He said "I love you",

and repeated,

and repeated,

when he kissed away the tears,

and kissed away the pain that night.

He said "Shhhh. It's okay",

and repeated,

and repeated,

when we saw the two faint lines appear.

But he never committed,

the father figure in him.

He never ensured,

a promising life for our new stranger.

Because he only said,

how valuable our youth was,

and reminded me,

the cost of a newly profound struggle.