I took her soft hands in mine and whispered in the still air between us.

“I am sorry, little one. I am sorry that it had to come to this.”

She looked up at me, like a child looking up at their idol and laid my hand against her cheek.

“Take care of us. Please.”

She was small. Not even ten. Yet all she wanted was for the world around her to be better. And she would’ve done anything to make it better.

But people didn’t want to see her succeed. They hurled words at her, words that stuck with her for years. But their actions were worse, leaving her with habits that would take decades to erase.

And yet she still stood up for her cause, fighting every day. She still had a smile on her face, every morning, handing them out like candy to people she passed on the street.

And soon she surrounded herself with people who found her laugh charming and not deafening. Who found her silly behaviour endearing and not annoying.

And soon she found herself truly smiling, believing in something she thought didn’t exist. Believing in friendships, which she never had before. Finding love where she thought it couldn’t be.

And people still tried to bring her down. But she didn’t break down now. She realised how it’s important for them to strain against her, to strive to have her fail. But she had her people at her side, keeping her up, letting her lean on them.

And that gave her strength.

“Make us proud.” She whispered, bringing my attention back to her, her eyes boring into mine. Two identical pairs of windows to our souls, meeting, sharing thoughts and emotions that cannot be put into words.

And I nodded.

“I will.”

And I let go.

I let go of all our faults. All our hurt.

I let go of a part of us, a part of me, that I kept close before, thinking that it’d hurt less if I did so.

But I was wrong.

That part of me kept me from improving and being a better version of myself.

I tried to protect myself, I tried to protect her, that young girl, by keeping her close.

Even though she was long gone.

I was holding onto pieces that were wishing to fly away into the infinity of oblivion.

And now I set their wings free, watching them take off, never to be seen again.

And I felt a weight, a weight that went unnoticed before, glide off of my shoulder too.

And I felt myself sigh. A sigh of relief.

“Goodbye, little one. You were strong. Now let me take that burden and be strong for the both of us.” I said into the air, and I felt my heart flutter with warmth.

A sign of approval.