Her last words before she left

Not Amazing

Not Great

But Fine 

Words that fell from lying lips

Slid through clenched teeth to give us the relief and calm we needed

Appease our minds

then silence laced with muted pleas, a deafening silence

How didn't we hear it?

It was in the way she moved

In all the words she held locked within the confines of her mind

In the masked pain, the fake smiles 

It was in her stalled breath

In her long sleeves covering the build up

It was in the way she called for help only to be told

"People like us don't get depressed"

It was in the way the fire once in her eyes died 

As she looked up and told us

"I'm fine"