May be fake.

Today was a lesson in how I cannot,
Protect you as much as I'd like.
For you to partake in the world,
I have to keep moving my spike.
Everything is a bargain,
To receive there must be a price.
I'm trying not to be so reactive,
I'm trying to listen to advice.
My fear is from love and good intentions.
I feel like you suffer enough,
I don't want you to have more battles,
When you already have it quite tough.
I do know we'll have to take risks,
Ones I'm not always ready to take,
So sometimes when we're stretching those boundaries,
My encouraging smile may be fake.