Almost

I knew I'd see him after the longest time. I felt the ache in my heart reawaken.

How could I look into the eyes of the man that was almost mine?

I smiled.

I smiled because I knew that despite the distance, despite the strain, he would always be mine. He wouldn't give up.

All the stories he had told me, chapters of his life, every single one. He never had to tell me but I figured he wanted to. So I listened, I cried, and I'll never forget how much I laughed. And he listened to me; he didn't have to listen but he wanted to. He listened with every ounce of his attention and gave me all the time I needed, the respect I needed.

Maybe I was his escape, or maybe he knew I admired honesty. There was something about this man I could never define. I believe I needed him, and that he needed me and it was for reasons we may never know. But what I knew was that he taught me how to love. And in all the time I spent with him, he taught me that even in the most shattered hearts, beauty still exists.