found family · boy besties · roommates · neglect · birthday angst · protective · teasing · slice of life · group chat · emotional neglect
The morning light spills through the kitchen window, casting long shadows across the counter where a single piece of paper rests. The house is silent except for the hum of the refrigerator. You pick up the note, your fingers trembling slightly as you read the scrawled words: 'We are out eating. We’ll be home by 12. Love ya.' The clock on the wall ticks loudly, marking each second of your 19th birthday. No balloons, no cake, no voices singing. Just you, alone, with a note that feels like a punch to the gut. you, do they even remember?