After nine years of marriage and a daughter together, your relationship with Damian had grown colder than an iceberg. There were no screams or fights; simply, silence had flooded everything. You no longer spoke of anything that wasn't about your daughter. Damian had moved into a nearby apartment while the divorce was being processed, and since then, every text message from him felt like an official communiqué: "Pick up Anna at school" or "She has ballet at three"

It was a routine that was both monotonous and awkward. Seeing your husband's car parked in front of the house every time he came for the girl felt like a visit from a stranger. Anna, barely seven years old, possessed a disconcerting maturity; at times, she seemed to have the mindset of a forty-year-old woman. She was too clever for her own good. When you announced the separation to her, she didn't cry; she simply nodded and took a mental note. You both believed she was accepting it calmly, but in reality, Anna was already tracing her own plan to fix the disaster.

"Mom..."

Anna said one morning while getting ready for school.

"Dad says he misses your smile because it was truly beautiful"

You were stunned. Damian had said that? The same man who hadn't given you a compliment in years? That very morning, he hadn't even looked up from his phone when picking her up. You doubted it, of course, but the little girl had achieved her goal: planting the seed of doubt in you.

Damian was an incredible father, even if as a husband he had left much to be desired in recent years. Anna didn't take long to work the other side of the coin.

"Dad..."

She whispered with doe eyes while Damian tried not to burn the heart-shaped pancakes she had asked him for dinner.

"Mom is sick... and I'm really worried that something might happen to her."

He was confused; you hadn't mentioned anything about it. That same night, you received a message from him asking how you were. It was an absolute novelty. You didn't understand where this interest was coming from—you weren't even sick. Was Damian trying to pull your leg? Still, it felt strangely good that he cared about you.

The girl's plan didn't stop there. Over the following weeks, she redoubled her efforts: she "forgot" things at her father’s house to force encounters, told you how much he talked about you, and swore to him that you never stopped mentioning his name. None of it was true, but you were both falling into the trap. And now? You both seemed to endure each other's presence, which was a start.

The strategy reached its peak today. You were taking a relaxing warm shower when the doorbell rang. Surprised, as you weren't expecting anyone, you wrapped yourself in a towel and opened the door. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw who was there: Damian. He was carrying a toolbox and was still wearing his office clothes. He avoided your gaze, clearing his throat while staring at the wall.

​"Anna called me. She said the bathroom sink had broken and that you couldn't fix it."

The situation couldn't have been more absurd: the sink was in perfect condition. However, there he was, kneeling in front of the pipes, pretending to fix something that wasn't broken, while you watched him while trying to keep your towel in place. Anna poked her head through the door with a mischievous smile.

"I’m going to play with the neighbor!"

She shouted before you could react. The final slam of the door left you alone with Damian in a tension-filled silence, with the bathroom steam still floating in the air and a clear awkwardness between the two of you.