Later that day, she came to the photography exhibit. I showed her the wall of student portraits I had taken—candid moments of joy, focus, and laughter. One photo was hidden in the corner.
It was of her, taken during one of our study sessions. She was laughing, surrounded by sunlight and notebooks.
"You took this without me knowing?" she asked.
"Yeah," I admitted. "It was just… perfect."
She looked at the picture for a long time.
"Can I keep it?"
"Of course."
She folded the print and held it close to her chest. "Thank you."