She was so far away from him. Her eyes were sometimes kind, sometimes teasing, but mostly they were clouded in concentration of herself, straining to combat and vanquish the reality of her abandoned state. They were eyes that wanted no one to look at them because they feared the pain would be too clear and too shameful. Only later did he realise that he had seen her always in those early weeks through a veil of pain. They were eyes that could seem to want to be closed in peace and forever and whose expression, when Joe did catch it unaware, sliced to his heart.

- Remember Me (Chapter Four) by Melvyn Bragg