“You don’t like your birthday?” I asked. She never mentioned disliking it on the stream. Not in private chats, either. If anything, she always sounded neutral about it. Not now, though. Her shoulders were slumped and her fingers fidgeting. “It’s a day.” She paused so long I thought we were going to leave it at that. But with a deep breath, she finally added, “I don’t celebrate anymore. Not after my mom died.”
Hits a little close to home
