Valentine's Day approached—their first as a couple.
The pressure was immense.
Adrian had never cared about Valentine's Day before. It had always seemed like a manufactured holiday designed to make single people feel bad and couples spend money on overpriced flowers and mediocre chocolate.
But now he had Dante.
And suddenly Valentine's Day felt weighted with significance he couldn't quite articulate.
What do you give someone you've known for eighteen years? What gesture is meaningful without being overwhelming? What says "I love you" without saying "I'm trying too hard"?
Adrian spiraled for days, scrolling through gift websites at two AM, reading articles about "romantic gestures that matter," growing increasingly convinced that anything he came up with would be inadequate.
Finally, he confided in Sage over coffee at their usual café off campus.
