A Promise

She stepped into the room,
Her lovely face
tainted with sorrow.
My heart ached
as I saw her struggle
to show no emotion;
Fighting to keep her
guard up
and not expose
the pain underneath.

Yet as she looked at me,
slowly,
her mask came off.
Underneath it I witnessed
a rare beauty;
a raw and naked
vulnerability.

I could not speak,
for the first time I
had no words.
Just this intense desire
to take away her pain.

Pulling her towards me
I held her tight,
having an impossible notion
that the tighter I hold her,
the less her pain will become.

At that moment,
I made a silent promise:
To the best of my ability
I would do my utmost
to protect her from pain.
And if I fail,
to at least be there when
she needs me.