[Verse 1]
I buried myself inside a vision
Built something big just to stay numb
Ran from the grief like it was fire
Told myself I was getting things done
Three rounds hoping, one round breaking
Doctors’ rooms we tried to survive
I told myself the dream was over
Told myself some lives don’t arrive
[Pre-Chorus]
Work was louder than the silence
Until the silence found me still
[Chorus]
I was running from the pain
When the miracle came
And all I felt was fear
Not joy, not peace, not relief
Just realizing I wasn’t ready here
If I believed this chance was real
I would’ve never built that flame
Because hope changes everything
And nothing ever feels the same
[Verse 2]
The company fell the way I did
Quietly, all at once
Then I took a job they said was fortune
But it came with a heavier cost
I faced a kind of judgment
That money couldn’t disguise
And I learned how fragile success is
When it’s built without safety inside
[Pre-Chorus]
I didn’t need another title
I needed a way to stand
[Chorus]
I wasn’t scared of failing big
I was scared of failing him
Of looking into my son’s eyes
Without security to give
So I stepped back into the long road
Did what pride said not to do
Chose late nights over ego
Chose protection over truth
[Bridge]
I stayed up nights at SNHU
Screens glowing, house asleep
Then paternity leave came quietly
And I took the night shift, finally
I watched you bring him into the world
Strong beyond anything I knew
You created a whole human being
And I learned what strength really means through you
[Break – instrumental pause]
[Final Chorus]
When Gabriel cried for the first time
Something in me locked in place
I didn’t need to be Superman
I just needed to be safe
So I studied, worked, stayed present
Built the ground beneath his feet
I don’t chase dreams without armor now
I build legacies I can keep
[Outro]
I ran from grief until love stopped me
Taught me what a man must do
Every night shift, every promise
Is me choosing life for you
JLWatkins
