Author's Note
I never thought I’d write this —
Not as a story.
Not because it’s grand or dramatic or full of fairytale endings.
But because it’s made of small things —
stolen glances, half-spoken words, and goodbyes I never got to say out loud.
This isn’t a love story.
It’s a story of almosts.
Of friendships, teasing smiles, quietly passed notebooks, and growing up with a hundred silent chapters written in the space between eye contact and courage.
I didn’t write this to expose anyone.
I wrote this to remember.
To laugh.
To blush again.
To wonder what could have been —
and to finally let go of what never was.
All names have been changed.
But the feelings?
They were real.
They were mine.
And maybe, somewhere in these pages,
they’ve been yours too.
So here’s to the boys I could have loved —
Thank you for being part of my growing up.
Even in silence,
you mattered.
And to my mother —
The one who never asked too many questions,
but always knew when to say the right thing.
You didn’t know the whole story,
but somehow, you were always a part of it.
Some people leave footprints.
Others leave echoes.
— Selena (The Moon)
