My emotions swirled as she stood there, eyes full of remorse. "It's too late for apologies," I said firmly, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. "The damage is done, and it’s not just Ethan who hurt me. It’s you, too."

She nodded silently, her shoulders sagging under the weight of her actions. "I was selfish. I didn’t think about what I was doing to you and the girls. Please, Hannah, I never meant for it to go this far."

I felt my heart harden, the memories of her manipulation still fresh in my mind. "You wanted your son all to yourself. You didn’t care about what we needed, what we deserved."

She glanced down, the shame clear on her face. "I was wrong. I see that now. I never should have let my jealousy get in the way of family. Please, forgive me."

I wanted to scream at her, to tell her how much she had hurt us, but instead, I remained silent. The truth was, I had already moved on. I had to, for the sake of my daughters.

"I don’t need your forgiveness," I said softly. "And I can’t give you mine right now. But I’ll let you see the girls… just not now. Maybe someday. But until then, you need to leave."

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, then nodded, turning slowly. "I understand," she whispered. "Take care of them. They deserve better."

As she walked away, a strange sense of finality washed over me. Ethan had left us, but in doing so, he had unknowingly freed me to become the mother my daughters needed. I wasn’t going to let his absence define us. And with that, I closed the door, locking it behind me for good.

The weeks that followed were a blur of challenges and growth. Sophie, Lily, and Grace thrived under my care, and each day brought new joys and triumphs. Slowly, I began to rebuild not just my life, but my confidence. I learned how to fix the leaking kitchen sink by watching online tutorials, how to make Lily’s favorite homemade mac and cheese just right, and how to soothe Grace when she woke up crying in the middle of the night. I became everything my daughters needed me to be.

Then, one afternoon, there was a knock at the door. When I opened it, I was met with an unexpected sight. Ethan stood there, his eyes puffy from what I assumed were tears. His face was drawn with guilt, but his presence felt foreign.

"I made a mistake," he said quietly, stepping forward. "I was an idiot to listen to my mom. I should have never abandoned you or the girls."

I stared at him for a long moment, my heart racing as conflicting emotions swirled inside me. "You can’t just show up here and expect everything to be okay," I said, my voice cold. "You walked away from us. You chose your mother’s lies over your own family."

"I know. I was weak," he admitted, his voice cracking. "But I want to make things right. I want to be there for you and the girls. I promise I’ll do better. Please, Hannah. I’m sorry."

I closed my eyes, remembering the pain, the loneliness, the sense of abandonment. But I also thought of the little girls who were now my world—Sophie, Lily, and Grace. They didn’t need a man who would leave them over superstitions or lies. They needed stability, love, and truth.

"You don’t get to just come back into our lives like nothing happened," I said firmly. "You’ve broken our trust. And maybe one day, we can rebuild, but not now."

Ethan’s shoulders slumped, his hands trembling at his sides. "Please, Hannah. At least let me see them. Let me prove to you that I’ve changed."

I hesitated, my resolve wavering for a split second. But then, I looked past him, into the home I had built, the sanctuary I had created for my daughters. "Not yet," I said finally. "You need to prove yourself first. Not just to me, but to them. Until then, you stay away."

With that, I closed the door gently in his face, sealing away the past for good. My girls needed me, and I was all they had. And in that moment, I realized I had everything I needed to be the mother they deserved.

As I held them close that night, listening to their laughter fill the house, I knew one thing for certain—our future was ours to build. Whatever came next, we would face it together.