And then my mother was there, pulling me into her arms. For a moment, she said nothing, just held me tightly, her hand stroking my hair. When she finally spoke, her voice was thick with emotion. “You werebornfor this, mwana wangu lesa ni ba bwino,”Child of mine God is so good,she whispered.
And that’s when I saw them.
It took me a moment to register, my vision blurred by the glare of the lights and the sweat clinging to my temples. But there, near the back of the theater, a cluster of figures stood out against the sea of faces.
Wynter.
He was tall, unmistakable even at this distance, with his sisters on either side of him. But it wasn’t just their presence that struck me—it was what they were holding.
Posters.
Brightly colored, handmade posters, the kind you’d expect at a children’s talent show, not a ballet performance. The edges were uneven, the lettering bold but slightly crooked, as though they had been made in a rush or with hands that trembled.
Wynter’s poster was different. The words scrawled across it in bold black marker sent a shock through me, freezing me in place:
Aku Cinta Kamu.
I love you.
The letters were shaky, uneven, like he hadn’t trusted his hands to get it right, but they were unmistakable. The sight of them knocked the air from my lungs, my heart twisting painfully in my chest.
The applause around me swelled, but I couldn’t hear it anymore. My eyes locked on him, on those three words written in my language, and the weight of everything hit me all at once.
Wynter’s face was illuminated faintly by the golden light spilling from the stage. He wasn’t smiling, not in the way I was used to seeing. His expression was open, raw, and unguarded, his eyes glassy with something that looked suspiciously like tears.
His sisters stood beside him, holding their own signs—cheerful messages of congratulations that were bright with glitter and stickers—but it was his that held me captive.
My heart ached, the tears I’d fought to hold back now pricking at the corners of my eyes. The magnitude of the moment swelled in my chest, threatening to overwhelm me.
Foryears, I had dreamed of being here, on this stage, performing the role of a lifetime. For years, I had worked tirelessly, poured everything I had into my craft, into proving to myself that I was worthy of this moment. And now, with the applause of a standing ovation ringing in my ears, all I could see was him.
Wynter, holding a sign that told me everything I had wanted to hear for so long. I couldn’t help but tear up, placing my hand on my stomach to ground myself. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.This love I felt so deeply had overcome me, and was finally being reciprocated.
Finally, he stepped forward, his movements hesitant but deliberate. He stopped in front of me, close enough that I could see the faint sheen of tears in his eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” he apologized, his voice low and raw.
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “For what?” I shook my head in sheer disbelief. “I thought I was the crazy one?”
“For everything,” he pleaded, the words breaking slightly as they left him. “For making you wait for me for so long. For not seeing you the way I should have—for all the years I spent fighting for fleeting achievements that didn’t matter in the end. I was too blind to notice the beautiful, incredibly talented girl in front of me.”
My breath caught, a lump rising in my throat. “I thought I was too self absorbed for you, Winnie.”
“Screw all that bloody humility these competitive spaces we’re in uphold. There was a time when I thought that I wanted the kind of girl who was much like myself and deliberately didn’t boast about her fortunes. But I was wrong. I don’t want someone like that, Ineedsomeone who knows how fucking hard they’ve worked to get to where they are, who isn’t afraid to show the world what they deserve. Someone who’s proud, doesn’t let the opinions and wants of others get in the way of themselves and their career. I admire you for the athlete that you are, I’m incrediblyenviousof you and entirely undeserving.” He kissed the back of my hand, setting his poster down.
“Wyn…”I muttered.
“You have known me. You have seen me. Therefore you have loved me,” he continued, his voice trembling. “You loved me so completely, so quietly, and I was the one too selfish, too caught up in my own world to see it. And when I finally realized it, I ran.I pushed you away at your first fault when all you ever did was stay through all of mine.”
The tears came then, unbidden and hot, slipping down my cheeks as his words cracked something deep inside me.
“I don’t deserve you,” he said, his voice breaking now. “But if you’ll let me, I’ll spend every day of my life—years, eons—earning your love. Because I love you more, Yesoh. I love you in a way that terrifies me. I love you in a way I never thought I could after I lost my sister.”
I shook my head, wiping at my tears even though they wouldn’t stop. “You idiot,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “You can’t beat me when I’ve loved you since I was thirteen.”
“Can you two bloody stubborn athletes just kiss and make up already? I used my best glitter pens on you!” Bae called out, cupping her hands around her mouth.
He laughed softly, a sound that was equal parts joy and heartbreak, and reached into his jacket pocket.
