I saw the utter paralyzing pain in his eyes

So much of the identity he had constructed to represent himself today, was a product of the attachment to an idea of who they were together
Like a cartoonist he painted a separate reality with broad romantic stokes
One where she existed for him
While he did not admit this to himself, it was true
Because when she was her own woman
He no longer possessed her

Did he truly love her?
Or did he love the image and feeling of being attached to her?
Could he simply appreciate the time they shared?
Or would he spend every present moment worrying and ensuring that she would stay with him through the future?

Although he was with her for years
He was rarely ever truly WITH her
He was only with the image he projected onto her
The image of girlfriend
The image of wife

And he was never truly himself
He was the image of boyfriend
The image of husband

So when these illusions fell away
And she went on to live a life free of his expectations
His world fell apart
He lost his role
He lost his identity
He lost his life