You and Joe had been friends way back in high school. Life took you down different paths for a while, but somehow, you ended up in the same city again.

You’d always been a bit alone, never many close friends, and your family was far away so Joe became the one who was actually there.

It was around 7 pm when you finally got home from work. You were drained, barely holding yourself together, trying to ignore the fact that today, of all days, was your birthday. You didn’t expect anything. You never really did.

But when you opened the door, something was different.

The lights were soft. The kitchen and living room were decorated with little streamers and fairy lights, and Joe stood in the middle of it all, turning to you with that familiar, boyish smile.

“Hey,” He said gently, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Happy Birthday.”