The air was thick with tension as Lois sat alone at the kitchen table, staring at a half-empty mug of coffee. The warmth of the sun streaming through the window felt distant, and the shadows in her heart loomed larger than ever. After her conversation with Meg, doubt gnawed at her—had she truly begun to change, or was it just another empty promise?
The door creaked open, and Peter strolled in, oblivious to the storm brewing inside Lois. "Hey, Lois! You're looking a little rough. Everything okay?"
She forced a smile, but it felt like a mask slipping away. "Just thinking, Peter. About family."
"Is it about Meg? You really seem to be trying hard with her," he replied, cluelessly munching on a donut. "I mean, she's kind of a lost cause, right?"
Lois shot him a sharp look, her heart pounding. "She's not a lost cause! She's my daughter, Peter, and she deserves more than I've given her. I need to do better."
Peter shrugged, his face morphing into confusion. "Okay, okay. Just saying, she's always been kind of moody. You can't save everyone."
Lois clenched her fists, feeling the familiar guilt wash over her. "Maybe if I had been a better mother, she wouldn't be this way!"
---
Later that day, Meg returned home, her heart heavy with the emotional turmoil from her confrontation with Riley. She slipped into her room and locked the door, seeking refuge from the world. As she plopped onto her bed, tears threatened to spill over. Why was it so hard to accept kindness?
In that moment, the door creaked open, and Lois stood in the doorway, hesitance in her eyes. "Meg, can I come in?"
Meg wiped her eyes quickly, trying to hide her vulnerability. "I'm fine. Just tired."
Lois stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "I know you're not fine. Can we talk?"
"Do we have to?" Meg's voice was tinged with bitterness, but deep down, she yearned for the connection she'd always craved.
"Yes. I need to apologize again. I'm sorry for not being there for you, for not seeing the pain you've been in. I've been so focused on my own issues that I lost sight of what really matters—my family."
Meg looked up, anger bubbling within her. "You're only saying that now because you're feeling guilty! Why should I believe anything you say? You hurt me for years, Mom!"
"I know, and I can't change the past," Lois said, her voice trembling. "But I want to be better for you. I want to make this right. Please, let me try."
"Try?" Meg scoffed. "You expect me to just forget everything and let you back in? You can't just flip a switch and pretend everything is fine!"
Lois's heart shattered at her daughter's words, the truth cutting deeper than any knife. "You're right. I can't. But I want to understand. I want to know what you're feeling so I can help you."
Silence hung in the air, thick and suffocating. Finally, Meg spoke, her voice small. "You don't understand, Mom. It feels like no one cares. I've always been invisible to you. I'm just the punching bag in this family."
Lois took a step closer, desperation creeping into her voice. "Meg, please. I do care. I see you now. I'm sorry for how I treated you—I can't change that, but I want to be better. I want to support you. I want you to feel loved."
"Love?" Meg laughed bitterly, the sound echoing in the silence of her room. "What do you know about love? You only ever cared about Peter and the boys! I've been begging for attention, and you never even noticed."
"I was wrong," Lois admitted, tears filling her eyes. "I was a terrible mother, and I'm sorry it took me so long to see you. I want to be there for you now, and I'll do whatever it takes."
The walls Meg had built around her heart began to crack as she watched her mother's sincerity. "I don't know if I can trust you," she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Then let me earn your trust back," Lois pleaded, her voice choked with emotion. "I'll prove to you that I can be the mother you need. You don't have to go through this alone anymore."
---
As the tension in the room reached a boiling point, Meg felt the weight of her past crashing down on her. "It's hard to let you in, Mom. I'm scared. I'm scared of getting hurt again. You don't know how it feels to be neglected, to feel like you don't matter."
Lois's heart ached at her daughter's words, feeling the pain she had caused. "You're right. I don't know that pain, but I want to understand. Please, let me try. I can't change what happened, but I want to be here for you now."
Tears streamed down Meg's face as she struggled to let her walls down. "I just want to feel like I'm enough. Like I matter."
"You are enough, Meg," Lois said, reaching out to take her daughter's trembling hands. "You matter to me. You always have. I promise to work on being better."
In that moment, Meg felt something shift within her, the years of hurt mixing with a glimmer of hope. "I... I want to believe you, but it's hard."
"I know it's hard, and it will take time," Lois said softly. "But I'm here, and I won't give up on you. I love you, Meg. I'm so sorry for everything."
The words hung in the air, heavy with sincerity, and for the first time, Meg felt a flicker of hope in the depths of her heart. "Okay," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I'll try to let you in."
---
The two of them stood in the quiet room, tears flowing freely as they began to bridge the chasm that had grown between them. Meg still felt the shadows of her past looming overhead, but for the first time, she sensed that maybe—just maybe—there was a path toward healing.
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Target of Affection
Fanfiction"Target of Affection" is about the cut scene or whatever you went to call it with Lois Griffin, and that target employee who got marked by target but her name for the story will be "Naomi"
