[Intro – Piano, vinyl crackle, spoken softly] Yeah… My boys… There’s some things I gotta tell you. Things I don’t know how to say out loud yet— so I’m sayin’ ‘em like this. ⸻ [Verse 1 – Calm, conversational rap] My youngest took his first steps, I swear the room went still, I clapped but my chest hurt, ‘cause I know you woulda knelt. He reached for air, I reached for God, Wish you coulda seen the way he smiled when he didn’t fall. My oldest finish pre-K, backpack bigger than his frame, Teacher say he smart, got your focus, got my name. I take the pictures, but I freeze before I post ‘em, ‘Cause every milestone feel like somethin’ else is broken. I do bedtime prayers, tuck ‘em in just right, Tell ‘em mama love ‘em, yeah, she say goodnight. I don’t lie to ‘em, I just speak it plain— Heaven ain’t far, it just don’t look the same. ⸻ [Hook – Sung/Rapped, emotional but steady] And they gonna grow up without you, So I gotta be twice the man. Every first gonna hurt a little, But I’ll hold ‘em with both hands. They gonna laugh, they gonna cry, They gonna ask me “why?” I’ll tell ‘em love don’t die… It just learn how to fly. ⸻ [Verse 2 – More weight, more grit] They play sports, I’m on the sideline yellin’ loud, But I hear your voice in the cheers inside the crowd. First crush, first kiss, prom night suit, I’ma see your reflection when I fix they tie too. They’ll be men one day, with scars and pride, Ask me ‘bout their mama, I’ma look ‘em in the eye. Say, “She was strong, she was gentle, she was real, And she ain’t gone—she just closer than she feel.” I been learnin’ ‘bout forever, ‘bout eternal ties, ‘Bout how love don’t end just ‘cause bodies die. They sealed to you more than memory or name, It’s deeper than time, it’s bigger than pain. ⸻ [Hook – Stronger, choir hum underneath] They gonna grow up without you, But never without your love. Every prayer we send upward Come back down from above. I see you in who they are, In the good, in the fight— You ain’t missing from our lives… You just living in light. ⸻ [Bridge – Spoken prayer, bare piano] I don’t understand everything, Lord… But I trust You with what I can’t see. If families don’t end at the grave, Then I know she still part of me. ⸻ [Verse 3 – Closing, resolution, hope] One day they’ll have kids, call me granddad with pride, And I’ll tell ‘em ‘bout a woman who still walk by our side. Not in shadows, not in fear, not in pain— But in guidance, in warmth, in everything that remain. So even though she ain’t here the way she used to be, She closer now than she ever was to me. Every good choice, every whisper, every prayer— She not behind us… She everywhere. ⸻ [Final Hook – Soft, resolute] They growing up without you… But never without your hand. I feel you in the quiet moments, When I don’t think I can stand. We still a family— Just arranged a different way. Death didn’t take you from us… It just moved you closer, okay? ⸻ [Outro – Piano fades, voice low] I got ‘em… And you got

Without You