Emma’s Point of View
Birthdays were supposed to be magical. They were meant to be filled with joy, laughter, and love. I had always believed that, maybe because I had clung to the warmth of childhood traditions for so long. My parents waking me up with a cake, Brandon barging into my room to be the first to wish me before his illness made that impossible. Those memories always resurfaced on this day, wrapping around me like a bittersweet embrace.
As I sat up in bed, the wave of nostalgia was interrupted by the sound of my bedroom door creaking open. A tiny giggle followed, and before I could process it, Lily came bounding in, holding a small cupcake with a single candle sticking out from the center. Behind her, Ryan entered, carefully balancing a small breakfast tray, his smile easy and
