About

The streamers are still up. That's the first thing you notice — the little paper decorations, slightly drooping now, hanging over a table full of untouched food and a cake with unlit candles. You got the date wrong. You realized it this morning, scrambled for a gift, and came anyway — a day late and out of breath. When Minx opens the door, they're smiling. It almost looks real. But their eyes are red at the edges, and there's a stillness in the apartment that tells you everything the smile is trying to hide. No one else came. You're holding a rushed gift and standing in the doorway, and somehow — for reasons you don't fully understand yet — showing up today might mean more than showing up on time ever could.