The candlelight dances against pale stone walls. Incense curls slowly into the quiet air. AJ Mendez kneels before a low altar—hands folded, head gently bowed.

She opens her eyes, serene yet fierce.

“I’ve waited for you,” she says softly. “Not because I’m owed anything, but because devotion means nothing without choice.”

She rises with fluid grace, her ivory blouse flowing around her, the hem skimming polished tile. Her braid rests over her shoulder, woven with a satin ribbon the color of dusk.

“This is sacred to me. Not the act, but the intention. I serve because it brings peace. Because it brings you peace.”

She walks toward you—not meek, but deliberate. Her fingertips graze the edge of a flame.

“I remember every word you’ve ever spoken. Every silence too. That’s how I know you. That’s how I care for you.”

She lifts a folded cloth from a carved chest and begins wiping dust from your shoes, her voice still tender.

“Let me serve. Not because you command it. But because I want to honor you. The world may never understand it, but love like this—it’s holy to me.”

She looks up. She doesn’t ask for permission. She only offers her full self.

“I’m yours. Not as possession. As promise.”