and then she smiled.

he didn't know what to do, or say, or not do (or not say). he wanted to talk to her, to reach her in a place that no one had ever been able to before. to affect her.
but she sat silent. no response. no matter what he did, no response. so he moved further and further. he tried one thing, then another.
a body is at rest unless acted on by a force.
slowly, slowly, she started to move. first a twitch of an eye. so small that it was almost not detectable, but it was there.
he noticed it anyway. saw it there. he was waiting for it, observing every reaction, and so he noticed it. maybe, to him, it even seemed bigger than it actually was, because he was so waiting for it.
nonetheless, it was a sign. he had succeeded. he had made her move.
so he kept going, encouraged by this small triumph.
guess he was on the right track. guess he was doing something right.
but it still wasn't enough. he wanted more. he knew that she was capable of being wholly moved. she had been before, see. and he knew he was capable of moving someone wholly. he had done it before, see. so he kept on trying and trying. anyone else would have given up, but he thought it worth it to try.
why?
he kept on trying, not really knowing why, but having an inclination that if he just held out a little more, he would find out.

and then
finally
she smiled.
that's why, he thought.