I've told her a few times that it's her smile. And it's entirely true. Her eyes might have caught my attention, but it was her smile that was burned into my heart. That first smile, just amazing. it wasn't even a full smile, just a tiny one. One where only the corner of her mouth lifted, the most minuscule amount. But it was a smile nonetheless. There was hesitation, maybe a little anxiety and awkwardness behind it, but who's to judge? It was a day when I hadn't seen a smile, a true one, anyways. Everyone with their fake holiday cheer, acting like they were doing the world a fucking favor. No one acting as they normally do, irritable and not caring. So her smile? It was the best smile I'd ever seen. And I loved it. It was a small treasure, one that can't be measured by worth in gold... And whatever happens, it will always be one of my most treasured memories.
"All because she smiled at me. But it was a damn good smile. A genuine one, which is hard to come by these days. Especially when you're me..."
"I'm still here, and I'm grateful, because otherwise I would be missing this. Sometimes it's good to be awake.
'So not today,' I sing. 'Because she smiled at me.'"
Theodore Finch, All the Bright Places, By Jennifer Niven