章節 54: Photograph

The door closed behind Ethan as he left, leaving the room in a heavy, quiet anticipation. Precious and her roommate sat on the edge of her bed, the phone screen between them glowing with the still image of Ethan's new video titled "Photograph."

"Are we watching it or what?" her roommate asked, barely containing her excitement.

Precious hesitated, her finger hovering over the play button. She had no idea what Ethan was up to, but knowing her brother, it was bound to leave her feeling all sorts of emotions.

"Fine," Precious muttered, pressing play.

The video began with soft piano chords, accompanied by Ethan's smooth, heartfelt voice:

Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes, but it's the only thing that I know.

The screen filled with grainy home videos—clips of a young Precious stumbling around in oversized shoes, giggling uncontrollably. Another showed her in a tiny tutu, spinning around until she fell over. Ethan's lyrics continued, weaving around the visuals with warmth:

We keep this love in a photograph. We made these memories for ourselves.

Precious' eyes widened as more clips played—her first day of school, holding her father's hand while her mother adjusted her hair. Another shot showed her blowing out the candles on a birthday cake, with Ethan, much younger, by her side, pulling funny faces to make her laugh.

Her roommate gasped. "That's you!"

Precious blinked rapidly, already feeling a lump in her throat. "Yeah," she whispered.

The video continued, showcasing more milestones—Precious running through sprinklers on a summer day, sitting proudly with a trophy in her hands, and waving from the stage during a school play. Ethan's voice carried the emotion of each moment:

And if you hurt me, that's okay, baby. Only words bleed inside these pages, you just hold me.

The music swelled as the screen showed teenage Precious, awkwardly grinning at the camera while Ethan gave her bunny ears. Another clip showed her graduation, Ethan cheering loudly from the crowd, his voice barely audible over the applause.

By now, Precious' cheeks were streaked with tears. She wiped her face hastily, but her roommate had already noticed.

"This is incredible," the roommate said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You have the best big brother ever."

Precious sniffled, a small smile breaking through. "Yeah… I guess I do."

The video ended with a final shot—a recent one of Precious, holding her acceptance letter to Harvard, with Ethan standing beside her, his arm draped protectively around her shoulders. The screen faded to black as the words "For Precious—always one of a kind." appeared in Ethan's handwriting.

Precious sat in stunned silence, her heart full and her tears flowing freely.

In the back of a sleek SUV, Ethan leaned back against the seat, finally allowing himself a moment to breathe. His phone buzzed with a notification, and he glanced at it lazily—until he saw the sender.

Precious.

Ethan opened the message, his smile softening as he read her heartfelt words:

Thank you for everything, Ethan. I love you.

He typed a quick reply, his grin widening.

I love you too, Presh. Always.

Before he could put his phone away, it buzzed again, this time with a call. Ethan sighed when he saw the name. "Bill," he muttered, picking up. "Hey, what's up? You know I was with my family."

On the other end, Bill's voice was apologetic but urgent. "Sorry, Ethan, but you need to come to the label. I've booked you a first-class flight for two. There's a surprise waiting for you."

Ethan's curiosity was piqued, but he kept his tone casual. "A surprise, huh? Alright, Bill. I'll see you soon."

As the call ended, Ethan leaned back into the seat, his mind already racing with possibilities.

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