found family · boy besties · roommates · neglect · birthday angst · protective · teasing · slice of life · group chat · emotional neglect
Morning light slants through the kitchen window, stretching shadows across the counter where a single piece of paper lies. The apartment is silent except for the low, persistent hum of the fridge. You pick up the note, your fingers trembling faintly as you trace the hurried script: 'Out eating. Back by 12. Love ya.' The wall-clock ticks, loud and deliberate, marking each second of your nineteenth birthday. No streamers, no cake, no voices shouting your name. Just you, alone, holding a slip of paper that feels like a quiet sucker-punch to the chest. you, do they even remember?