Det var en kold vinterformiddag i hjertet af den hyggelige danske by.

It was a cold winter morning in the heart of the cozy Danish town.

Vinden nippede til næserne, og snefnuggene dansede langsomt ned fra himlen.

The wind nipped at their noses, and snowflakes danced slowly down from the sky.

Mikkel trak sin jakke tættere om sig og kiggede op mod den røde bygning foran ham.

Mikkel pulled his jacket tighter around him and looked up at the red building in front of him.

Valgcentret var næsten som en lille oase af varme i det kolde vejr.

The polling station was almost like a small oasis of warmth in the cold weather.

De mange lyskæder fra julen hang stadig fra loftet, og duften af friskbagt pebernødder fyldte luften.

The many Christmas lights still hung from the ceiling, and the scent of freshly baked pebernødder filled the air.

Mikkel havde lige fået lavet en operation, og bevægelsen var stadig vanskelig for ham.

Mikkel had just undergone surgery, and movement was still difficult for him.

Men hans vilje til at stemme var stærkere end nogen smerte.

But his will to vote was stronger than any pain. "

"Sofie, jeg ved ikke, hvordan jeg skal klare det her alene," sagde han med en let tøven, mens han lænede sig mod sin stok.

Sofie, I don't know how I'm going to manage this alone," he said with slight hesitation, leaning on his cane.

Sofie, der stod ved hans side, smilede opmuntrende.

Sofie, standing by his side, smiled encouragingly.

"Vi gør det sammen, Mikkel.

"We'll do it together, Mikkel.

Du er ikke alene."

You are not alone."

Hendes stemme var mild men fast, en påmindelse om hendes usynlige styrke.

Her voice was gentle yet firm, a reminder of her invisible strength.

De trådte ind i valgcentret, hvor lyden af glade samtaler fyldte rummet.

They stepped into the polling station, where the sound of cheerful conversations filled the room.

Folk diskuterede deres håb for det kommende år, og stemningen var næsten festlig.

People were discussing their hopes for the coming year, and the atmosphere was almost festive.

Mikkel kiggede på den lange kø og hans hjerte sank en smule.

Mikkel looked at the long line, and his heart sank a little.

Men han kiggede på Sofie, og hendes rolige blik gav ham styrke.

But he looked at Sofie, and her calm gaze gave him strength. "

"Sofie, jeg vil virkelig have, at min stemme tæller," sagde Mikkel og kæmpede med de modstridende følelser af beslutsomhed og sårbarhed.

Sofie, I really want my vote to count," said Mikkel, struggling with the conflicting feelings of determination and vulnerability.

"Det er derfor, vi er her," svarede Sofie og lagde sin hånd blidt på hans arm.

"That's why we're here," Sofie replied, gently placing her hand on his arm.

Hun ønskede at hjælpe uden at tage noget fra hans selvstændighed.

She wanted to help without taking anything away from his independence.

Skridt for skridt bevægede de sig fremad i køen.

Step by step, they moved forward in the line.

Mikkel fandt det udfordrende, men gav aldrig op.

Mikkel found it challenging but never gave up.

Øjeblikket da de nåede stemmeboksens åbning føltes som en sejr i sig selv.

The moment they reached the opening of the voting booth felt like a victory in itself.

Med et dybt åndedrag gik han ind og afgav sin stemme.

With a deep breath, he went in and cast his vote.

Da han kom ud, lyste hans ansigt af stolthed.

When he came out, his face shone with pride.

"Du gjorde det!"

"You did it!"

udbrød Sofie og krammede ham let.

exclaimed Sofie and hugged him lightly.

"Ja, jeg gjorde det," svarede Mikkel, hans øjne klare.

"Yes, I did it," Mikkel replied, his eyes clear.

Han følte ikke længere skam over sin afhængighed af Sofie.

He no longer felt ashamed of his dependence on Sofie.

I stedet forstod han, at der var styrke i at acceptere hjælp.

Instead, he understood that there was strength in accepting help.

De gik ud i vinterkulden, begge med en følelse af tilfredshed.

They stepped out into the winter cold, both with a feeling of satisfaction.

Sofie havde lært at støtte Mikkel på en måde, der styrkede hans selvbestemmelse.

Sofie had learned to support Mikkel in a way that strengthened his autonomy.

Mikkel indså, at den nye begyndelse ikke kun lå i året der snart skulle komme, men også i hans egen villighed til at åbne sig for andre.

Mikkel realized that the new beginning lay not only in the year soon to come but also in his own willingness to open up to others.

Sammen gik de ned ad den sneklædte gade, mens byen omkring dem langsomt forberedte sig på det nye år.

Together, they walked down the snow-covered street as the town around them slowly prepared for the new year.