personal / birthdays

I arrived early and still felt fashionably late

I baked a cake that leaned like a modern art statement

I bought the perfect gift in the wrong size of perfection

I brought the balloons and forgot the helium

I ended the night with frosting on my sleeve and a happy heart

I forgot the forks but remembered the confetti

I hugged everyone’s coat thinking it was you

I lit too many candles and started a small weather system

I made a wish that sounded suspiciously like a to‑do list

I ordered the cake with a typo we now call tradition

I planned a surprise that surprised exactly no one

I posted your birthday shoutout and tagged a stranger

I promised ‘just one more picture’ and took twelve

I sang off-key with on-brand enthusiasm

I scheduled the party during the citywide marathon

I set a reminder for your birthday and snoozed it for a week

I took a group photo where I blinked with both eyes

I tried to cut equal slices and started a geometry debate

I wrapped the gift so tightly it needed power tools

I wrote a heartfelt card and forgot to sign my name