I sat there for a long time, the apartment silent around me, realizing how much I had taken his quiet strength for granted. I had built walls thinking distance would help me grow, but instead, I had drifted from the one person who had always believed in me the most. Sometimes, in chasing independence, we forget the hearts that lifted us up.

I called him that evening. He answered on the second ring, voice calm, as if no time had passed at all. “Hey,” he said. “Hey,” I replied, smiling through tears. “I think I’m ready to come home for a visit.” There was warmth in his answer, no questions, no blame. Just love—steady, patient, and waiting. Some bonds don’t break; they simply wait for us to remember their worth.