A different map

I checked the window until the sun went down
Mapping every headlight that rolled through this town
You said you'd be here by at least half-past four
To help me with the math and the lock on the door
I kept my sneakers tied tight just in case
Waiting for the smile on your familiar face
But the clock on the wall keeps on ticking so loud
Like a heavy rain falling from a lonely gray cloud
And I wonder if I did something wrong today
To make you decide that you should stay away

Oh, you're the ghost in the hallway, the shadow in the hall
The one I keep catching whenever I fall
But you're never really there to pick up the pieces
Just a long-distance promise that never quite ceases
To hurt like a bruise that won't ever fade out
Leaving me here with the silence and doubt
Yeah, I'm a little girl growing up way too fast
Waiting for a love that was meant to last

I saw you on the screen in a picture you posted
While I sat at the table feeling like I was ghosted
You were laughing with friends in a city far away
Forgot it was my recital, forgot what to say
My teacher asked me where my daddy had gone
I just bit my lip and tried to carry on
I played every note with a shake in my hand
Searching for the one person who’d understand
That a choice isn't a mistake when it happens ten times
It’s a rhythm of leaving, like sad country rhymes

Oh, you're the ghost in the hallway, the shadow in the hall
The one I keep catching whenever I fall
But you're never really there to pick up the pieces
Just a long-distance promise that never quite ceases
To hurt like a bruise that won't ever fade out
Leaving me here with the silence and doubt
Yeah, I'm a little girl growing up way too fast
Waiting for a love that was meant to last

I don't need a toy or a check in the mail
I just need a ship that is willing to sail
Through the storm and the rain just to get to my side
Instead of a father who’s looking to hide
I’m eleven years old and I’m learning the truth
That you’re stealing the magic right out of my youth

Oh, you're the ghost in the hallway, the shadow in the hall
The one I keep catching whenever I fall
But you're never really there to pick up the pieces
Just a long-distance promise that never quite ceases
To hurt like a bruise that won't ever fade out
Leaving me here with the silence and doubt
Yeah, I'm a little girl growing up way too fast
Waiting for a love that was meant to lastI’m turning the porch light off now
I’m learning to get by somehow
Just an empty chair where you should be
Setting my heart finally free

Country., female. Lyrical. Passionate. Slow. Depressive