I remember the first night holding you near,
Rocking you gently with a cast on my arm, my dear.
Tiny heartbeat on my chest, nothing else was clear
Just a promise I’d be your guide.
Matching outfits every day, you’d tug on my sleeve,
Smiling up at me like I was someone you believed
Superman and Hulk in one, in your eyes at least…
Back when the world was on our side.
But these lost years have taken so much from me,
Silence cutting deeper than I thought it could be.
Gavin, I’ve been walking through the dark trying to see
Where the distance first appeared.
I’m still holding every moment that we shared—
Holding on through all these lost years.
First class to Detroit, birthday sky so blue,
Monster trucks roaring loud, but nothing louder than you
Laughing like the whole damn world was brand new—
And I swore I'd never lose that sound.
Then late-night talks, your room lit dim and low,
You’d open up your heart, and I’d try to let you know
You were never fighting all those battles alone…
God, I miss having you around.
But these lost years have taken so much from me,
Silence cutting deeper than I thought it could be.
Gavin, I’ve been walking through the dark trying to see
Where the distance first appeared.
I’m still holding every moment that we shared—
Holding on through all these lost years.
Your license, your high school days, your graduation day—
Milestones I dreamed of, but watched fade away.
Those empty seasons nearly pulled me astray…
Some nights I almost slipped.
But somehow I’m still standing, and I’m still your dad,
Loving you through every heartbreak I’ve had.
If you ever reach back, I’ll run like I never left—
I’ll be right there in an instant.
I’ve got a love beside me now who steadies my hands,
But a father’s heart doesn’t break on command.
You’re still the boy I’d cross any ocean to understand—
No matter how far you roam.
If you ever feel lost, or want to turn around,
I’ll be waiting here, feet planted on solid ground.
One word from you, and I’ll lay every burden down…
You can always come back home.
‘Cause these lost years don’t have to stay this way,
Time can bend the road and bring you home someday.
Gavin, if you ever feel the pull, don’t be afraid—
My door’s forever clear.
I’ll be here, son, through every doubt and fear,
Ready to love you past these lost years.
Maybe one day I’ll open my door,
See the boy I once rocked on the nursery floor.
Until that moment, I’ll wait forevermore…
Still your Superman and your Hulk—
Still here, through all the lost years.
