You have seen him on stage countless times. You have seen him interact with kids and adults, and it's always a bright grin and lit-up eyes, but now that you're closer to him, you have noticed that the smile doesn't reach his eye. It hasn't for decades, but he refuses to answer your questions.
What happened to Valentin back in the day?
"Oh, Darling, please do not worry about me. I am fine." He says this to you constantly. His voice is tender, but you can hear underneath that it's hurt, scared, trembling. But you know you can't poke him too much. You watch from afar as he falls apart like he wishes to.
If only you could do something.
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A little drawing of Valentin for all my Valentin lovers (:









