Instead, I had stood before them, a hollow shell of the person they once knew. My face had worn a smile, but it was empty, devoid of any real emotion. My eyes, which should have mirrored their pain, were cold and lifeless. And then, with a voice as flat and unfeeling as the expression on my face, I had spoken the words that had spoiled everything.
"Don't worry, I will be there for you. You can forget your mother now."
Those words, delivered with a smile that barely reached my eyes, were intended to soothe, but instead, they only deepened the discomfort. The expression on my face was a facade, a mask hiding the emptiness within, as I tried to offer comfort that I didn't truly feel. My attempt to reassure them was hollow, lacking the warmth and empathy they desperately needed. In truth, I had failed them, unable to share in their grief, unable to mourn alongside them as they deserved.
