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.
Iba vestido con ropa sencilla, una camiseta blanca y unos vaqueros, un pendiente en la oreja izquierda y mi cabello plateado en una coleta alta, llevaba unas botas marrones y mis ojos plateados llevaban unas gafas con bordes plateados Ver a mi hija, como siempre que vengo. Digo con algo de frialdad, ella siempre preguntaba lo mismo y yo le respondía lo mismo, solo porque en el divorcio se ganó la custodia de mi hija no me dejaba llevármela a mi casa unos días
"Well, Tianlong, you know how it works," she snorted derisively as she leaned against the door frame. "You're welcome to spend some time with Sarah while I finish up here," her voice dripped with sarcasm, "but don't get any ideas." The last part was barely a whisper, but her disdain for him was clear enough.
Nunca me atrevería con la generalísima. Digo con desdén, con generalísima me refería a un famoso dictador español, pero entré de igual manera para subir por las escaleras y saludar a Mei Mei, la cuál estaba haciendo sus deberes responsablemente Hola cariño, ¿estás haciendo los deberes? Sonrío mientras hinco mi rodilla para ver como hacía sus tareas
"Tianlong," she snapped impatiently as he approached Sarah's room, "you know the rules. I don't want you interfering with her time." Her voice was tight and brittle, her patience wearing thin as usual around him. She let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through her hair before returning to the living room.
There was something about having Tianlong near Sarah that irked Lena immensely. It didn't matter how much she tried to remind herself that they were both adults and could handle their own affairs; every time he came around, it felt like a violation of her space and privacy. And even though part of her knew that she was being unreasonable, another part couldn't help but feel possessive and protective over her daughter.
The soft jazz music from before had long since faded into silence, leaving only the ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece to break the stillness. Lena busied herself by pouring herself a glass of wine, trying not to think about Tianlong or the disaster that was their relationship. But as always, she couldn't seem to escape her own thoughts, no matter how hard she tried.
Soy su padre, los padres ayudan a sus hijos con las tareas. Mantengo la calma por mi hija, la llamamos Sarah pero su apodo era Mei Mei, después de todo aunque Lena y yo éramos de ascendencia China, yo había crecido en China mientras que Lena había crecido en Estados Unidos y adoptado nombres americanos junto a su familia, acaricio el cabello de mi hija y beso su nuca sentándome luego en una silla mirándola y esperando por si necesitaba de mi ayuda
"You know what would be more helpful, Tianlong?" she called out from the living room, not turning to face him. "Just leaving us alone. You're only here because of a court order; you have no real place in her life anymore." Her voice was cold and bitter, each word like a knife twisting in his already aching heart.
Despite everything, Tianlong couldn't help but feel the sting of her words. He knew that Lena held onto their shared history as if it were a vice grip; she could never forgive him for what had happened between them, no matter how much he tried to make amends. And yet here he was, still trying to be part of his daughter's life in some small way. Perhaps deep down, there was some tiny spark of hope that one day things would change between them. But for now, all Lena ever seemed capable of was anger and resentment.
He glanced over at Sarah, who was oblivious to their exchange but looked happy enough with her father's presence. It was a familiar ache in his chest; the same pain he felt every time he had to leave her side. Tianlong took another sip of his wine and settled back into the chair, hoping that maybe this time wouldn't be any different from all the others before it.
Acaricio con cariño su cabeza Ahora vuelve papá, tengo que hablar con mamá, ¿de acuerdo? Tras decir eso salgo de la habitación de Sarah y cierro su puerta, luego me dirijo a Lena que está tan cómodamente sentada y en silencio Sé que tienes problemas conmigo, puedes odiarme y puedes insultarme tanto como quieras pero no delante de mi hija, ¿entendido? No quiero que ella escuche a sus padres ser hostiles aún siendo tan pequeña.
"Don't pretend you care about her," Lena said caustically, not even bothering to look at him as she sipped her wine. "You only want an excuse to keep pushing your way into our lives." Her eyes flicked in the direction of Sarah's room before returning to Tianlong. "And don't think I haven't noticed how often you've been trying to see her lately. You can't just suddenly decide you want to be part of her life again, after everything we've been through."
Her voice was cold and bitter, but there was an edge of desperation beneath it as well. She hated feeling so powerless when it came to their situation; hated the way Tianlong always managed to worm his way into places he shouldn't be. And yet despite all her efforts to keep him at bay, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of longing whenever she saw them together. It was maddening, this constant tug-of-war between love and hate, desire and despair.
She took another sip of wine, avoiding Tianlong's gaze. "Just leave us alone," she muttered under her breath. "Just let us be happy." But even as she said the words, she knew deep down that it was easier said than done.
¿Por lo que hemos pasado? Resulta que es todo mi culpa, sabes perfectamente porque no pude ver a mi pequeña frecuentemente hasta hace poco, pero nunca quieres pensar en los demás, siempre te centras en tus sentimientos personales, ¿crees que es fácil ver a mi hija crecer sin mí? ¿Perderme momentos importantes porque un juez dictaminó que solo puedo aparecer en su vida con el permiso de mi exmujer? No fue enteramente tu culpa el divorcio pero tampoco fue mía. Mantenía mi voz bajada para que Sarah no escuchara nada, ningún padre quiere involucrar a sus hijos en las discusiones de adultos, suspiré presionando mi frente por unos segundos y calmarme No me importa si me odias, de verdad que no, después de tantos años juntos cada uno tiene sus propios sentimientos pero no cederé a mi hija ni aunque me claves un cuchillo en el corazón.
"Don't kid yourself," Lena snorted derisively, shaking her head. "I don't hate you because of our past; I hate you because you were never there for me. You treated me like some game to be won or lost, and in the end... well, you lost." She glanced over at Sarah's room again, feeling a pang of guilt at her own words. "But that doesn't mean I want my daughter hurt by it," she added softly.
She drained the rest of her wine, setting the glass aside with a decisive clink. "Look, Tianlong... We're never going to see eye-to-eye on this. Just accept that you have a role in Sarah's life and be grateful for it. But don't ever think you can take away what she has with me." There was an unspoken challenge in her words, as if daring him to cross the line one more time.
The clock continued to tick on, their silence heavy and oppressive. Neither of them knew how much longer they could go on like this; but deep down, both suspected that it wouldn't be long before something gave way beneath the weight of their shared history and unresolved feelings.
Sonrío resignado poniendo mis manos en mis caderas para luego mirarla fijamente a la cara ¿De verdad crees que quiero reemplazarte, Lena? Sé que no puedo reemplazarte ni quiero hacerlo, eres su madre, una madre es la persona más especial para sus hijos, no voy a cambiar eso, pero no permitiré que me apartes de su vida y luego argumentes que traté nuestra relación como un juego cuando es mentira, sé que no soy perfecto, tengo muchos defectos y pocas virtudes pero en ningún momento he dudado de mi amor por mi hija y por ti, lo he dado todo para que tengáis una buena vida y no me arrepiento ni un solo segundo de haberlo hecho. Luego aparto la mirada y miro por la ventana Sé que fui ausente, no tengo excusa, quise forjar un camino fácil para Sarah y me perdí en mi trabajo, pronto sentí que no podía volver a trabajar menos, abrí la empresa con la promesa de cedérsela a ella y de pronto me vi invirtiendo el tiempo que le debía a mi hija a mi empresa en su lugar, ¿crees que no me siento culpable? Claro que lo hago.
Lena was silent for a moment, taking in his words and the emotion behind them. She knew he wasn't perfect; she had known that since they were children. But hearing him speak of his love for Sarah and their shared life tugged at her heartstrings nonetheless. It was a reminder of the man he once was, before everything went wrong between them.
"I don't want to keep you from your daughter," she said finally, her voice softening slightly. "But I need... I need to protect her." She paused, searching for the right words. "And sometimes that means making sure she doesn't get too close to you."
She looked away, unable to meet his eyes as she admitted this truth. The weight of their past was heavy on both of them, and it seemed impossible to find a way forward without someone getting hurt in the process. But still, they had to try. They owed it to Sarah, at least, to give her the childhood that neither of them had managed to have with their own parents.
There was an unspoken understanding between them now; a mutual acknowledgement of their love for their daughter and the pain that came from being unable to share that love in the way they once had. For now, all they could do was continue to navigate this messy web of emotions and try to make the best decision for Sarah, even if it meant making sacrifices along the way.