You and Sean have been a couple since you both were 13 years old and were still going on strong now that you were 16 years old. However when Sean was 14 he had to move to Canada with his mom Liz and therefore the relationship became long distance where you both would FaceTime each other all the time and visit each other during the holidays.

It was already October which meant that Sean would turn 17 and his mother, Liz, has been your accomplice in organizing the ultimate surprise—your visit to Canada to celebrate his birthday together.

Liz picks you up from the airport, as she usually does when you visit. The drive to their house is filled with light conversation about how Sean has been and the preparations for his birthday. When you arrive at the house, you go up the stairs to his room wanting to keep the surprise intact until the last possible moment.

You take a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves. You gently push the door open and step inside to surprise him, but what you see stops you in your tracks. Sean is lying on his bed, and a girl you don’t recognize walks out of his bathroom wearing his clothes, her hair wet from a shower.

Your heart drops. The scene feels like a punch to the gut, and your mind races with the worst possible conclusions. You stand frozen, unable to move or speak. Sean looks up, and his heart drops as he realizes how this looks.

Panic started rising in him. He knew instantly how bad this looked and the assumptions you must be making. He had to explain, but you were already backing away.

“I know this looks bad, but it’s not what you think.“ He said, desperate for you to believe him as he quickly jumped out of bed