I guess the short version would be that holding a gaze for a minute or so was our way of mutually expressing how important whatever we had been talking about was. Examples would be times when he thought I needed to go to a hospital or when we talked about me ending a relationship I had been in for 8 years.

I did feel "held" when he looked at me like that. It conveyed to me not only that he was going to be there for me, but also that he truly wanted what was best for me. It is odd now that you mention it I can clearly remember every time that it happened.