17 years, 9 months and 26 days
17 years, 9 months and 26 days is a long time to know someone. It's time enough to know how they laugh when they're just being polite, how they smile when they mean it, how they scowl when they're frustrated, how they cry when they're feeling guilty.
17 years, 9 months and 26 days is a long time to know someone. It's time enough to feel empathy for them when they don't pass a test they really needed to achieve an "A" in their class, it's time enough to know when they're being self-centered, to know when they really need some help.
17 years, 9 months and 26 days is a long time to know someone. It's time enough to have held them a few times while they cried, it's time enough to have slapped them out of hysterics, it's time enough to have had some of the best laughs with them, it's time enough to have gotten into serious trouble with them, or have gotten them into serious trouble.
17 years, 9 months and 26 days is a long time to know someone. It's time enough to decide whether or not to invest yourself in them. It's time enough to decide to love them, to spend all of your energy on them.
I'm sorry that 17 years, 9 months and 26 days is how long it took to break us. To break you from me. This time, maybe this time, it's for real. But I can't apologize, and neither can you. I've hurt you beyond repair, but you've hurt me beyond repair for 17 years, 9 months and 26 days. Mine is chronic. Yours is acute. It's still the same pain, no matter what. I don't know how to let it go. I don't know if I can let it go. You're my parent, but I can't be with you right now. I can't love you right now. I'm sorry.
17 years, 9 months and 26 days is a long time to know someone. It's time enough to feel empathy for them when they don't pass a test they really needed to achieve an "A" in their class, it's time enough to know when they're being self-centered, to know when they really need some help.
17 years, 9 months and 26 days is a long time to know someone. It's time enough to have held them a few times while they cried, it's time enough to have slapped them out of hysterics, it's time enough to have had some of the best laughs with them, it's time enough to have gotten into serious trouble with them, or have gotten them into serious trouble.
17 years, 9 months and 26 days is a long time to know someone. It's time enough to decide whether or not to invest yourself in them. It's time enough to decide to love them, to spend all of your energy on them.
I'm sorry that 17 years, 9 months and 26 days is how long it took to break us. To break you from me. This time, maybe this time, it's for real. But I can't apologize, and neither can you. I've hurt you beyond repair, but you've hurt me beyond repair for 17 years, 9 months and 26 days. Mine is chronic. Yours is acute. It's still the same pain, no matter what. I don't know how to let it go. I don't know if I can let it go. You're my parent, but I can't be with you right now. I can't love you right now. I'm sorry.