One Last Hug Before I Am Not Your Little Girl Anymore

Your arms were once my shelter,  
Strong enough to hold the world  
But gentle enough to cradle me  
When all I needed was you.  
  
Now, I feel the distance, creeping in,  
Like shadows growing tall.  
The innocence we used to share  
Fades as I stand and face the wall.  
  
Your breath shudders, caught between  
The life we knew and what’s to be—  
This last embrace, soft and fragile,  
Is breaking both of us quietly.  
  
I wish I could stay small forever,  
In the safety of your care.  
But life pulls me beyond your reach,  
Into places you can't follow there.  
  
I don’t want to hurt you, Daddy,  
But time pulls us apart.  
I am growing, changing, slipping away—  
This ache lies heavy on my heart.  
  
I’ll always be your daughter,  
But not the little girl you knew.  
This hug carries the weight of goodbye  
To the parts of me that were once just you.  
  
And as I step from your arms to the world,  
The space between us starts to grow.  
One last hug, one last whisper of love,  
Before I become someone you’ll never fully know.