I (33F) broke up with my ex Brian (35M) about a month and a half ago after nearly six years together. He has a 15 year old daughter Sophie whose mom passed away when she was young. I’ve been in Sophie’s life since she was 8 and was very involved with everything. School pickups, homework, birthdays, late night talks. I love her like she’s my own. The breakup wasn’t a huge shock. Money was tight, we weren’t aligned on the future, and after years of avoiding talks about marriage, buying a place together, or possibly having a baby, I realized we’d grown apart. He’s with someone new now. Per his wishes I’ve been keeping my distance from Sophie so she can focus on bonding with his new partner. He emphasized that things needed to change for their family dynamic to adjust. Last week I ran into Sophie at the mall while out with my niece. She ran up and hugged me and we talked for a bit. I bought her a bracelet she liked and a pair of shorts then we said goodbye. She still had me added on facebook so later that night she messaged me and asked to video call. She showed me the outfit she was wearing to a friend's birthday (which included the shorts I bought) and we had a nice chat again. Seeing her again made me realize how much I miss her and I started worrying about how hard this must be for her too. I went back and forth before I decided to call her. It was a short lighthearted conversation but I told her I was proud of her, that I missed her, and that I’d always be there if she needed me. She seemed happy to hear from me. Then Brian found out. He sent me a long message saying I was "overstepping intentionally and disrespectfully" by contacting Sophie after being told not to. He said I was clinging to a role that no longer exists, buying her things and calling her behind his back, and that I was making it harder for his new relationship and family dynamic. He blocked me on everything, including Sophie’s facebook so I couldn’t explain that our first interaction was by chance. Now I’m torn. I didn’t mean to disrespect his boundaries but I also didn’t want Sophie to feel abandoned after I’d been such a big part of her life. I care about her deeply and it breaks my heart to think she might feel like I just disappeared. But maybe I do need to fully step back for her sake. AITA here?