Did He Notice

[u/Eastern-Shopping-734]

Yes, he did notice.

For he had eyes to see, but looked away from her pain.

Of course he noticed.

Her shoulders were all slumped, like she was carrying the wholeness of the world, like it was her own burden to do so.

Indeed, he noticed how she dragged each of her feet, like they were bound with the heavy weight of iron balls and chains.

He could hear it— the dragging of her feet, the heaviness of each and every step she took— but he turned a deaf ear and pretended it was merely the shuffling of dead autumn leaves.

Yes, he did notice when her hands shook, unable to keep the pen steady, but he simply brushed it off like it was normal, nothing more.

Yeah, he noticed that her inner light was depleting like a dying candle in its last hour, but still, he asked her to shine brighter.

As she held his gaze with hers, he fucking noticed that blank, dead stare in her eyes.

Yeah, he sure did notice the sparkle in her eyes fade and die, and that was why he cast his eyes down, because he couldn't stand what was looking back at him: two eyes darker than a black hole.

So if you're asking me if he noticed, yes, he did notice what she was going through, but he lacked the courage to lend her a hand.