It was times like those, when he saw that soft sadness in her eyes, that he knew he loved her, more than anything. The quiet smile on her face, the dull in her eyes, she had a gentle sadness that slowly ebbed away at her, each day, every day, she made room for the pain that constantly threatened to consume her heart. She learned to live with it; she was so much stronger than he could ever know. Because he only saw the strong side of her, the side that didn't cry, that refused to show weakness, but the strength that she had to keep that sadness in her eyes at bay, to lock away the dark thoughts in her mind, to never let the hurt of high school memories resurface, to never let the sadness touch her face, but for when she was alone, that strength was so much greater than the strength in her he knew. She'd made mistakes, and people had made her feel worthless, and she had believed them, and she had felt alone for so long, so long that she'd almost forgotten what it was like for somebody to care. But she kept the dark parts of her past hidden, buried, and she was strong. She was strong, but when she wasn't, it was then he knew that he loved her.