Grief doesn't fade. It burrows deep, settling into the quiet spaces of your life, waiting to remind you of what you've lost. It's been 13 years since my father, Patrick, passed away, and not a day goes by that I don't miss him.

He wasn't just my dad — he was my whole world. After Mom abandoned me at birth, he was my only parent, my fierce protector, and my home. And when he died, my life became a haunting void I never truly learned to fill.

I never went back to his house after his death. I couldn't. The moment I stepped inside after the funeral, the silence crushed me. Every room was a painful echo of his laughter, his warmth, and the way he'd hum while making coffee.

Staying was impossible. So, I left. But I never sold the house because I wasn't ready to let it go. Maybe, deep down, I knew I'd return one day. And that day came 13 years later.

I stood on the porch again, an old copper key in hand and my stomach twisting.

"You can do this, Lindsay," I whispered to myself. "It's just a house."

But it wasn't just a house. It was everything. It held my dad's laughter, his endless advice and wisdom, and all our memories.

I pressed my forehead against the door. "Dad," I choked out, "I don't know if I can do this without you."

The wind picked up, rustling the leaves of the old oak tree Dad had planted when I was born. I remember him saying, "This tree will grow with you, kiddo. Strong roots and branches reaching for the sky."

I only needed some old documents. That's what I told myself. I'd grab them and leave. No lingering, no digging through memories. Just in and out.

But grief doesn't work that way. And neither does love.

I turned the key and stepped inside.

"Welcome home, kiddo." Dad's voice echoed in my ears... that same voice and that same enthusiasm every time he saw me walk through the door.

It wasn't real. Just my mind playing tricks. But for a second, I swore I could hear his voice.

And just like that, I wasn't 32 anymore. I was 17, walking in after school to find Dad in the kitchen, flipping through the newspaper, waiting to ask me how my day was.

"Dad?" I called out instinctively, my voice echoing through the empty house. The silence that followed was deafening.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced my feet forward, wiping away a stray tear. I was here for the documents. Nothing else.

But the house had other plans.

The attic smelled like dust and forgotten years.

I pulled open box after box, sifting through old papers while trying to stay focused.

But it was impossible. Every little thing — Dad's old flannel jacket, a half-empty can of his favorite mints, and the framed picture of us at my high school graduation — was a punch to the gut.