Afterglow

I... cried today.
For the first time,
after two years and fifty seven days,
I finally accepted the fact that it was okay;
okay to let tears spill from my eyes and run down my face.

Although, I don't understand why
or even know what made me cry,
the way your eyes
looked down on me
with such sympathy
made my heart skip a beat.
Last night I felt so unsure about everything.

Today was different, though.
When we touched,
there was no barrier in between;
no hidden meaning yet to been seen,
no exterior or image to keep.
I acted like I always wanted to,
like I did in my dreams;
I just acted like me.

When the rain began pouring,
creating miniature rivers and streams down my cheeks,
I remember panicking,
thinking that I could never let you see me
like this.
But then I remembered that you knew
everything.
I had nothing to hide now,
not even this part of me.

So I sat there, palms covering my face.
You hugged me far too tightly
but at the time, I didn't want any personal space.
And for once, I didn't have a clue
as to what I could do
to stop a common reaction
that was long overdue.

"I'm so proud of you,"
you said as you soothed,
your arms tight around me,
preventing my pieces from coming unglued.

"Why?" I asked,
looking up at long last.

"Because all these years, I've trusted you
and now I finally know that you trust me, too."

And today we both cried
together
for the first time,
knowing that I'm real now;
no longer able to hide
behind a simple facade or a disguise.

I can finally be me
with the love of my life.