Verse 1]
The world was waiting like we were
News on repeat, nothing sure
Your badge at the hospital, long white halls
Me counting numbers on bedroom walls
I used my savings, bought us space
New furniture, a softer place
Dinners every night with your mom and dad
Laughing like the years we never had
From the outside it finally looked calm
Like we made it through the storm
But peace never found me after midnight
That’s when the fear came on
[Pre-Chorus]
Every dream I ever had
Was sleeping in the next room
And I stayed awake wondering
If I could keep it true
[Chorus]
At three a.m. with the lights off
I kept the future in my hands
If I paused, I knew it was over
If I pushed, we might still stand
Motion was my only safety
Silence felt like being seen
So I kept running toward tomorrow
So my children wouldn’t inherit what was left of me
[Verse 2]
I knew I’d never make New York money
In a world that slowed its pace
But stability has a price too
And time doesn’t wait
Minority rooms, different rules
Always proving I belonged
I wasn’t chasing more success
I was trying not to be gone
Then one day my name changed weight
Executive Director, headline lines
Advising mayors, papers calling
For a moment, it felt like I arrived
I almost believed I could breathe again
Almost believed I was safe
But safety’s a fragile promise
When your past still keeps the pace
[Pre-Chorus]
I had everything I worked for
And still couldn’t rest
Because survival taught me
Nothing is ever left
[Chorus]
At three a.m. with the lights off
I kept the future in my hands
If I slowed down, I’d be exposed
If I ran, we had a chance
Motion was my only language
Pressure taught me how to lead
I kept pushing past exhaustion
So my kids would never carry my father’s debt inside of me
[Bridge]
Then the room went quiet
Music low, doors slow
I watched you walk toward me
In a white dress, taking every step I’d ever owed
And for the first time in my life
The fear loosened its grip
Because standing there with you
Felt like the safest place I’d ever been
[Break – Instrumental Pause]
[Final Chorus]
At three a.m. with the lights off
I finally understood
That legacy isn’t running forever
It’s knowing when you could
I stopped chasing invincibility
Stopped proving I deserved my name
I married the woman I built my life around
And that’s when everything changed
[Outro]
The world was still uncertain
But one thing was finally true
I didn’t slow down because I was scared
I slowed down because I chose you
JLWatkins
