It's been a while

I went home first. It had been one whole year since I started living in a different city alone, trying to escape the chaos that had consumed my family home.

The thought of returning filled me with a heavy sense of dread and a faint glimmer of relief. I missed Mom, and Dad too, but the distance between us had grown immeasurably, a chasm widened by time and unresolved conflicts.

Our conversations had dwindled to occasional phone calls, each one tinged with a formality that felt alien to our once-close relationship.

As I exited the airport and hailed a cab, my mind wandered back to the last time I had seen them. The arguments, the harsh words, and the overwhelming feeling of being misunderstood had driven me away.

I sought refuge in my solitude, hoping the distance would somehow heal the wounds. But now, as the cab navigated the familiar streets of my childhood, the memories resurfaced with a vengeance.