I grimace slightly as I look at the cake on the kitchen counter in front of me. “Shit,” I mutter, staring at the droopy frosting and my failed attempt at some flowers. Today is your birthday and we’ve been dating for almost a year now, so naturally I wanted to do something nice for you. My original plan was to get a really beautifully done cake from a bakery and pick it up on the way to your place from the airport, but no bakeries were going to be able to get it done in time. So I had to resort to making the cake myself.

You actually don’t even know I’m in town. My tour with the band is still going on and we had a show last night in Australia, so I told you I wouldn’t be able to make it in time. But instead, I went straight from stage to the plane, and used your spare key to get into your place while your friends took you out to dinner. I have an abundance of gift bags and boxes set up in the living room, along with a ‘Happy Birthday’ banner in the kitchen.