[ Although she doesn't see his expression, his tone is weaker than she'd ever heard it before.
She struggles with a decision. Should she leave? If she leaves, then perhaps she can get someone else, someone whose presence he might tolerate more to help him, if she's too much of a nuisance to him.
But if she leaves, it would be repeating the same mistakes from before. If she leaves, he will be yet another friend who so dearly needs help turning away. (What can one do, when pleas do nothing but fall on deaf ears? It feels too familiar.) Yet if she leaves, he will be alone in his struggle, possibly as he's always been. He'll shut down his struggle, probably as he's always handled. He won't learn that others can be there for him, too, to share in that very same struggle, to help him through it, and to not judge him for it.
She knows he can leave at any time, if he truly, desperately wishes to be alone. So she gambles, making the courage and effort to take a few steps forward instead. ]
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She struggles with a decision. Should she leave? If she leaves, then perhaps she can get someone else, someone whose presence he might tolerate more to help him, if she's too much of a nuisance to him.
But if she leaves, it would be repeating the same mistakes from before. If she leaves, he will be yet another friend who so dearly needs help turning away. (What can one do, when pleas do nothing but fall on deaf ears? It feels too familiar.) Yet if she leaves, he will be alone in his struggle, possibly as he's always been. He'll shut down his struggle, probably as he's always handled. He won't learn that others can be there for him, too, to share in that very same struggle, to help him through it, and to not judge him for it.
She knows he can leave at any time, if he truly, desperately wishes to be alone. So she gambles, making the courage and effort to take a few steps forward instead. ]
Please... I'm here for you.