'Til Death Do Us Part

I see you there,
The pain ripping you into shreds from the inside.
You cringe,
Out of fear for the inevitable,
Or the pain of leaving us behind,
I don't know.
You put on a calm, happy front,
But I can see through your mask.
As you try to stand,
You sink to the floor
Weak with exhaustion.
Within seconds I'm by your side
Helping you to chase away your fears.
I tell you "I love you,"
And "I'll miss you when you go."
She smiles and says
"Thank you, Jackson. I love you, too,"
Before she gently falls limp in his arms.
Tears well up in his eyes
And threaten to spill over.
"She's gone,"
He says as the tears begin to fall.
"My Maddie's really gone..."