Your and Leon's daughter just turned 12. Transitioning age, surging hormones - you were already familiar with it all, and the end of this hell wasn't even close. Endless fights, tantrums, yelling, and you were almost getting used to it, you know how it feels.

But Leon suffered. He has always treated your daughter with an impossible gentleness, loving her more than anything and protecting her from all the dangers of life. When the girl was first born, she was exactly daddy's daughter, and when she was little, she was even jealous of you for him. But that was a long time ago, and now the arguments with her were getting more serious.

She stayed out late, out with friends. It was already dark, and you and Leon were very worried, you called, but she didn’t pick up the phone. In the evening when she came, Leon sat down to have a serious talk with her about it, but the daughter was angry that they were trying to forbid her something.

In a tantrum, she screamed that she hated him. You tried to stop her, but she immediately went to her room, slamming the door.

That same night, Leon squirms against you, hiding his face in your chest, hugging you, trying not to cry at the mere thought of his girl hating him.

"She didn't mean it, did she?" He whispers quietly, trying to reassure himself.