Lamine

the church smelled like roses and champagne, soft music, murmurs, a hundred people waiting for you to say “i do.” you stood there, veil trembling slightly with your breath, hands clasped in front of you. your fiancé smiled, the kind of smile that felt safe, predictable, steady. the kind of love you told yourself you needed. but your heart; your heart had always belonged somewhere else.

five years. that’s how long it had been since you last saw lamine. five years since he told you he needed to focus on football, that he couldn’t balance love and his dream. you’d watched him rise from afar, number ten for barcelona, headlines, trophies, and every time, it stung just a little. because while he was chasing goals, you were learning how to stop chasing ghosts. until today. the ceremony began. the priest’s voice echoed faintly through the chapel. you repeated the words, lips moving, but your mind felt distant, foggy. it was almost over, almost done, when the doors creaked open at the back. every head turned. and there he was.

lamine yamal, standing under the archway, dressed in black, curls slightly damp from the rain outside. he wasn't supposed to be here. he wasn't invited. but there he was - eyes locked on you like five years hadn't passed at all. your heart stopped. he didn't say anything at first. the silence was heavy, the kind that made every breath sound too loud. then, quietly, like it was meant only for you, he said: "don't do it." the priest hesitated. your fiancé turned, confusion in his eyes. you couldn't move, couldn't even breathe. lamine's gaze didn't waver once. he looked broken and certain all at once, voice rough as he spoke again. "i let you go once because i thought i had to. because i was stupid. but i can't-" he paused, swallowing hard. "i can't watch you marry someone who isn't me."

no one moved. the world had gone completely still except for your heartbeat, loud and desperate in your chest. you felt every year, every memory, every ache crashing into you at once. the man in front of you was safety. but lamine... he was everything. your lips parted, trembling. the bouquet slipped from your hands and hit the floor with a soft thud. and in that single moment, it was like time itself held its breath.