Monsters are real

An every day chore/activity can trigger a trauma for a child you love.
You look in their eyes and they are a million miles away, lost in the memory, reliving the pain of the past like it was happening in the present. You want to soothe and coax, hoping they’ll come back to you. Not ever knowing the details of what really happened and so scared that your touch will make it worse by reminding them of another that brought pain. You just stay. You never leave. Looking in their eyes for any connection, for that moment when they look down that dark hall of pain and fear that they are in and see that you are still there. Coaxing and soothing. You see the glimpse of them. Looking for a way out. You smile and lean forward. Praying they’ll trust you. Hoping that they can see it’s you and not the memory. That they can come back to you to escape the darkness and be safe.
Oh yes, monsters ARE real and they CAN hurt you.