This knowledge healed the parts of her heart that had been shattered before this new devestation. The knowledge that he still cared woven itself through pieces of her heart and sowed them back together. The knowledge gave her the strength, not to face the world, but at least her family.

Carerfully, she rises to her feet. Her legs shake as she applies pressure to them and she touches the wall gently to steady herself. She takes a deep breath. No more tears seep from her eyes. They feel as dry as a desert.

She walks out of her room and down to her living room. Exhausted from all the crying she has already done, and has yet to do, she sits on the couch. Her parents look up at her and stop the conversatioin they were just having.

Both her parents eyes are rimmed with red from crying. Unlike her, however, tears were still leaking out of their eyes. She could see in her mother’s gaze that they felt the same devestation.

No words pass between them. No sounds escape their lips. Only emotion charges the air.