Part 2

I was reading a congratulatory letter from a fan and looking at some jewelry they'd bought me when Perth came back from the bathroom, looking all refreshed.

"I'm tired. I'm going to bed, are you coming with me?" he asked, hugging me tightly from behind.

"Mhm, just gonna read this and open two more gifts, then I'll come after you, okay?" I said, nuzzling against his cheek.

"Okay, don't be too long we have to wake up early tomorrow," he reminded me.

"You're the one who has trouble waking up early, not me," I teased him, and he just laughed.

"That's why I have you, to wake me up in a way only you can," he teased right back.

We kissed again. These days, we missed each other even more than usual. Just a few hours apart felt too long. We were always searching for some kind of closeness little, gentle, secret touches that connected us in a special way.

"Good night, Tanaben," I whispered and kissed his cheek before he left, then I grabbed another gift.

One of the fans had made me a keychain with a QR code, and that instantly caught my attention. I grabbed my phone, opened the camera, and scanned the code. What I saw totally surprised me. There were files with birthday letters from fans all over the world, each one unique and written especially for me. Every message was full of love, encouragement, praise, and warm wishes. Some even included pictures, drawings, and quotes, all signed with the fans' social media accounts so I could check their profiles.

Hours passed before I reached the last letter. My eyes were tired, and I was so sleepy, but my mind kept spinning with all the words I'd read all the observations fans had made about us. Some of them truly understood our relationship for what it really was, even though we couldn't show it to the world. Those were the fans who were truly there for us not just for me or for Perth, not for our looks or fame or money. They didn't want anything from us or crave attention. They just wanted us to be together and happy to be a real couple, and maybe one day have the chance, courage, and freedom to live proudly, not in the shadows of others' expectations.