[ELARA'S POV]
The first mediation session was in a beige office that smelled like stale coffee and broken families.
The mediator was a woman named Dr. Chen. No relation to my OB. This Dr. Chen specialized in family conflict resolution.
She had kind eyes. Patient voice. Probably dealt with worse than this daily.
"Let's start by establishing some ground rules." She sat between us. Sofia on one side. Me and Damian on the other. "This is a safe space. No attacking. No blaming. Just honest communication."
"Honest communication." I repeated. "Like the honest communication where she disappeared for twenty-three years?"
"Elara." Dr. Chen's voice was gentle. "I understand you're angry. But we need to move past that to find common ground."
"There is no common ground. She wants access to my kids. I don't want her anywhere near them. That's not a negotiation."
Sofia spoke up. "I know I made mistakes. But I'm trying to make amends. I just want a chance."
