you are beautiful

you think I'm beautiful. i didn't believe it at first. you said it at the least glamorous times. dirty hair and dark eyes smoking cigarettes downstairs. snow-soaked with smeared mascara at the greek restaurant. sleep-eyed and bed-headed after a long, sweaty night. at first i thought you were making fun of me.

but i look at you the same way. i love those moments no one else sees. i love you most at those imperfect, unexpected, stolen moments. sleeping sweetly on your side when i get home late at night. feverish and vomiting with that 24-hour virus. albert einstein hair on your way to the shower. those moments make you mine. i think when you say you are so beautiful, you are really saying how beautiful this thing that we have is.

and i think it is beautiful too.