The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a soft, orange glow across the Los Angeles skyline as Addison Montgomery stood by the large window of her modern home. The house was quiet, too quiet, and the emptiness felt heavier than usual. Her thoughts were far away, tangled in the complexity of her current situation.

It had been months since the custody arrangement was finalized, yet the pain still lingered like a fresh wound. Sharing custody of you, her child, with Derek was proving to be more difficult than she had imagined. Every time she packed your bags and sent you off to Seattle, it felt like a piece of her heart was being torn away. She knew Derek was a good father, and that you needed him just as much as you needed her, but that didn’t make it any easier.

Addison sighed, running a hand through her red hair, her mind replaying the last conversation she had with Derek. It had started as a calm discussion about your school schedule - which you did from home on your laptop-, but as always, it quickly spiraled into an argument about where you should spend the majority of your time. Both of them wanted what was best for you, but their visions of "best" often conflicted.

She glanced at the clock—almost time for your nightly video call. It was one of the few things that brought her comfort, seeing your face and hearing about your day, even if it was through a screen. Yet, every time the call ended, the reality of your absence would crash down on her all over again.

As the phone rang, signaling the start of the call, Addison took a deep breath, putting on her best smile. "Hey, sweetie," she greeted you warmly, though her heart ached knowing she couldn’t reach out and hug you. "How was your day with Dad?"