She walked with closed eyes
Trying to picture this house in her head
The couch is here, she thought
She reached out with one hand
This hand was shaking from fear
Fear that what she was looking for was gone
Her hand reaches way too high
She knows this
But is too scared to lower it
She shuffles her feet,
and moves a little forward.
Her hand drops a centimeter
Her mind can't decide if she really wants to
If she really wants to find out if her life is officially changed
A tear rolls down her cheek
She can taste the sadness
Her hand drops two centimeters
She fights her will to pull her hand back
She knows she has to find out
She bites her lip, drawing blood
Her hand falls a centimeter
The couch, if there, is a centimeter under her hand
What if it isn't there?
Would she be happy or sad?
She drops her hand
hoping the couch would catch it
Her eyes pop open
What she sees makes her crumple to the floor.

I walk in her footprints
My eyes closed
I reach for the couch
though I know it's not there
I open my eyes
I don't crumple to my knees
But tears fall from my eyes
Even if I wanted to
They could not be stopped
I became mute, after the sight.
Mentally, I healed.
She never did

You ask about what we saw?
We saw the past,
the present,
and the future.
We saw the pain of the past,
the misery of today,
and the hope of tomorrow
In that moment, our lives changed
for the better
and for the worse

I'm not sure if she saw the exact thing
I saw.
But I saw you.
I saw you successful
despite the pain of the past.
I saw the hope.

This is why I live,
for you.