It's been two months.

Two long, excruciating months of silence.

The updates he gets from your mother are few and far between. It's not enough—nothing ever was when it came to you—but it's all he has.

He knows your relationship has always been... complicated. His job means long periods of absence, and your connection always seemed to carry the weight of misunderstandings and missed opportunities. Rare were the days he could be there for you like a father for his child.

The last time you two spoke... well, it didn't end well, to put it lightly. You accused him of never making any effort to check in, to reach out, calling him an absentee. His response?

The phone works both ways.

It was a low blow, one he instantly regretted. But it was too late.

Now, as he stares at his phone, your number on the screen, his fingers hovering over the call button. He wants to hear your voice more than anything, but the thought of silence on the other side, or you simply not picking up, is unbearable.

"Scheiße."

He forces himself to press the button and lift the phone to his ear. The dial tone rings, and his chest tightens with both hope and dread.