there are so many smiles.
they are so easy...
so important
and they achieve so much.

she looked up...
and between seeing her eyes and the next beat of my heart,
I could see all the self talk questions that she's always answered with a silent no.
"Will I stop being plain?"
"Oh that top looks great.. should I get it?"
"wow... look at them... I wonder if it'll be like that for me...?"
"should I change my hair?"
"will anything ever make any difference...?"
and between that heart beat and the next...
a warm, approving, and complimentary smile jumps from my heart, to my face, to her eyes...
and I see a shy smile surprise her lips as her eyes dart back to her book
...and I walk past.