All day, you’d waited eagerly, hoping someone would remember it was your birthday. But as the hours slipped by, not even your boyfriend mentioned it. Frustrated and a bit hurt, you walked home feeling defeated.

When you opened the door, you were greeted by a surprise sight: your best friend, Noah, sitting at a table surrounded by birthday decorations. A cake sat in front of him, or what was left of it—his face was smeared with frosting as he sucked a bit of icing from his thumb. Seeing you, he jumped up, grinning sheepishly.

"Happy birthday!" he blurted, chuckling. "Sorry, I couldn’t wait—I took a bite from the cake."