I LOVED YOU IN SILENCE

The alarm rang before sunrise. Kristi quietly folded her blanket, listening to her parents argue in the next room.

Her mother was upset because she felt her father never took proper responsibility for the family. Sometimes she even suspected that he cared more about other people than his own family. Whether it was true or not, kristi didn't know."

She was simply tired of hearing the same arguments.

Without saying anything, she got ready for school.

After putting on her uniform and packing her bag, She walked toward the door.

" I'm going to school, Mom," she said softly.

Her mother turned towards her.

"Okay, my honey. Take care."

"Okay, Mom."

Kristi smiled faintly before leaving the house.

The morning air was cool, but it did little to improve her mood.

When she arrived at school, the hallway buzzed with students, but she barely noticed anyone.

Kristi was the kind of student every teacher admired. She excelled in academics, won competitions, played sports with quiet determination, and rarely drew attention to herself. She wasn't loud, nor was she the center of every conversation. She simply existed...like a gentle breeze that people often overlooked.

Behind her calm smile, however, was a heart that carried more than anyone knew.

As she walked through the corridor, a familiar voice called out.

" Hey, kristi! Come here!"

It was her one and only friend, Minni.

Normally, kristi would have stopped, but today she kept walking.

Minni immediately noticed something was wrong.

She hurried after her.

" What happened, my friend?" Minni asked. "Is it your parents again?"

Kristi sighed.

" Yes, Minni."

She looked exhausted.

" I'm really tired. They always argue. Sometimes I feel like they forgot they have a daughter.

Minni stayed quiet as kristi continued.

" My mom cares about me sometimes, but she's always worried about her own problems. And my father...kristi paused. "Sometimes it feels like he completely forgot he has a family."

She lowered her eyes.

"I'm really tired, Minni."

Minni gently touched her shoulder.

"It's okay, kristi. Come on, we have class. We're already late."

"You go ahead," kristi replied. "I'll come later."

Minni nodded.

"Okay, don't think too much."

Then she walked towards the classroom.

Kristi walked toward the school garden for some peace and quiet.

She grew up in an ordinary middle-class family. Her parents loved her in their own way, but they were strict. Home was filled with expectations rather than comfort, and discipline rather than warmth, whenever she wanted to share her feelings...the words would disappear before they reached her lips. So Kristi learned to smile. To everyone else, she looked perfectly fine.

Inside... She carried every emotion alone.

It was just another ordinary school morning. The corridors echoed with laughter. Students hurried between classrooms while teachers prepared for another day.

Kristi walked towards the school garden.

The cool morning breeze gently brushed against her face. She took a deep breath, hoping it would calm the thoughts in her mind.

She stood quietly, looking at the flowers and trees.

Then...

Her eyes stopped on someone.

A girl was standing beneath the morning sunlight near the garden.

Elegant.

Graceful.

Beautiful without trying.

Her name was catherine.

She had transferred from another city only a few days earlier. Two years older than kristi, Catherine had already become someone everyone noticed. She was intelligent, talented, confident, and effortlessly charming. Wherever she walked, people naturally looked her way.

She didn't notice the quiet girl standing a few steps away.

Her heartbeat suddenly became faster.

For a moment, everything around her felt quiet.

She didn't understand what she was feeling.

It wasn't admiration.

It wasn't curiosity.

It was something much deeper...

Something she had never experienced before.

Just then, the school bell rang.

Kristi blinked and quietly walked back to her classroom.

From that day onwards, every school morning became different.

Without realizing it, she began looking for catherine in every hallway, every staircase, and every corner of the campus.

Sometimes she would only catch a glimpse of her passing by. Sometimes she would see catherine laughing with her friends beneath the old trees.

Those tiny moments somehow became the brightest part of her day.

Catherine never knew.

Not once did they truly meet.

Yet every single day, kristi quietly waited...

Just to see her.

Days passed.

Weeks passed.

Soon, the semester came to an end and summer vacation arrived.

The school gates closed.

The familiar hallways became quiet.

And catherine disappeared from kristi's everyday life.

Kristi didn't know where catherine lived.

She didn't have her phone number.

She didn't even have the courage to say hello.

All she had were silent memories of someone who never knew she existed.

Every evening, she found herself looking up at the sky, wondering if they would ever meet again.

One night, she folded her hands and whispered a small prayer.

"God ... If we were meant to meet again...please let me see catherine one more time."

"Just once."

"This time... I want the courage to walk towards her."

The summer wind carried her words into the quiet night.

Some prayers disappear into the sky.

Others...

Wait patiently for the right moment to come true.

A few days later, another argument filled the house.

Kristi quietly sat in the living room while her parents spoke loudly in the next room.

"I don't want to stay in this house anymore," her mother said.

"This house has nothing to do with our problems," her father replied with frustration.

"It does. Ever since we moved here, nothing has gone right. I feel like this house carries negative energy."

Her father let out a tired sigh.

"You believe everything except the real problem".

Kristi listened silently.

She didn't believe the house was the reason for their arguments.

Changing the house won't change anything, she thought

People have to change.

She didn't say these words aloud.

She simply remained quiet, just as she always did.

A few days later, they began packing their belongings.

Kristi carefully placed her books into a box while her parents packed the rest of the house.

By evening, everything was ready.

The next morning, they moved to their new home.

It was farther away from kristi's school, but the neighborhood felt peaceful.

Tall trees lined the streets.

The cool breeze carried the scent of fresh leaves.

Birds sang from the branches, and everything felt calm.

For the first time in a long while kristi smiled a little

"I like this place," she whispered to herself.

The next morning, kristi woke up and walked onto the terrace to enjoy the fresh air. It was the end of summer, and a light drizzle had begun to fall.

As she looked around, her eyes slowly drifted towards the house opposite.

Someone was standing quietly on the terrace, holding an umbrella and watching the rain.

Kristi's prayer had been answered.

She was catherine.