The nuisance with nuance.

"I can't sleep if I hear you cry."

I suppose the meaning of that sentence is very dependent on how it is spoken.

If I said that the words were spat at me with an accusatory prickle, then it stands to reason that my crying is annoying: something that even burying ones head into pillows couldn't drown out. It would clearly be telling me to keep the volume of my wails to a level that sleeping ears couldn't register, lest I be an inconvenience.

However, if the words were spoken with earnest softness, and the throat-catching twang of disbelief, then it suddenly is a sentence of utter care. Said in such a way, I would know that my cries cannot be ignored because the pain causing them requires addressing with compassion. It would mean there is someone who values my comfort over their rest, or at least enough to delay their rest until the tears subside, and perhaps we will even rest together in a safe embrace?

Yes, it's obvious how much the tone I was told this line in is imperative in deciphering the meaning.

Unfortunately, I was sent it over text.