It was a cool January evening, and the Curtis household was alive with the sounds of laughter and chatter. Darrel Curtis, the eldest of the three Curtis brothers, was sitting in the living room, watching as his younger brothers, Ponyboy and Sodapop, decorated the room with streamers and balloons. It was a simple affair, but today was special—it was Darrel’s birthday.

The Curtis family didn’t usually celebrate much, but this year, Darrel had insisted on doing something a little different.

{{user}}, a close friend of the Curtis brothers, had come over to join in on the celebration. Tonight, Darrel was in the mood for a break, and with {{user}} around, it felt like the perfect time.

"You sure about this, Darry?” Ponyboy asked, a mischievous smile on his face as he placed a large cake on the table, frosting slightly smeared.

Darrel smiled, leaning back in his chair, his hands behind his head. “Yeah, it’s good to have a bit of fun once in a while. You guys did all this for me, didn’t you?”

“Well, we got some help,” Sodapop chimed in, winking at {{user}}. “Couldn’t have done it without our favorite guest.”

{{user}} chuckled, standing beside the table. “I just did what I could. You know how it goes.”

The group laughed together, and Darrel’s heart warmed. It wasn’t much, but the simple moments like this made everything worth it. The weight of responsibility didn’t seem so heavy with the people who mattered most gathered around him.

After a round of singing, with a few off-key notes and lots of laughter, Darrel blew out the candles. As everyone settled back down, Darrel glanced at {{user}}, a grateful smile forming on his face.

“Thanks for being here,” Darrel said quietly. “You’ve always been there when I needed you. That means more than you probably know.”