He carried his heartbreak privately because he thought protecting me required strength. He believed falling apart would leave both of us with nothing to hold onto.
And perhaps, in his own imperfect way, writing those letters became the only place where he allowed himself to remain a father.
As the sun disappeared behind the trees that evening, I finally felt something I had not experienced in years.
Peace.
Not because the pain disappeared.
But because I finally understood the quiet love that had been there all along.