he sees her
& he’s not frightened by what he sees
he unclenches her fist
he holds her hand
til her frozen fingers unfreeze
he sees her
& he’s unfazed by all her scars
he tells her jokes
he makes her laugh
til her dark eyes shine like stars
he sees her
& he’s untroubled by her past
he smiles at her
he cuddles her
til her wariness has passed
he hears her
& he’s not threatened by what he hears
he listens
he remembers
he helps her banish all the bad years
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