Grace's POV
It's so warm and cozy. I don't want to leave this room, but I have to get up. Yes, the kids at the daycare must be waiting for me. I have responsibilities to fulfill.
"Grace, aren't you working today?"
Stella's voice from outside the door pushes me to fight off the laziness. I get up, head to the bathroom, clean myself, and put on a long brown skirt, a gray top, and a brown jacket. I do my makeup modestly.
Since it's too cold today, I let my hair down, pinning a small section to the side and tying it back. Grabbing my bag and putting on my shoes, I quickly leave the room.
"Come here, breakfast is ready!"
Stella's voice draws me to the dining room, and something unusual catches my eye. She's sitting there with a smile, a small cake with a candle on the table, along with two plates of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, and nuggets.
"Happy birthday!" she said enthusiastically as she stands.
"Stella..." I sigh, unsure of what to say, so I embrace her instead. For a moment, I remain silent until she pulls back and invites me to sit.
"Please, make a wish," she says, placing the cake in front of me.
I take a deep breath, smile shyly, and close my eyes. Logan's face appears in my mind. Whether it's out of longing or hope, I'm not sure. I wish for our relationship to be more than just filling an emptiness, something lasting, something with a future.
'God, please guide me to the right path. Remove my doubts if he's truly meant for me. Above all, I want what's best for me without harming anyone. Amen.'
I open my eyes and see the number 30 on the candle before me. I blow it out.
"Yay!" Stella cheers, trying to make the moment festive despite the quietness. It's always just the two of us.
"Happy birthday. I always wish the best for you," she says, holding my shoulder.
I nod, looking at her deeply. Tears stream down my face. I can't hide the sadness of my misfortune—years of celebrating my birthday without parents, without a significant other.
I do have someone, but maybe he doesn't know it's my birthday. He's probably too busy with his schedule. I understand that.
"Hey... Why are you crying?" She wipes my tears with her thumb.
"It's okay..." I shake my head, bowing slightly with a faint smile. "I just didn't expect that at this age, our lives would still be the same. It's always just about us. I miss our parents. I miss Mom's cakes and her excitement in celebrating our birthdays."
"Hey..." She stands and hugs me again, bowing her head. "I understand how you feel, but we have to stay patient and keep going. Don't say there's been no change—we've tried. What matters is that we have enough and no burdensome problems like debts."
I remain silent until she lets go of the hug.
She leans against the table, arms crossed, still looking at me.
"By the way, the situation is different now. You have a boyfriend, and he's not what you expected," she teases with a sly smile.
I smile faintly, averting my gaze, thinking of Logan, who hasn't contacted me since last night.
"If he knew it was your birthday, I'm sure he'd do something special for you," she says, sitting back down. "Wait... Does he not know?" she asks, frowning.
I shrug.
"Then let me tell him!" She reaches for her phone, but I quickly grab her hand and shake my head.
"Please, don't tell him."
"Why not?"
I sigh, silent for a moment, wondering why I don't want him to know.
"Don't tell me you still see your relationship as a joke just because he's younger," Stella says, horrified.
"Stella..." I bite my lip, recalling our short time together. "I... I don't want to rush into taking this relationship seriously."
"What!" Stella exclaims. "Are you crazy? Are you planning to let him go just because he's younger? He's famous... Are you worried about his fans and family?"
"No, not at all!" I clarify, placing my hands on the table. "You know, we've been 22 before. When we were dating at that age, we didn't want anything serious. We wanted to explore life, enjoy our time."
"And you think Logan think the same?" she guesses, raising an eyebrow.
I shrug. "Yeah... That makes sense, right? Especially with his career focus. Everything can change. He could get bored of me or move on..."
Sighing, I lean back in my chair, feeling weak at the thought of him losing interest and being drawn to someone younger and more attractive.
"I don't want to have high expectations for him. I'm just going with the flow," I say.
"You're only saying that because he's younger. You're so old-fashioned!" Stella scoffs. "This has nothing to do with your birthday. I mean, to see how much he cares, you should tell him. Let's see how he shows his love for you. And don't act like you're overly grateful so he doesn't take you for granted!"
I chuckle at her antagonistic tone.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Do you think I should say, 'Logan, it's my birthday today'? It would sound like I'm fishing for a gift. He'd think I'm materialistic," I say, shaking my head. "No, I don't want that to happen. Don't tell him!"
Stella just stares at me, clearly displeased.
"Hmm, this is delicious," I say, cutting a piece of cake to change the topic. "Did you make it or buy it?"
"I bought it," she answers, pouting. "You know I can't bake. The last time I tried was for Antonio's mom's birthday... It was burnt. So embarrassing!"
"Hahaha!"
"I don't want to remember that. Even mentioning Antonio reminds me of how foolish I was to trust his love. It makes me sick!" she says, grabbing a black box from beside her chair. "Here, this is for you."
"Wow... A gift." I smile uncontrollably, curious about its contents. "Can I open it now?"
"Yeah."
Opening the box, I immediately spot a black G-string. Quickly closing it, I glare at her, but she just laughs.
"Why?" she asks between laughs. "Don't you like my gift?"
"I don't know why you gave me this?" I ask, frowning. "I mean... You're not going to see me wearing it. It's... It's just—"
"Of course, I don't want to see you wearing it," she interrupts. "But you can wear it when you're out with Logan. Who knows, your date might end up in the bedroom, and then he'll take off your dress and..."
"Stella!" I glare, shocked by her wild imagination.
"Hahaha!" She chuckles.
"It's not funny. I've never done anything like this. He'd think I was trying to seduce him deliberately!"
"You're so naive. You've only been single for a few months, but you act like a virgin!" she teases, and I'm at a loss for words.
'I'd never tell her that I actually am... She'd call me an old virgin.'