She looks in the mirror And puts on mascara. Lately she’s been too drained To do her makeup, But she always does it for him. She puts on baggy clothes To hide how thin she’s grown. She doesn’t dare look back In the mirror this time.
He meets her at the door And whispers words she’s heard before. It works every time, But she’s not keeping score. It makes her smile Like nothing else can, And sometimes a smile’s enough. They joke about their teachers And laugh at the world. Her eyes light up.
Then, the laughter dies. He asks if she’s been eating more. She tries to laugh, but can’t. They’ve been here too many times before. He doesn’t understand why She can’t just get better. Today she doesn’t have the strength To argue back, So she lets him talk Until his words bite through her skin.
He stands up and yells That it’s all her fault, That it shouldn’t be this hard, That he doesn’t need her anyway. She stands in the dark As he drives away. She can’t stand the pain From his cold shoulder.
It’s the tenth time He’s left her alone. She knows tomorrow will be the tenth time She’ll take him back, Because tomorrow morning, Their laughter will fill her mind And for a moment, She’ll forget The cost of her smile.
Requested by we-mustbe-monsters
