Tracing Memories

22: P r e s e n c e

I still remember the first time I celebrated my birthday with you by my side. It's true that you were there during the Junior High years as well and we all had a lot of fun together but now, things were different. You weren't just my friend, you were more than that.

And that is why my mind was brimming with expectations as I lay in my bed, the night previous to my birthday, thinking about the possible adventures I could have with you. I would celebrate my birthday with my family in the evening because it had always been that way and I liked it, but before that, I had the whole day. I hadn't shown any specific enthusiasm towards my birthday but I was curious about your plans.

The clock struck twelve and my phone started buzzing incessantly with messages from my friends. I immediately replied to all of them thanking them and telling how I missed them.

When I was done replying to everyone, I realised I hadn't received a text from you. This confused me slightly. I checked my message list again in case I had missed yours but nothing came up. I started wondering what was wrong. My mind started racing to every possible reason for this and soon I was engrossed by this thought chain.

Suddenly I heard something hit the glass panes of my window. I was startled by this noise resulting in me freezing in my place to listen more intently. A couple moments passed, and then...

a second clink.

At this, I jumped out of my bed swiftly and ran towards the window to find out what was going on.

I was taken aback as I saw you standing in the garden. You had a small box with you.

"Oh my God!What are you doing here?" I exclaimed.

"Shhh!" You anxiously whispered, "Do you want to wake the whole neighborhood?Help me get up there."

You then climbed up to my room and I let you in through the window.

We sat on the floor, facing each other because it felt cozy. I glanced at the clock, 12:15 Am. The only sources of light were the table lamp on my desk and the moonbeams piercing through the clear glass of my window. I looked at the box, eagerly, curiosity evident on my face. You slowly opened the box and revealed a tiny, quaint-looking cake.

I gasped in wonder but before I could say anything you spoke,

"I made this for you."

Hearing this overwhelmed me even more. I was lost for words.

You then brought forth a single purple twisted candle. You fixed it at the centre of the cake and lit it with a match you brought with you.

"Make a wish." You interjected.

I blew out the candle but I didn't make a wish. Your mere presence right next to me was more than enough. Your eyes sparkled in the moonlight and I wondered if someone had cast a magical spell on my little room. It all seemed so perfect I wished to stay in the moment forever, as cliche as that sounds. You moved over to my side and gave me my birthday kiss. 'Happy Birthday' you whispered and I forgot to thank you again because I was so spellbound. Hypnotized by your gaze, I remained quiet for several moments before an involuntary 'I love you so much.' escaped my lips. You smiled, giving me a quick peck once again before repeating my words to me.

We finished the entire cake in an hour and we sat resting on the floor, our backs against my bed. You threw your arm across my shoulders and pulled me closer and I rested my head against your chest. We talked for I don't know how long, I had lost track of everything, my focus was only on you and the things you said. We exchanged stories about how we used to celebrate our birthdays when we were kids and laughed a lot.

As you finally got up to leave, I kissed you goodbye and joked,

"I hope you're not expecting me to do the same for you on your birthday. I mean, I can bake a cake probably but don't expect me to climb through the window or anything."

"I thought it would be the other way round." You remarked and once again we struggled to laugh without waking everyone up.

A/n: Guys, if you like this story please don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT.I'd love to hear from you what you guys think of it so far. Please don't hesitate.