Returning to the apartment, I juggled the grocery bags and my keys at the door, finally managing to push it open. The sight of the sun filtering through the windows, casting a warm glow over the simple furniture, made me pause. It was peaceful. And it was mine.

As I set down the groceries and began to put things away, I noticed my phone vibrating on the kitchen counter. There were 22 missed calls. My heart skipped a beat as I saw that many of them were from Tiffany. There were a few from Harry, which I promptly ignored, but it was the calls from my daughter that gave me pause.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to call her back. The phone rang only once before she picked up. “Dad?” Tiffany’s voice was a mixture of relief and apprehension.

“Hi, Tiff,” I replied, trying to keep my tone even.

“I—Dad, I’ve been so worried. Why didn’t you answer my calls?”

“I needed some time, Tiffany,” I said, leaning against the kitchen counter. “Time to think about what’s important.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice cracking. “I didn’t mean for things to get so out of hand. Harry…he can be a lot, but I never wanted it to come to this.”

Her apology was unexpected, and for a moment, I didn’t know how to respond. “I know you didn’t, sweetheart. But I also need you to understand that respect is a two-way street. I can’t live in a place where I’m treated like a servant.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. “I miss you,” she finally said, her voice small.

“I miss you too, Tiff. But I can’t come back to that situation. Not unless it changes.”

“I’ll talk to him,” she promised. “I want us to be a family again.”

As we ended the call, I stood in the kitchen, looking out at the world beyond my window. Things were different now, but for the first time in a long time, I felt hopeful. This new chapter was just beginning.