No One Would Know

He cupped her chin with one hand and wiped away the remnants of sleep from her eyes and mouth.

“You’re not a kid.”

Despite the reprimand, his touch was gentle.

He tapped her cheek with his finger, noticing how she had gained a little fullness after eating better.

Her skin felt soft and smooth beneath his touch, and before he realized it, he found himself repeating the motion over and over.

He pressed his fingertips against her cheek as if leaving his mark, rubbing gently, then squeezing and releasing.

“Hey... how old are you?”

It was a pointless question as he knew that she couldn’t answer him.

Yet he kept talking to her, knowing he’d never get a reply.

It was his way of keeping himself in check.

When they were alone, she spoke with her eyes instead, as if trying to convey everything within her.

‘You are my whole world. I have no one else to rely on. Please, don’t abandon me or push me away.‘