Beautiful All Along

The photographer sent over several more unedited shots. None had been retouched or filtered. They were simply photos of me from different angles.

I was simply standing there, but there was a light in my eyes that I barely recognized.

"You have great features. You just tense up whenever you look into the camera," he said.

Whenever Ethan photographed me, he'd ask the same question. "Could you at least try to smile naturally?"

After only a few shots, he'd lose patience and lower the camera. "Forget it."

Then he'd frown and complain, "Why are you always so awkward in front of a camera?"

He repeated it so often that eventually, I believed him. The moment someone raised a camera, I'd duck my head or turn away, already certain I'd look terrible.

My phone buzzed.

My roommate had forwarded me Chloe's social media post. It featured a nine-photo grid of graduation pictures, all taken by Ethan. Chloe stood beneath a tree, the breeze catching her hair perfectly.

"Graduation photos by the photography club president. I'm so lucky."

People had commented below the post.

"These could go straight into an admissions brochure."

"Chloe looks like the lead in a college romance."

Chloe replied with a bashful emoji. "He's amazing at making people feel comfortable in front of the camera. When I couldn't smile, he kept joking around until I laughed."

As I zoomed in on each photo, my eyes began to sting.

It wasn't that Ethan didn't know how to guide someone or help them relax. He had simply never made that effort for me.

Just then, a notification from the college's official social media account appeared.

"Admissions Ambassador Casting Call

Submit a headshot and a one-minute video introducing the campus. The selected student will be featured in next year's admissions video."

I swiped it away without a second thought. Anything that put me in front of a camera had never felt meant for me. After all, Ethan had told me countless times that I wasn't photogenic.

The photographer messaged me soon afterward. "Did you see the casting call?"

I hesitated before replying, "Yeah."

"You should apply."

My thumb froze above the screen. "I don't think I'm right for it."

His response came almost immediately. "Trust me. No one would be a better fit."

A few seconds later, another message appeared. "They're not looking for the prettiest person. They're looking for someone who can make people picture themselves here."

I stared at the messages for a long time.

Then he sent me a nine-day production plan that gave us three days to get me comfortable on camera, three days to film around campus, and three days to edit the footage into a one-minute video.

I suddenly felt like crying.

The truth was, I had always loved having my picture taken. But over the four years Ethan and I had been together, I had grown more and more afraid of the camera.

The next day, Ethan spotted my application form the moment I walked into the photography club room.

He frowned. "Nina, you actually applied?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

He reacted as if I had just told him a joke. "You're applying to be the admissions ambassador? Don't do this just to prove a point over those graduation photos."

Chloe, who was sitting beside him, gave me a gentle smile. "There's nothing wrong with staying behind the scenes, Nina. Being the face of a campaign comes with a lot of pressure.

"If you don't photograph well, people online can be cruel."

In the past, that would've been enough to make me back down.

This time, I simply put the application form away. "Whether I photograph well is for the college to decide. You don't get to eliminate me before they do."

Ethan's expression hardened. "Why are you being so stubborn?"

Just then, my phone lit up with a message from the photographer.

"Meet me at the library's west entrance at 4:00 pm. We'll shoot our first set. You don't need to do anything special. You look best when you're just yourself."

I looked down at the message and took a steadying breath.

Then I looked up at Ethan. "I've already got a photographer."