**(Verse 1)** I came back home in twenty-thirteen, Retired and ready to mend what was broken. But the door I opened led straight to a scene Of a man I loved, lost and unspoken. Trapped in a room that smelled of decay, In the darkest corner this town ever knew. Father still around? I wish I could say— But the truth cuts deeper than I ever knew. **(Chorus)** Oh, the turmoil raging within me, A storm I’ll carry forevermore. I should’ve fought, should’ve set him free, Dragged her to court, settled the score. He withered away in the shadows so cold, An insulin spike took him under. Now I’m haunted by whispers untold, Bound by the weight of my silent surrender. **(Verse 2)** He begged and he pleaded through weary eyes, “Son, take me home, let me breathe again.” But I stood there frozen, paralyzed, Letting fear win where courage should’ve been. If only I’d acted, if only I’d tried, If time had been kinder, more gentle, more slow. But months turned to moments, and then he died, Leaving echoes of all I didn’t know. **(Chorus)** Oh, the turmoil raging within me, A storm I’ll carry forevermore. I should’ve fought, should’ve set him free, Dragged her to court, settled the score. He withered away in the shadows so cold, An insulin spike took him under. Now I’m haunted by whispers untold, Bound by the weight of my silent surrender. **(Bridge)** Time was a thief in the dead of night, Stole every tomorrow we dreamed we’d share. I hear his voice in the pale moonlight, Calling my name through the thin, hollow air. What could have been keeps me awake, A chain made of regret and of sorrow. Every “if only” is a new heartbreak, Stealing the peace of tomorrow. **(Final Chorus – softer, then building)** Oh, the turmoil raging within me, A storm I’ll carry forevermore. Father still around? Unfortunately… no. And that emptiness lives at my core. He withered away in the shadows so cold, While I stood watching, too frightened to move. Now all that’s left is the story untold, And the chilling regret I can never remove. **(Outro)** If only… if only… The words fade away. Father, forgive me— I’m still here today… Carrying you in the rain.
