The first time we met, I never imagined all this would follow. You seemed almost oblivious, maybe even indifferent to my presence. I looked, I lingered, I smiled, and then I told myself to forget you. The second time was no different. You were on some errand, carrying that air of someone who hated every moment of it. I whispered a soft hey , and you glanced at me. My courage dissolved, and I walked away sheepishly. Still, I sat there, stealing glances, silently urging myself once again to forget. The third time, I entered a room only to find you there, quiet, still, radiant, seated across from me. And again, I wondered why fate always placed me in a position to watch you. Every fiber of me longed to sit beside you, to spill endless streams of random stories, to hear the sound of your laughter, even though I barely knew who you were, beyond the undeniable beauty I kept trying, and failing, to erase from my heart. Then came the heys , the shy smiles, the laughter that filled ...