[Intro] [Verse] I folded your clothes with shaking hands, Smoothed the wrinkles, fixed the seams, You’re still my baby in this doorway, Even dressed in olive green. Your boots are louder than they should be, Every step cuts through the room, I smile so you don’t see me breaking, I’ll cry when I’m alone too soon. Pre-Chorus I taught you how to say your prayers, How to stand, how not to run, But no one teaches a mother how To let go of her son. Chorus So I hold my breath and let you go, With a flag inside my heart, Loyal to a country that’s calling you, Even though it’s tearing me apart. I’ll stand proud while my world walks off, Down a road I cannot follow, I love you more than my own life— And that’s the hardest kind of loyalty to swallow. Verse 2 I memorized the shape of your face, Like I might need it to survive, Every laugh, every scar you earned, Proof you’ve lived a gentle life. They say you’re brave, they say you’re ready, They say I raised you right, But all I hear is the sound of guns In the quiet of the night. Pre-Chorus I won’t curse the oath you chose to take, I won’t beg you to stay home, I’ll stitch my fear into the hem of your sleeve So you’re never alone. Chorus So I hold my breath and let you go, With a flag inside my heart, Loyal to a country that’s calling you, Even though it’s tearing me apart. I’ll stand proud while my world walks off, Down a road I cannot follow, I love you more than my own life— And that’s the hardest kind of loyalty to swallow. Bridge If the world gets loud and the nights get long, Remember my voice saying your name, If you’re scared, wrap yourself in this love— It’s stronger than the pain. I’d take your place without a second thought, Trade my breath for yours somehow, But all I can do is let you go And wait… and pray… and count the hours down. Final Chorus I’ll set a place at the table still, Just in case you walk back through, Every candle lit, every promise kept, Every heartbeat saved for you. I’ll be loyal in the waiting, In the silence, in the fear, Because a mother’s love goes to war too— And it stays long after you’re clear.So go, my child—stand tall, stand true, Carry my heart where you go, No matter what this world demands of you… You’ll always be my home.
