You Didn't Know, I Didn't Know Either

There are moments that don't feel important when they happen.
Just small, ordinary seconds you could've ignored.

A glance.
A voice in a crowd.
A number on a jersey.

That's how it was for me.

He was just another face on the court - someone I wasn't supposed to notice.
But then he looked up, and somehow, the world slowed... just a little.
Just enough for something to settle quietly inside my chest.

Not loud.
Not dramatic.

Just there.

And I don't know when it started,
but suddenly - I was looking for him in places I didn't expect:

In the echo of footsteps down the hallway.
In the laughter of the group across the cafeteria.
In the corner of the room during assemblies.
In my sketchbook.

A stranger I did not ask for.
But one I could no longer ignore.

I didn't know it then.

But this-
this was the beginning.