Zima je obavijala Rijeku hladnim rukama.

Winter enveloped Rijeka with its cold hands.

Snijeg se nježno spuštao na ulice, stvarajući bijeli pokrivač.

Snow gently descended upon the streets, creating a white blanket.

Učenici su se okupljali u velikom holu internata, koji je bio smješten na brdu s pogledom na ravnodušno sijedi Jadran.

Students gathered in the large hall of the boarding school, which was situated on a hill overlooking the indifferent gray Adriatic Sea.

Škola je svaki kutak ukrasila umjetničkim radovima učenika, pripremajući se za godišnju zimsku izložbu.

The school decorated every corner with students' artwork, preparing for the annual winter exhibition.

Ivana je sjedila sama u kutu učionice, skicirajući sliku koja joj nije izlazila iz glave od kad je saznala za izložbu.

Ivana sat alone in the corner of the classroom, sketching an image that hadn't left her mind since she learned about the exhibition.

Nasmiješena lice njezine majke bilo je tu, ali svaki put kad je pogledala crtež, činilo joj se da majka nestaje u oblacima tuge.

Her mother's smiling face was there, but each time she looked at the drawing, it seemed as if her mother was vanishing into clouds of sadness.

Marko je došao i sjeo pokraj nje, donoseći topli čaj.

Marko came and sat beside her, bringing warm tea.

"Što crtaš?

"What are you drawing?"

" upitao je oprezno, bojeći se poremetiti njezino razmišljanje.

he asked cautiously, afraid of disrupting her thoughts.

Ivana je slegnula ramenima.

Ivana shrugged.

"Pokušavam naslikati majku.

"I'm trying to paint my mother.

Želim joj pokazati da mogu.

I want to show her that I can.

Da sam jaka.

That I'm strong."

"Marko joj se osmjehnuo.

Marko smiled at her.

"Uspjet ćeš.

"You'll succeed.

Tvoja je umjetnost uvijek bila posebna.

Your art has always been special."

"S druge strane učionice, novi učenik, Petar, radio je na ogromnom platnu.

Across the classroom, a new student, Petar, was working on a huge canvas.

Njegove ruke kretale su se brzo i sigurno, ostavljajući iza sebe slojeve boje.

His hands moved quickly and confidently, leaving behind layers of paint.

Cijela škola pričala je o njegovom talentu otkad se pridružio njihovoj klasi.

The whole school had been talking about his talent since he joined their class.

Ivana je znala da se mora usredotočiti na svoje, ne obazirući se na tu zahtjevnu konkurenciju.

Ivana knew she had to focus on her own work, not paying attention to this challenging competition.

Bila je svjesna da u Petrovim potezima kistom leži tehnička preciznost, no ona je željela prenijeti emociju, stvoriti poveznicu sjećanja.

She was aware of the technical precision in Petar's brushstrokes, but she wanted to convey emotion, create a connection of memory.

Kako su se dani zime zgušnjavali, napetost u školi rasla.

As the winter days grew shorter, the tension in the school increased.

Večer izložbe konačno je stigla.

The evening of the exhibition finally arrived.

U dvorani su se okupili učenici, profesori i roditelji.

Students, teachers, and parents gathered in the hall.

Atmosfera je bila ispunjena iščekivanjem i suptilnim mirisom boje.

The atmosphere was filled with anticipation and the subtle scent of paint.

Petar je izložio prekrasno djelo apstraktne umjetnosti koje je privuklo puno pažnje.

Petar exhibited a beautiful piece of abstract art that drew a lot of attention.

Njegovo je korištenje boja bilo fascinantno, no Ivanina slika nosila je u sebi priču, intimu.

His use of colors was fascinating, but Ivana's painting carried a story, intimacy.

Kada je došao trenutak za nju, Ivana je uzela dubok dah i postavila svoju sliku na postolje.

When her moment came, Ivana took a deep breath and placed her painting on the stand.

Na platnu je bio prikazan jednostavan prizor iz njezina djetinjstva, ona i majka ispod velikog drveta, licem prema moru.

The canvas depicted a simple scene from her childhood, her and her mother under a large tree, facing the sea.

Mnoštvo je utihnulo.

The crowd fell silent.

Bilo je dirnuto iskrenošću prikaza.

They were moved by the sincerity of the depiction.

Na kraju večeri, Petar je osvojio prvo mjesto.

At the end of the evening, Petar won first place.

Ali Ivana je dobila posebno priznanje za emocionalni utjecaj i snagu svojeg rada.

But Ivana received a special recognition for the emotional impact and strength of her work.

Iako nije pobijedila, osjećala je majčinu bliskost, ponos u vlastitom srcu.

Although she didn't win, she felt her mother's closeness, pride in her heart.

Marko joj je prišao, rukujući se od sreće.

Marko approached her, shaking hands with joy.

“Ponosan sam na tebe,” kazao je, pritom skrivajući svoje prave osjećaje.

“I'm proud of you,” he said, while concealing his true feelings.

Ivana je napokon shvatila da je njezina umjetnost postala most prema prošlosti, prema majci.

Ivana finally realized that her art had become a bridge to the past, to her mother.

Iako tuga nije nestala, sada je znala kako je izraziti i doprijeti do ljudi.

Although the sadness hadn't disappeared, she now knew how to express it and reach people.

Odlučila je nastaviti slikati, svjesna da svaki potez kistom nosi dio njezine priče.

She decided to continue painting, aware that each brushstroke carried a piece of her story.

Petar je nakon izložbe prišao Ivani.

After the exhibition, Petar approached Ivana.

"Tvoje djelo me inspiriralo," kazao je tiho.

"Your work inspired me," he said quietly.

Ivana ga je zahvalno pogledala, prepoznajući u njemu prijatelja u umjetničkoj potrazi.

Ivana looked at him gratefully, recognizing in him a friend in their artistic pursuit.

Zima je nastavila šaptati svoje ledene priče izvan škole, no Ivana je sada znala da može pronaći toplinu i svjetlost u svojoj umjetnosti.

Winter continued to whisper its icy tales outside the school, but Ivana now knew she could find warmth and light in her art.

A Marko?

And Marko?

On će čekati pravi trenutak, sve dok Ivana ne bude spremna čuti njegovu iskrenu vijest.

He will wait for the right moment, until Ivana is ready to hear his sincere news.