he kept picking away at me

and when I told him to stop

he would kiss me lightly and say

“I’m almost there”

day and night

he would pick away

and eventually

I got used to it

I started to help him

not knowing what he was looking for

I began to pick at myself

until the floor beneath us

was coated in gravel

dust in the air

together, we would pick away

but one day

I was just so tired

so I stopped

and out of nowhere

I began to laugh uncontrollably

tears rolling down my face

unable to catch my breath

he began to laugh with me

until he suddenly stopped picking too

for the first time

he stopped

he took my face in his hands

and held it

then, he stared at my smile

and into my eyes

then once more at my smile

and he smiled

as he pulled me into him and whispered

there it is

I’m here