Archie -
I still think about you every day.
I didn’t have the strength back then,
and I left you behind.
I wish I had found a way
to make sure you were safe,
to make sure you felt loved the way you always gave love.
It’s hard to forgive myself for that,
and the guilt never leaves.
I remember your eyes,
always so full of trust,
so ready to be there for me,
even when I couldn’t be there for you.
You were just trying to protect me,
even when everything around us
was breaking apart.
I didn’t know how to fix it.
I didn’t know how to fix us.
But I hope, I truly hope,
you’re in a place now where the light is soft,
where the hands that hold you are kind,
where you can run and play and rest
without a worry.
You deserve peace,
you deserve joy,
and I pray you’ve found that
with someone who truly sees you.
You gave me everything I couldn’t give myself.
Now, I hope you have everything
you’ve always deserved.