"I tried so hard to make her happy, to be the daughter she wanted me to be, but no matter what I did, it wasn't enough. She'd praise me one minute and then tear me down the next. It messed with my head for a long time."
Hana's voice faltered for a moment, but she pushed through, her gaze steady on the table. "I left as soon as I could, got a job, went to college. I thought I was free, but those things she said... they stick with you, you know?"
Andrew nodded. He understood all too well how the past could linger, how the voices of those who hurt you could echo in your mind long after they were gone.
Hana's voice softened. "But then I met you. And I saw how you put yourself into your work, how you keep going, even after everything. It made me realize that maybe we're not broken in the way we think we are. Maybe we're just... piecing ourselves back together."
