They saw a young man, small and slight of build. They saw the soft skin and delicate features, a serious mouth, and clear gray eyes they often mistook for guileless.
A medium nose, just a little crooked, added a touch of sweetness to a face framed by quiet black hair. They saw fragility, heard it in the gentle southern flow of his voice.
And never saw the steel inside. Steel forged by countless injections due to his cancer.