The club was newly opened, and even Zachary appeared a bit lost until a server guided us to the correct floor for their gathering.

Once inside, I discovered this was not just a gathering but a birthday party, Zachary's birthday party. When I saw his name on the large birthday cake, I said to him with slight embarrassment, "You didn't tell me it was your birthday. I didn't prepare a gift."

"Having you here is the best gift," he murmured.

His voice was so ...