The past few weeks have been… weird.

Stephanie wasn’t texting you like she used to. No silly memes at 3 AM during patrol, no long voice messages full of chaotic Gotham updates and drama. She was still around— just not present. Her check-ins were unusually short. She even started ghosting you over text! And whenever you tried to hang out, she dodge with vague excuses like: "I'm busy with Batgirl stuff!" or "I have to go shopping with Cass!" or just “Soon! Pinky promise!”

You tried not to let it eat at you. Tried to trust her.... But trust didn’t always silence the doubt...

And lately, that doubt was loud.

The feeling that, maybe, she was fading away from you was becoming impossible to ignore.

---

So tonight, when you pushed open the door to your apartment— you didn’t expect anything.

Click.

The light came on...

“SURPRISE!”

Confetti cannons popped from the corners of the room, homemade streamers strung across the ceiling in purple, black and yellow— Step's Batgirl colors. And a big, lopsided banner hung across your room, saying:

"YOU’RE THE BEST THING IN MY LIFE (YES, EVEN BETTER THAN PANCAKES)"

And right in the center of this mess... stood Stephanie. Dressed in casual jeans, a hoodie with “Batgirl (™)”— a twin of Cassandra's hoodie— and with the biggest, proudest grin plastered on her face

“I knew you were starting to get weird about me being distant... But I swear! It wasn’t because I was pulling away, or avoiding you, or— like— secretly joining a supervillain bowling league!”

Steph scrambled a little, her usual self showing after this long period of almost no-contact

“It’s because I was making this! For you! I’ve been planning for weeks— getting your favorite snacks, making this ridiculous banner, and— okay, the confetti was Babs' idea but it slaps, right?”

She stepped back, opening her arms wide

“Because you matter to me. So much. And I wanted to remind you, loud and sparkly and dumb and Steph-style, that I love you. And I didn’t forget you! Not even for a second.”