Chapter 33: Courtyard Set-Up
Lucia didn't expect the group chat to explode the way it did.
It started with one message from Maya.
Maya:"So… Valentine's Day is coming. Who's tired of pretending they don't care?"
Lucia stared at her phone, lying on her bed, sunlight slipping through the blinds. She smiled despite herself.
Before she could reply, another message popped up.
Andre:"I care. I just don't want to admit it publicly."
Tasha:"Too late. I already bought fairy lights."
Lucia sat up.
Fairy lights?
Her heart gave a small, nervous flutter.
Lucia:"What fairy lights?"
Three dots appeared almost immediately.
Tasha:"For the courtyard. Don't act surprised."
Lucia blinked.
The courtyard?
The same small courtyard in their apartment building—the one with the old benches, the struggling plants, and the string of lights that hadn't worked in years?
Lucia:"Why the courtyard?"
There was a pause.
Then Maya replied.
Maya:"Because some people need a little push."
Lucia exhaled slowly.
She had a feeling she knew exactly who they meant.
By late afternoon, the courtyard no longer looked like the forgotten space Lucia had known for months.
It was transforming.
Andre stood on a ladder, carefully looping fairy lights along the railing while complaining loudly.
"I just want everyone to know," he said, "that if I fall, this better be worth it."
Tasha rolled her eyes from below. "Relax. You're like three feet off the ground."
Maya was arranging candles—battery-powered, thankfully—on the tables, humming softly to herself.
Lucia stood near the edge, holding a box of decorations, feeling both included and exposed.
"You okay?" Maya asked gently, noticing her quiet.
Lucia nodded. "Yeah. Just… didn't expect all this."
Maya smiled knowingly. "That's the point."
Lucia glanced around.
Pink and gold streamers fluttered lightly in the breeze. Soft music played from someone's speaker—low, warm, romantic without being obvious.
It felt intimate.
Intentional.
"Who's this really for?" Lucia asked quietly.
Maya met her eyes. "Who do you think?"
Lucia looked away, her cheeks warming.
"I didn't ask for this," she said.
"I know," Maya replied. "But you've spent so much time giving everyone else space to grow. We figured it was time someone gave you a little magic."
Lucia swallowed.
She thought of Jin.
Of the notes.
Of the patience.
Of the way he never rushed her, never demanded more than she was ready to give.
"What if he doesn't come?" Lucia asked softly.
Tasha overheard and smiled as she tied a ribbon to a chair.
"Then we still eat cupcakes and pretend this was always the plan."
Andre climbed down the ladder. "But he's coming."
Lucia looked at him. "How do you know?"
He shrugged. "Guys know things."
Maya laughed. "No, they don't."
As dusk settled in, the courtyard began to glow.
The fairy lights flickered on one by one, wrapping the space in soft gold light. Shadows danced gently on the walls. The air felt warmer, lighter.
Lucia stood in the middle of it all, her heart beating faster with every passing minute.
She kept checking the entrance.
Trying not to.
Failing.
"You're doing that thing," Tasha teased.
Lucia frowned. "What thing?"
"The pretending-you're-not-waiting thing."
Lucia sighed. "Am I that obvious?"
"Yes," all three friends said at once.
Lucia laughed, covering her face.
"I just—" She stopped, searching for the right words. "I don't want to expect something and end up disappointed."
Maya stepped closer, her voice gentle. "You're allowed to want things, Lucia."
Lucia nodded slowly.
That was something she was still learning.
Then the courtyard gate opened.
Lucia's breath caught before she even turned around.
She felt it.
That quiet shift in the air.
Jin stepped inside, dressed simply—dark jacket, hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the space with visible surprise.
He froze when he saw the lights.
The decorations.
Her.
Lucia turned fully toward him.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"This…" Jin said finally, his voice soft, almost disbelieving. "This is beautiful."
Maya clapped her hands. "Our work here is done."
Andre nodded. "Yep. We're leaving before it gets emotional."
One by one, her friends slipped away, throwing Lucia encouraging looks as they disappeared inside.
The courtyard grew quiet again.
Just the two of them.
And the lights.
Jin walked closer, stopping a respectful distance away.
"Did you know about this?" he asked.
Lucia shook her head. "Not until today."
He smiled. "Figures. They're sneaky."
She laughed. "They are."
A comfortable silence settled between them.
Not awkward.
Just full.
"I almost didn't come," Jin admitted. "I thought I might be reading too much into things."
Lucia met his gaze. "I'm glad you did."
He nodded. "Me too."
They stood beneath the lights, the city humming softly around them, both aware that this moment—quiet and simple—meant more than any grand gesture ever could.
Love didn't need fireworks.
Sometimes, it only needed fairy lights, a courtyard, and two people brave enough to show up.