I was sleeping when I had the uneasy sense that someone was observing me. When I opened my eyes, there was no one except a pile of gifts on the table next to my bed. I couldn’t figure out who had piled them. I took one of the presents, which said, “Happy Birthday Love.” Today is my birthday, and I just realized it.

I hadn’t celebrated my birthday since the day my parents died. I hadn’t found any cause to rejoice in years, but I wondered who had kept these gifts. I was immersed in thoughts as the windows slammed shut against the cold air, sending shivers down my spine. I had left the windows open.

I was about to close the windows when someone hugged me from behind, wishing me a happy birthday. It was “He”, my only best friend, the one on whom I could cry my heart out, the one on whom I could always trust, but I never told him about my birthday. He clasped my hands in his and asked me to marry him. I couldn’t say no since his tone was so emotional. The overpowering silence of the night enveloped us, and love blossomed out of our hearts.