It was a Sunday morning, and as usual, I didn’t go to church. I was sitting outside, lost in thoughts about my life when she approached. She was dressed in a stylish African-print skirt and top. She didn’t look like a typical church girl—she had a tattoo on her ankle, a double piercing, a red-dyed haircut. She was different, and her beauty topped it all.

"Hi, I always see you here on my way to church. You should join me next week. I'm not taking no for an answer," she said boldly. I laughed, speechless at her confidence.

“Okay?” I replied.

"Have a nice day," she said as she walked away. Strangely, I found myself looking forward to the next Sunday, eager to see her again. True to her word, she stopped by, smiling as she noticed I’d dressed up.

"Good boy," she said, and I joined her. "So, what's your name?" she asked as we walked.

"Abeka," I replied.

"I'm Aseye," she said.

"Aseye," I repeated, trailing after her. During the service, she sat at the front while I preferred the back, where I could watch her without distraction. She was there to worship, and I was there to admire her. At the end of the day, we were both worshipping something.

"So, I'll see you next Sunday, right? I’ll stop by again," she said after the service, giving me no option to say no. I was more than happy to agree. Before I knew it, I’d become a devoted churchgoer, and it was all because of Aseye. For a year, I’d wanted to tell her how I felt but was terrified it would ruin our friendship.

Finally, I decided I had to tell her. The fear of holding in my feelings felt worse than risking it all. After church one day, I planned to approach her, but she beat me to it, wearing her usual smile.

"Guess what, Abeka," she said excitedly.

I raised my eyebrows. "I can’t guess, tell me!"

“Curtis, the pastor’s son—you know him, right?” she asked, beaming. I nodded. “Well, I accepted his proposal today. He says we’ll get married soon.”

“Since when was he chasing you?” I asked in shock.

She laughed. “He’s always been interested; I was just giving him a hard time because I thought he was too good for me.”

That night, I went home in disbelief. I felt like I’d had a chance. Why did I wait so long? I cried hard in my room, then tried to pretend I was fine. My nightly prayer became, “God, let them break up.” I was going through heartbreak over someone I’d never even dated. But instead of breaking up, they announced their wedding, and I was even an RSVP on their invitation card.

I guess the saying is true: a man who sticks around a beautiful woman without proposing will end up fetching water at her wedding. Though I’m happy for Aseye, I still wish she were mine. Sigh.