I had been counting up to 10 until today
when I finally opened my eyes
and saw you hiding in between
the numbers that led to this moment.

when it was your turn,
you counted backwards from 10.
you kept your eyes open.
I thought you didn't understand the rules,
but when you reached zero,
you looked at me and said,
"ready or not, here I go."

you don't search for me
in everyone you meet
because if you found me in someone,
you would abandon them too.