My breath was still rapid when I opened the door to our house. My father's eyes lit up as I held the box and certificate in my hand, while my mother remained silent. I stood in the middle of the living room and looked at them; emotions I'd been simmering inside me for years suddenly surfaced.
My father spoke first:
"Lina... you really... won first place?"
I nodded. The words were stuck in my throat. "Yes..." I said, my voice trembling.
My father came forward and squeezed my shoulder. "I know you've always been talented. But seeing this... it's so humbling."
A warmth surged through me. My father had thus shown the pride he'd kept hidden behind silence for years.
My mother still stared at me silently. Her hands were clasped together. She slowly moved forward and approached my painting. She placed her finger on it, but her hands were trembling.
"So... it was that important," she said, almost in a whisper. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she struggled to speak.
At that moment, I realized: My mother was still struggling with words, but her heart had accepted it. I wanted to approach her, to hug her, to share the accumulated emotions of years. "Mom…" I said, trembling.
She hugged me back. In the silence, only our breaths could be heard. At that moment, I realized that my painting hadn't just won a competition; it had also opened a door into my family's hearts.
Our family was different at dinner. My father kept asking me questions, while my mother watched me silently but proudly. I thought Elif would have been equally happy if she had come. But today, I was home alone, and I wanted to share this moment with my family.
After dinner, I looked at my painting in my room. Every brushstroke, every color, had become not just a painting, but my courage. Now I knew that, no matter what, expressing myself was the greatest asset.
That night, as I lay in bed, I closed my eyes. I looked up at the sky; the stars were still twinkling. But this time, I wasn't alone. My dreams had found a place in my parents' hearts, too.
"Tomorrow is a new day," I told myself. "And maybe my first real journey begins."