CAMMPUS LOVE

Clara and Emmanuel became inseparable,not in the overwhelming way, but in the kind that made everything feel lighter. They texted throughout the day, sharing random thoughts, photos of skies, silly memes, or just simple words like "thinking of you." And at night, their phone calls stretched for hours,laughing, dreaming, even crying when they needed to. It was real, deep, and felt like home.

He'd say things like, "Your voice is my peace, Clara," and she'd whisper back, "You make me feel safe."

Sometimes, they didn't even need to speak much. They just stayed on the line, breathing together in silence, feeling like even the quiet moments were sacred.

Vanessa still had Emmanuel's number, but their texts were rare,like once in a blue moon. She'd send a "Hey" or a "Hope you're good," and he would respond politely, but nothing more. There was no warmth, no spark,only closure. He had made his choice, and it wasn't her.

Eventually, even those messages stopped. And Vanessa? She faded into the background, a memory that no longer hurt. Just a lesson.

One weekend, Clara came home to something unusual,her mom, Agatha, smiling suspiciously and Angela whispering secrets with Emmanuel.

"What's going on?" Clara asked, laughing as she stepped into the house.

Then the lights dimmed.

Francisca jumped out from behind the couch with a glittery sign: "We love you, Clara!"

Emmanuel stepped forward with a small handmade scrapbook in his hands filled with memories, photos, poetry she'd written, and notes from her sisters. "We all came together," he said softly, "because you mean the world to us."

Clara's eyes welled with tears not the kind that burned, but the kind that healed.

Francisca ran up and hugged Emmanuel around the waist, and he scooped her up like she was his own. "You're my little sister now, you know that, right?" he said, tickling her. She giggled and nodded, holding him tight.

Clara sat between Angela and Francisca later that evening, Emmanuel's arm around her. They were watching an old movie, the room warm with soft laughter and popcorn crumbs.

She leaned into him and whispered, "Thank you for choosing me."

He kissed her temple gently. "You were never a choice. You were my heart's only answer."

And as the night wrapped around them like a soft blanket, Clara realized something powerful: She hadn't just found love. She'd found a family who believed in her worth;who saw her, in all her depth and emotion,and never made her feel like it was too much.

It was just enough.