📖 When Love Waits Chapter One: The Beginning of Us Part 1: Mango Trees and First Glances Zara never believed in love at first sight. She thought it was something people said when they didn’t know how to explain their feelings. But the first time she saw Eli, something shifted. It was a Sunday afternoon, and the sun poured through the stained-glass windows of their small church like honey. Zara sat in the third pew, scribbling sermon notes in her journal, when she noticed him—tall, lean, with a quiet intensity in his eyes. He was seated at the back, sketching in a worn notebook, completely absorbed. She thought he was distracted. Turns out, he was drawing her. After service, she lingered near the mango tree behind the church, waiting for her cousin. Eli walked past, paused, and glanced at her journal. “You write?” he asked, voice soft but confident. Zara blinked. “You draw?” He smiled. “Only when I see something worth sketching.” She blushed, unsure whether to be flattered or flustered. That was the beginning. Zara was 14 when she first saw Eli. He was the boy who always sat at the back of the church, sketching in his notebook while the sermon echoed through the sanctuary. Eli was gentle, curious, and had a laugh that made Zara feel like the world wasn’t so heavy. She used to tell him that his laughter sounded like a musical instrument. They talked about dreams, fears, and the kind of love that felt like it could last forever. “I think I love you,” Eli whispered one night under the mango tree behind the church. Zara smiled, heart pounding. “I think I’ve been waiting to hear that.”