Slow

This relationship is broken, shattered in a million messy pieces, chipped away slowly over time.

Damage like this doesn't happen all at once.

It has to be slow.

Slow makes people stay, makes them question how bad it really is, makes them wait for everything to get better,

but slow makes it worse.

Slow makes it harder to leave.

Slow means it takes time to see all the cracks and where they connect together or how to find the cause.

One snide comment here, one insult there, one jab to keep you quiet, to show control, to show off,

and suddenly, you'll stop speaking up.

You'll sit there

silently

wondering how you got here,

wondering if you should stay, wondering how you didn't notice it all sooner.

You've seen it all before, but still,

you were blinded.