---
The sunlight poured softly through the thin curtains, drawing faint golden lines across the living room. Sarah blinked awake, the air still heavy with the quiet of early morning. It was her birthday — a day she secretly hoped would feel different.
But the house was silent. Adrian was nowhere to be seen, and his father had already left for work.
Only the sound of childish laughter broke the stillness. Adrian's three little sisters ran across the hallway, giggling and whispering secrets to each other, their small feet tapping against the wooden floor.
Sarah smiled faintly and tried to join in.
"Hey, girls. Where's your brother?" she asked, expecting an innocent answer.
But the three of them froze. Their eyes darted at each other, wide, as if she had just said something forbidden. Finally, the smallest one spoke up, voice soft and hesitant.
> "Brother said he just wanted to step out for a little bit. He's coming back soon. Very soon."
Sarah tilted her head, puzzled. She remembered Adrian's promise to give her a little surprise that morning. Maybe he'd changed his mind. Maybe surprises weren't his thing anymore.
Sighing, she went upstairs, turned on the shower, and let the warm water hide her disappointment.
By the time she came back down, she was ready to crawl back into her blanket and forget it was even her birthday.
But Adrian's sisters had other plans.
They tugged at her sleeves, begged her to play hide and seek, to draw, to dance.
> "We're bored! We're hungry! Come play with us!"
Their laughter echoed through the small house, bright and endless.
Sarah rubbed her temples, smiling weakly.
> "Looks like I'm not having a quiet morning today…"
Eventually, exhaustion won. The girls fell asleep on the rug, and Sarah collapsed on the couch, her body aching, her eyelids heavy.
---
Meanwhile...
Across town, Adrian was standing in the middle of Sarah's house — the one surrounded by open fields and the old Scarecrow that swayed with every passing breeze.
It was his first time there, though Sarah had described it before. He'd worked all morning setting things up — tying balloons, fixing ribbons, arranging a small table with snacks, and placing a handmade banner above the wall.
It read:
> "Happy Birthday, Sarah — You're Beautiful. You're Loved. You're Everything."
When he finally stepped back to admire his work, pride filled his chest. The scene looked perfect. Almost magical.
The Scarecrow outside creaked in the wind, its straw-stuffed hand twitching slightly as if waving. Adrian chuckled.
> "Yeah," he said softly. "This is my creation."
He didn't notice the faint shadow stretching from the Scarecrow's feet, moving against the wind.
---
Later...
When Adrian returned home, Sarah was fast asleep on the couch — drained from playing with the little girls. Her hair fell over her face, and her lips parted slightly as she breathed softly.
As soon as she sensed movement, she stirred and sat up, blinking.
> "Hey, you're back! Where did you go to?"
Her eyes instinctively darted to his hands, hoping to see something — a gift, a card, anything. But there was nothing.
Adrian shrugged lightly, not meeting her eyes.
> "I just stepped out to see some friends," he said quickly. "I'm going upstairs now."
And just like that, he walked off — no smile, no happy birthday, no sign he remembered at all.
Sarah's lips parted slightly, but no words came.
She didn't want to remind him. Didn't want to seem desperate.
She simply lay back down on the couch, curled into herself, and whispered under her breath,
> "Maybe… it's just another ordinary day after all."
The room fell silent again, except for the faint creak of the old window.
Outside, the Scarecrow stood still — its head tilted slightly toward the house.
---