When I ask if she’s alright, a long silence follows. She eventually nods her head up and down, but it is far from convincing. I keep my eyes locked on hers and try to read her thoughts. She finally lets her guard down and stops nodding, letting her bottom lip pout just the slightest amount. That’s when I know it is bad. She is one of the strongest person I know, and she shares her emotions with a very select number of people. This small gesture of weakness is a dead giveaway. I take action immediately and leap up onto her bed. I wrap my arms around her and take her in for a gigantic bear hug. I try to absorb her troubles and replace them with light and positivity as I tighten my embrace. She lets her head lightly drop onto my shoulder, and she keeps it there. She doesn’t reciprocate the hug, but it’s okay. We sit there in silence for awhile, and eventually she sits up and looks at me. I make a weird face, and she cracks a smile. We laugh it off. She turns a new page and decides to leave him in her past.