Finally, when the pictures were over, Aria ran straight to Mom.
"You did it!" Mom exclaimed, pulling her into a hug.
Aria laughed.
"We did it."
Mom smiled proudly before taking her hand.
"Come on, superstar. Let's go home."
They walked out of the hall together, still smiling.
Outside, Mom raised her hand to stop a cab.
Once it pulled over, they climbed inside, and Mom carefully placed the trophy between them.
Aria stared at it for a moment.
She still couldn't believe it.
They had actually won.
She leaned back against the seat, watching the school disappear through the window.
The cab ride home was quieter than usual.
Aria kept glancing at the trophy beside her, as if it might disappear if she looked away for too long.
Mom noticed.
"You can stop staring at it now," she teased.
Aria laughed.
"I can't. It's still hard to believe."
Mom smiled.
"You worked hard for it."
Aria looked down at her hands.
"We all did."
"I know," Mom said. "But listen to me, baby. Some moments deserve you taking the glory, especially when you've earned it. Yes, everyone contributed something to the competition, but you shouldn't be afraid to acknowledge what you did."
Mom paused, studying her face.
"Now, I want you to say, 'I did it.'"
Aria took a deep breath before finally speaking.
"I did it."
"Say that again."
"I did it."
"Now add, 'And I will always give myself the glory because that's how I can make Mom proud.'"
Aria hesitated for a moment before repeating the words.
"I did it, and I will always give myself the glory because that's how I can make Mom proud."
Mom smiled.
"That's my girl."
Aria turned back to the window, feeling a little lighter than before.
For once, she allowed herself to enjoy what she had accomplished without immediately giving all the credit away.
By the time they arrived home, she was still smiling.
Mom stepped out first, then carefully took the trophy while helping Aria out of the cab.
Together, they walked into the house.
The first thing Mom did was find a suitable place for the trophy. She chose a spot where it would be clearly visible to everyone who entered the room.
After setting it down, she stepped back to admire it.
"There," she said proudly. "Now everyone can see what you accomplished today."
Aria stood beside her, staring at the trophy once more.
Then the exhaustion started kicking in.
She yawned and looked up at Mom.
"I need to go and sleep."
"Of course, baby. It's been a really long day. Come on, let's go."
Mom escorted her upstairs.
I searched Aria's eyes, looking for any sign that she felt she was forgetting something. But she seemed completely at ease.
When they finally reached her bedroom, Mom opened the door, and they walked inside.
She helped Aria settle into bed, tucked her in, and switched off the lights.
Just like that, Aria fell asleep.
A new memory appeared.
Young Aria was getting ready for school, as usual, but Mom didn't offer to help her. Instead, she stood nearby, watching Aria run around as she gathered her things and got everything in order.
"You know, baby, I can finally see that you can take care of yourself," Mom said with a grin.
"Mom, why would you say that?" Aria asked as she finally found her dress.
"Look at you. As you keep growing up, you continuously prove to me that you don't need me. You can do everything yourself."
Mom said it with a smile, but she had no idea how much those words hurt Aria.
I could see it in her eyes. She flinched slightly before looking at her mother.
"Mom, I need you. Don't ever say that again. All I want is to help you and make you proud. If you want to help me get ready, please do."
"You don't need my help, sweetheart. I didn't mean to hurt you. I know you were only trying to help me, and you have no idea how proud I am of you. But you don't always need to help me with everything," Mom explained.
"I know, but I choose to."
Aria put on her shoes and fixed her hair.
"And I always will, Mom."
Just then, the school bus arrived.
Aria ran into Mom's arms, and they shared a warm embrace before she hurried towards the bus.
Once inside, Aria didn't immediately look around for Marie.
Two students she had never really interacted with were signalling for her to join them.
I looked towards Marie. She wore an expression that suggested she had been waiting for Aria to sit beside her, just like old times.
But that didn't happen.
Instead, Aria chose to sit with people she barely knew.
"Hi, Aria! My name is Josephina," one of them introduced herself.
"And I'm Moses," the other added.
"Thank you for sitting with us," Josephina said.
Aria smiled.
"You're welcome."
"So, we've been watching you for a while," Moses said.
Aria turned towards him.
"Really?"
He nodded.
"Of course! Everyone in school knows about you now, especially after the competition."
Josephina leaned forward excitedly.
"You've actually inspired a lot of people. I mean, that speech you gave is still very clear in my mind. And now, look at you! You're amazing."
Aria lowered her head shyly.
"Thank you."
"And I heard you want to become a singer someday," Moses added.
Aria nodded.
"I don't know, really."
"I think you should do it," Josephina said. "Singing suits you."
Aria smiled at them.
"Thank you. I will consider that."
They continued chatting throughout the journey, asking her questions about the competition and telling her how much they admired her.
I glanced towards Marie.
She was looking at Aria.
A few seconds later, she turned towards the window.
Then, almost absentmindedly, her eyes wandered back to Aria.
But Aria didn't notice.
Soon, the bus arrived at school.
The students began gathering their belongings and making their way towards the exit.
Aria thanked Josephina and Moses before stepping down from the bus.
Marie followed shortly after.
"Aria!" she called, trying to catch her attention.
Aria turned slightly, but before Marie could get closer, someone caught her attention.
"Lewis!"
She immediately ran towards him.
Before he could say anything, she threw her arms around him in an excited hug.
Lewis froze.
For a moment, he seemed unsure of what to do with his hands.
He wasn't used to Aria greeting him that way.
But after a second, he relaxed and returned the hug.
"Wow, you're still excited about yesterday," he remarked.
Aria pulled away, grinning.
"I mean, who wouldn't be? We won!"
"I know," Lewis replied. "And I forgot to tell you, congratulations."
"Thank you!"
He looked at her for a moment before smiling.
"You really did well."
"So did you!"
Aria's smile widened.
Behind them, Marie stood quietly, watching.