She sits on the floor, holding herself together the only way she knows how.

In front of her is a small cake, carefully placed, almost as if someone tried to make this day feel special. But no laughter fills the room. No warm voices. No loving arms waiting to hug her.

Today is her birthday.

Another year added to a life that has been heavy for far too long. While others celebrate surrounded by family and friends, she celebrates with silence. The kind of silence that screams louder than words. The kind that reminds you how invisible you feel when the world keeps moving without you.

Her eyes carry stories no one bothered to listen to. Stories of waiting… hoping… believing that maybe this year someone would remember. But the candles burn not for wishes, only to light the loneliness she has learned to live with.

Birthdays are supposed to be full of joy.

Hers is full of emptiness.

And yet, she still shows up. She still breathes. She still survives — even when no one seems to care.