𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐘, ᵁᴺᴰᴱᴿᴳᴿᴼᵁᴺᴰ ᴿᴬᴾᴾᴱᴿˢ & ᴿᴬᴾᴾᴱᴿˢ

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, 015

IN WHICH... HE COMFORTS HER ON HER BIRTHDAY

TODAY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SPECIAL, BUT IT HAD TURNED INTO A NIGHTMARE.

My birthday... a day that should've been filled with love and joy that was ruined by my parents. They never liked Devokeyous, and when I moved out and got an apartment to move in with him a year ago, they practically disowned me. Still, I hoped they'd at least call to say "happy birthday." But nah, they hit me with the same old bullshit instead.

I sighed, leaning against the window of the uber. I pulled out my phone, hoping for a distraction, but the sight of no new notifications made my chest tighten.

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I COULDNT HELP BUT THINK BACK TO THE ARGUMENT EARLIER.

"Yo, Ma, it's my birthday. Can we not do this today?" I pleaded, my voice already shaky.

"Y/N, you made your choice. Don't expect us to celebrate with you while you're living with that...boy," my mom spat out, the tone in her voice stinging more than usual.

"That boy has a name, Ma. And he's been there for me more than y'all ever have," I shot back, feeling my anger bubble up.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me, young lady!" my dad chimed in, his tone cold. "You left us for him. You made your bed, now lie in it."

Tears welled up in my eyes. "Y'all are fucking unbelievable. I just wanted a simple 'happy birthday,' but I see y'all can't even manage that." I hung up before they could say anything else, not wanting to hear more of their bullshit.

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THE UBER PULLED INTO MY STOP, AND I WIPED MY EYES, GIVING THE MONEY, AND TRYING TO PUSH THE ARGUMENT OUT OF MY MIND.

The walk upstairs felt like a marathon, each step heavier than the last. My vision was blurry from the tears I tried to hold back, and by the time I reached the door, I was exhausted.

I fumbled with the keys, finally managing to unlock the door. As soon as I stepped inside, I froze. The whole house was decorated—balloons, streamers, and a huge "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" banner hung across the living room. The smell of my favorite food wafted from the kitchen. Devokeyous stood in the middle of it all, a proud grin on his face.

"Happy birthday, fine shyt," he said, his voice soft and filled with love.

The tears I'd been holding back all day finally spilled over. I rushed to him, burying my face in his chest as I sobbed. He held me tight, his hand rubbing soothing circles on my back.

"I can't believe you did all this," I whispered, looking up at him with red, puffy eyes.

"You deserve it, ma, but I wanted to make it special for you."

I kissed him, pouring all my gratitude and love into it. When we finally pulled apart, he wiped away my tears.

"So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" he asked, his eyes sparkling.

"Honestly, just being with you is the best thing I could ask for," I replied, smiling through the remnants of my tears.

He smiled back, his love for me evident in his eyes. "Then let's make the most of it."

We spent the rest of the day together, forgetting about the world outside. We ate, laughed, Devokeyous gave me a hundred dollars, and we spent hours talking about everything and nothing.

As the night wore on, we cuddled on the couch, watching the city lights twinkle through the window. I realized that despite everything, this was one of the best birthdays I'd ever had. Not because of the decorations, but because of the love and effort Devokeyous put into making me feel special.

"Thank you," I whispered, my head resting on his chest.

"For what?" he asked, his fingers gently running through my hair.

"For loving me. For making today amazing despite everything."

He kissed the top of my head. "Always, fine shyt. Always."