I think now is the time to talk.

I am getting married to this girl soon,
And she has been with another.

Not by her choice,
but by that of a man that was bigger than her,
but didn't act that way.
He pushed her down.
He pushed himself in.
And, though he says he regrets it now,
that man committed an act that took away a young woman's rights,
confidence,
and most of all, trust.

She was strong.
I admire her for that.
She pushed up her chin,
and turned up the corners of her mouth
while she could have, should have been turned upside down.

I helped, I think.
Tried not to act as though my insides weren't ripped clean from my body.
Tried not to act as though we lost something only the two of us should have ever shared.
Tried not to show the anger, the rage, the resentment that boiled inside.

But there was only so much I could do.
I wasn't there.
I couldn't stop it.
I couldn't put up a fight.
I couldn't take a swing in the name of the one I love.

But no matter.

We cried.
We cried.
We cried.
We cried.

We talked.
We talked.
We talked.
We talked.

We built.
We built.
We built.
We built.

We built a palace on top of this rubble.
And now we're going to live in it
for the rest of our time on this earth.
So here's to you,
you rat-bastard shell of a man.
I hate hate hate hate hate you,
but you've brought me closer to the only one I want to be near.

And for that, I suppose, I forgive you.