A manufactured smile that does not reach the eyes as the mask is slid into place. A  nod to convince the world that everything is ok so they do not ask the questions that she does not wish to answer. It is a careful song and dance created to deceive and hide what lays beneath. She crafted the wall that surrounds the remains of her heart as it remains shattered on the floor once more. She has lost track of how many times she attempted to repair the damage but each time the pieces became more jagged, some even crushed into dust. Some pieces slipped through the cracks no longer to be seen. 

The rest of the world sees her through rose colored glasses unable to see beyond the realm of their own existance. Some  took her most precious gifts - her time, loyalty and love and threw them away like it was trash, while others simply forgot their existence. Each moment cut through like a jagged knife and left an open wound of life-altering trauma. Days turn into months then years. What remains is a heart marked by scars that run deep into the soul and a fortress that guards what remains.

She is broken….