What Do You See?

"Whatcha lookin at, babe?" He was slouched on the bed, watching his wife. They'd only been married for a few weeks, and he was still getting used to all of the little things she did. It was one thing to be engaged to someone, but it was entirely another to be married to and living in the same house as that person.

She was scrutinizing herself in the mirror, turning slightly and looking at herself. Every now and then, she'd lean closer to the mirror, inspecting herself closely.

"Things," she said.

He got up off the bed, walked behind her and wrapped his bare arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. She smelled like lavender, with a slight touch of rose petals.

"What sort of things?" he asked. She seemed unhappy.

"Just...things," she answered, still looking at her reflection.

His brow furrowed; she was definitely unhappy.

"Come on. You can tell me."

She hesitated for a moment.

"Well, look at all of those freckles. They should be gone by now, don't you think? Summer left months ago. And how about my hands? They're too rough! I wish they were softer, but I've always got so much to do. And I've got these horrid circles underneath my eyes. If they keep getting bigger, I'll look like a raccoon." As she critiqued herself, focused on her reflection, his face steadily saddened, his deep brown eyes concerned.

"Stop," he said. She did. Staring at the mirror, they both stood still for a moment.

"Don't you see anything you don't like when you look in the mirror?" she asked, peering into his face. "Isn't there anything you'd change about yourself."

He stood, unblinking, thinking. Then, he spoke.

"Well, let me stand by myself for a moment." She moved away from him, and he looked at his reflection, at the way his arms hung by his sides, at the way his ruffled hair stood straight out in some places.

"No," he mumbled. "No, I don't see anything. There's nothing. Come here, babe."

"You mean to say that you don't have anything you don't like about yourself?"

"No, that's not what I mean. Not at all. Just come here, and look into the mirror with me."

She did. He wrapped his arms around her again, feeling the warmth of her body against him.

"Wait. There's something."

She smiled slightly, "See, I knew there had to be! Now what don't you like?"

"I like everything in that mirror."

"But...but I thought you said you saw something you didn't like!"

"No. What I meant is that I see nothing when I'm only looking at myself in that mirror. But when you come over..."

"What do you mean? Do you mean to say you see something wrong with me?"

"No. When you aren't in that reflection with me, I see nothing. There is nothing there, nothing at all. Not anything good, anyway. I'm hollow without you, I'm empty without you. I'm nothing. But when you're there, I see everything. I see everything that matters to me. You are something, babe, because you are my everything. You're perfect. You're just...perfect. When you're in that mirror with me, I like everything I see. But when you're not, I see...nothing."

They stood looking in the reflection for a few more moments.A single tear splattered from her cheek onto the hardwood floor.