The Things We Almost Said

[Verse 1] You stood inside the doorway Like the house still knew your name I moved the coat you used to hang there Neither mentioned what had changed You said traffic had been awful I said work had kept me late We gave the room our smaller truths And made the larger ones still wait [Refrain] The things we almost said Stayed between the chair and door Not silence, not forgiveness Something neither could ignore The things we almost said Were louder than our words [Verse 2] You laughed and for a second Nothing between us felt destroyed Then the quiet closed around it Like it frightened off the noise I told you I’d been sleeping You looked down instead of lying Neither one of us said, “I’m okay” Neither one of us stopped trying [Refrain] The things we almost said Stayed between the chair and door Not a promise, not an ending But impossible to ignore The things we almost said Were louder than our words [Bridge] I was lonely beside you I made you lonely too Love was never absent We were absent from the truth Don’t give me another promise Don’t ask me what this means Give me one honest sentence That doesn’t hide between [Final Build] I almost said, “I still love you” You almost said, “I know” I almost asked if this could live You nearly asked me not to go I almost blamed the distance You almost blamed the years Then neither of us used them To explain why we were here So say one thing we can stand behind Not forever, not goodbye I still care I’m still scared I won’t call either one a lie The things we almost said Are finally drawing breath Not enough to heal the distance Too alive to bury yet [Ending] At the door, you turned and asked me, “Is there something else?” I said, “Yes. But not tonight.” It was honest, If nothing else.