42

I walked down the hallway, stopping before entering the dining room, where Ryan and Nia were sitting in silence, with Ryan attempting to say something but struggling to find the words.

"Sister Nia..."

"You can just call me Nia."

"Nia..." the boy repeated, letting out a nervous chuckle. "I made this especially for you, what I promised."

He took something out of his jacket pocket and placed it on the table, allowing me to see it was a wooden figurine - a perfectly carved representation of my friend's face.

My eyes widened in amazement as I watched Nia's face light up upon taking the artifact.

"It's amazing," she murmured, running her slender fingers over every detail of the sculpture. "Thank you, Ryan."

"Sister..." he stammered awkwardly. "Nia, I know we have many years between us, but from the moment I first saw you, I fell in love with you. I think you already knew, but I wanted to tell you directly. I know I can't give you much compared to other guys, but what I've felt for you all t