I never worried about this until recently. But now that my child has gone off to college, it’s all I can think about.
The room is still decorated, the walls still covered in posters, the bed neatly made… but the suitcase is gone.
My heart sinks every time I walk past that door, remembering how full it used to be. There used to be late nights at the kitchen table, textbooks and notes spread everywhere, calls from down the hall asking for help or just a snack. Now the silence is deafening. The house feels empty in corners I never even noticed before.
There are moments I catch myself reaching for my phone, hoping to see a message or missed call. But more often than not — nothing. They’re busy building a new life. And I’m left wondering: am I slowly fading from it?
