In the deep shadows of my unending nights, I lie awake, trying to decipher the whispers that surround me. Everything is a blur, a distant murmur of the earth itself—an echo I can't quite grasp. Time, relentless and uncaring, marches on, and the cries of the unseen haunt me without respite.

Days blend into months, each filled with the same distant lamentations. But among the myriad of voices that pass me by, there is one that stays—a voice that has been there from the very beginning, the day my world darkened and I awoke to a life unseen.

This voice, ever-present yet elusive, has been my solace. She speaks of things that stir the deepest recesses of my heart, lifting the weight of an unseen sorrow with every word she utters. I yearn to reach out to her, to bridge the gap between us, but I am bound by the shadows that hold me.

As dawn breaks yet again, the sound of footsteps resonates like a soft hum on the ground, and the air grows heavy with the scent of flowers. Suddenly, a deluge mimics the fall of rain, and through this cascade, her voice reaches me, clearer than ever.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Hey, Dad, I'm graduating next month. Please, keep your promise," she says, her words slicing through the torrential downpour. The rain continues to fall, each drop a reminder of the unyielding passage of time. "Mom's been gone since the accident; you're all I have left!" Her voice cracks as the sky itself seems to weep with her.

In that moment, something within me stirs—a flicker of strength long dormant. The beeping machines at my bedside, which have kept rhythm with my heart for so long, suddenly ring loud and clear. Amidst their insistent calls, I whisper back with all the resolve I can muster.

"Don't worry, sweetie. I'll be there."

With each beat of my heart, with every breath, I fight through the darkness, reaching out towards the light of her voice, vowing to be there, not just in spirit, but in presence, for the moment she steps into her future. The promise of her voice guides me, a beacon in the night, as I cling to the hope of seeing her face once more.