Dear Mom,

You’ve been gone for two years now. Dad really misses you, and he keeps getting worse. He doesn’t talk to me anymore. He barely eats. I don’t know what to do. The night you died… I think something broke inside him. I miss seeing him happy. I miss you, too.

I see you everywhere. I see you in the clouds and in the stars. I see you in Dad’s eyes, even if it’s only a sad remnant. Mostly, though, I see you in myself. I think Dad does too. That’s why he seems to hate looking at me. I’m nothing but a reminder of the love he’s lost.

I finished high school last month. Dad didn't come to my graduation. I want to believe he's proud of me, but he doesn't seem to care. You're all he thinks about. He's so lost without you. I want to go to college next year, but I’m scared to leave Dad alone. I'm all he has. I love him, really, but sometimes I wish I could be his little girl again, instead of having to mother him. I wish you were here. I love and miss you, Mom.

Love, Julia.