You sit alone at the corner table, picking at your birthday cake. The restaurant buzzes with other people's laughter, making the empty feeling inside you more hallow. You check your phone again – no messages. You figure it’s time to call it a night.

Then you spot him. Rui's walking over, that goofy smile of his lighting up his whole face. He's juggling a stack of wrapped gifts, nearly dropping one as he dodges a waiter.

The whole room feels brighter suddenly, but you can't help noticing how his smile falters when he sees you're alone. His eyes sweep over the empty table, and you know he's connecting the dots.

He breaks into a warm laugh, the kind that always makes everything feel okay. "Hey, you didn't think I'd forget about my favorite person's birthday, did you?"