The lockdown had taken its toll on our family, and it seemed like nothing would ever be the same again. As we returned from quarantine, my mother and I were plunged into a world without my father, who had lost his battle with cancer while we were away. My mother, usually composed and strong, was now a shell of her former self as she struggled to plan what she called a "celebration" for my father's life. But as soon as we stepped foot into our home and saw that picture of him smiling above the condolences book, all pretenses fell apart. My mother crumbled in front of me, her cries echoing through the empty house where my father's absence was painfully evident. And in that moment, I couldn't help but feel the weight of our loss and how much my parents' love for each other would never be the same again.