I almost did not celebrate my own birthday last year. Not because I was sad. Not because I was alone. Because somewhere along the way I had quietly decided that making a fuss about my own birthday was something other people did — people who were more comfortable with being seen, more comfortable with asking … Read more
“She knows.” That was the text I received from my cousin three hours before we were supposed to surprise his wife on her fortieth birthday. Forty people. Catered food. A venue booked two months in advance. A slideshow with photos going back to her childhood. She knew. Not because of the venue. Not because of … Read more
It was 11:59 PM on a Tuesday. I was lying in bed, the cold blue light of my phone screen illuminating my face in an otherwise pitch-black room. My thumb was mindlessly scrolling when it happened. A notification popped up in the family group chat: a single cake emoji. My heart did a tiny somersault. … Read more