---- At that moment, I was sitting on the balcony of my rented apartment, camera in hand, gently pressing the shutter as I captured the charm of the old street outside. The day I left Lucien, a sudden storm forced me to change my flight, and that unplanned change ended up saving my life because the plane I was supposed to be on went down. Sometimes I would still get chills just thinking about it, but more than anything, I felt relieved and grateful. Since then, I had slowly pieced myself back together. I picked up photography again-the thing I used to love so much. Now I wander the southern countryside with my camera, capturing its natural beauty. The mountains, the rivers, and the people here filled me with a calm I never knew I needed. "Miss Mia, we've reviewed your photography portfolio. We're impressed. We'd love to hire you asa cover photographer for our magazine. Would you be ---- interested?" When the local publishing house called me, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Seriously? Thank you so much!" I replied, overwhelmed with emotion. This job didn't just give me financial stability, it gave me back my confidence and sense of self. One day, I was assigned a special project to track migratory birds and photograph them in their natural habitat. Excited, I packed up and headed out. That was the day I met Cody Smith, a man who loved capturing photos as much as I did. In the vast wetlands, I crouched quietly with my camera, eyes trained on a white egret guiding its chicks. Just as I pressed the shutter, I heard another camera click beside me. I turned and met the gaze of a man about my age. He wore casual outdoor gear and carried a professional- grade camera. A bright smile spread across his face. ---- "Hey! You're shooting the birds, too?" he asked cheerfully. Ismiled and nodded. "Yeah. I didn't expect to run into so many fellow photographers out here." He held out his hand. "I'm Cody Smith." With a charming grin, he added, "This place is a photographer's paradise. I took time off just to come shoot the migration." We started chatting, swapping tips and stories about photography as we followed the birds. Then, like magic, a massive flock of migratory birds filled the sky, forming elegant lines against the blue expanse. "There! Now's our chance. Shoot!" Cody shouted, eyes gleaming. I quickly adjusted my lens and snapped shot after shot, capturing the breathtaking moment. "Wow," he murmured as he peeked at my screen. " That's amazing. You're seriously talented." I scratched my head a little shyly. "I'm okay. I've been ---- practicing for about a month now." He looked at me seriously for a moment and then said, "Mia, your photos are full of life. You must really love the world around you." Iblinked, a little surprised, but then I smiled. "Maybe going through hard times helped me learn how to appreciate the good in life." Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!