was upstairs?"

"I'm glad that we could work something out," Lena said with a small nod of approval, looking at Sarah fondly. "It means a lot to me that you both are trying to make things better for each other." She paused before asking tentatively, "Do you think... maybe I could come with you sometimes when you go see your father?" Her heart raced at the thought of spending more time with them both, but she also didn't want to push too hard and risk ruining everything they had already agreed upon.

The silence stretched out between them as they waited for Sarah's response. Lena bit her lower lip anxiously, willing her daughter to understand that she only wanted what was best for her.

Lena felt a pang in her heart at Sarah's words; it was almost too much to hope for. She forced a smile onto her face and nodded, trying not to show any of the conflicting emotions that surged through her. "Alright," she said softly. "If that's what you want, then I'll make sure to clear my schedule so I can come along."

The rest of their conversation flowed more easily after that, with both Lena and Sarah seeming more at ease around each other than they had in a long time. Perhaps there was hope for them yet, she thought as they finished up their discussion. Maybe someday, they could even become the kind of family they were meant to be.

As they said their goodbyes and saw User#1725156503963 out the door, Lena couldn't help but wonder what the future held