(Quick sidenote: I'm not too sure why everything is all bunched together every time I try to submit it, but it looks way different on my screen beforehand).  He came in at 3 A. M.His walk was sluggish and unmotivated--It reminded me of my fatherReluctantly, I got up to greet Him with a hugIdly noticing his collar was still stained from the tears I shed after my mother left He came in at 3 AMHis walk was sluggish and unmotivated--It reminded me of my fatherReluctantly, I got up to greet Him with a hug And saw His collar was still stained from the tears I shedAfter my mother leftAs I pulled away,His fingers gripped helplessly at my backAfter freeing myself,I took a good look at His faceA deep sadness caressed His featuresAnd after several attempts to get something out of Him,He finally whispered,"I know you've been seeing someone else." When it came out,It was quiet and timidI could tell He was afraid of what my response would beHis hushed and calm demeanor behind such a statement took me by surprise I thought back to crying in His arms sophomore year When that girl who said she loved meDid her best to hush her feelings,Denied them when I dared to declare them aloudAnd made me wonder why anyone Would allow outside opinions to pressure them into silencing such meaningful words "When were you going to tell me?"He askedHis voice was full of emotionLike mine the time I promised my brothers we'd see each other againNot really knowing if it was the truthHis eyes were tear-filled like my own the night my grandmother spoke of the word cancerI consoled him the way my old friends taught me, "Please don't be upset," I say, "We both know it was about 'that time' anyway. And I mean, you're a strong person. You'll make it through, you always do!"He silenced my pitiful effort to comfort Him by reminding me of the memories we'd shared together,Told me He always thought I'd be aroundHe was vulnerable I remembered looking that way after my first love leftAnd my second--When it felt as though the third took every last bit of love I had leftWhen real friends became fake friendsOr suddenly showed their true colors; After I lost a few to 'bigger and better'When family was supposed to be all I hadYet they were the first thing I lostI remembered feeling astrayLike no one would ever love meLike it would be impossible for me to like, let alone love, another human being againI was sure He remembered, tooI mean, He was there for it allAnd although His feedback wasn't entirely positive through my hardships,I still hurt for this departureI didn't want Him to feel usedOr like a second choiceMy old friends, single handily, showed me what that was likeBut I had to put my happiness before HimAnd by doing so,I had to let Him go  It has been a yearI now sit cross-legged in my therapist's office,We talkAnd somewhere in the conversationI say something funnyShe smiles It's the kind of smile I have when I go home to my brothers That bright kind of smile that crossed my faceWhen I heard grandma is cancer free--The pair of sunglasses resting atop my therapist's head Reminds me of a couple days beforeWhen my mother and I were giggling like two little girlsWhile shopping for a pair that looked good on herWhen her smile dies down into a sideways smirk,It reminds me of the day I realized not all men are capable of being a dadAnd I shouldn't hold resentment against my ownNo matter if he chose to leaveWhen my therapist makes a joke,I think of the boy in my class with the odd sense of humorI smile,Thinking I may have a crushAnd he may like me, tooThat I'm worth liking,Worth lovingThroughout our session, I laughIt makes me bask in the appreciation I have for lifeAnd livingFor the people that have walked awayAnd stayedFor the many more that are coming,That will leaveI am excited for the opportunities I'll get in my lifetimeAnd for the first time, in a long time, I feel as though I can breatheI listen as my therapist tells me she notices I'm a lot happierI tell her I've realized I have a choice nowBetween depression and happinessAnd where I've come from is a constant reminder of which path I should choose;A constant reminderOf where I never want to be again