Her

Part 23

 I rose from my seat, and then suddenly she was here, her arms around my neck. She was shaking, and I knew she'd barely made it through the afternoon. It was torturous watching her struggle to hold herself together, see the sparkle of un-shed tears in her lovely eyes, knowing I was the only one who saw her, knowing all either of us could do was wait. Wait until every last student had filed out of her classroom before she could love me, before I could make her smile, before I could kiss her. Her now released tears were soaking through my shirt, and I held onto her shaking frame, steadying her, keeping her from slipping away. Time never passed when I was with her. She pulled back after awhile, her eyes read, her tear-streaked cheeks blotchy from crying, and I knew, I knew I'd never seen anyone so beautiful. I held her face in my hands so gently as if she were thin glass that might shatter, caressing her incredible face tenderly. I stroked her soft skin beside her lips with my thumb, and she finally smiled weakly. I smiled too, and brought her face to mine, my kisses giving her all I had.