Some grief has no funeral, no rituals, and no clear ending. It comes from loving parents who could not love you in the way you needed. For many adult children of emotionally unavailable or inconsistent parents, this grief lives quietly in the body and nervous system, shaping relationships, boundaries, and self worth. This essay explores the psychology of ambiguous loss, the cost of conditional love, and why distance from parents often feels like betrayal even when it is necessary for healing.