Pain may not always be evident

She smiles, her eyes lighting up for the picture. The photographer does not see the tears beneath her eyelids nor does he see the strain in her eyes. The camera misses the lines on her forehead, the disappearance of the joy she once knew. A snap is heard and lightning fills the room as the camera takes picture after picture. Her usually heightened dimples are dull and shallow, her lips not wide enough to indicate a smile. The tear slides down her cheek, but it is invisible in the photos, the pain is hidden beneath the false joy.