She learned his footsteps before his face
The sound of keys meant hide your place
Her name stayed trapped inside her throat
Like saying it might make him notice her
His voice was never loud, just sharp
Like glass that cuts without a mark
Silence followed him like a rule
And love felt conditional, cold, and cruel
She cleaned her room like it was a test
Held her breath when she tried her best
Every mistake became a crime
Punished with looks that lasted time
She was a child who walked on air
Afraid to exist too much somewhere
Learned how to disappear in plain sight
So she wouldn’t ruin another night
He never hit her, and that’s the lie
Everyone says when they ask her why
But fear doesn’t need a bruise to stay
It just needs someone who looks away
She flinches when doors are closed too hard
Apologizes when she’s not at fault
Calls it respect, calls it control
Calls survival the shape of her soul
She grew into someone easy to blame
Let men raise their voices, call it the same
Because chaos feels like something known
And calm feels like being left alone
She dreams of screaming, but wakes up small
Still waiting for permission to feel at all
Still scared he’ll find her, even now
Even grown, even safe somehow
She doesn’t miss him, she misses peace
She misses the fear someday might cease
But fear has a memory, a voice, a name
And it sounds like his, and it feels the same
So if she loves you, it comes with tears
With shaking trust and borrowed years
Don’t ask her why she pulls away
He taught her love always ends in stay… quiet… behave