An Obnoxious Accident

Neil Brown opened his eyes. He saw colorful lights that spelled out the words ---- Neil, Happy Birthday!. "Surprise..." Mia did a little twirl in front of Neil and spread out her hands. "Look over there, Neil." Neil turned his head and saw a heart-shaped cake and all his favorite dishes being laid out on the dining table. Now he recalled why Mia was asking him about today. She was trying to remind him that it was his birthday. He didn’t even remember his own birthday but she had remembered his birthday so well. All these years, he wasn’t used to celebrating his own birthday. Few years ago, the soldiers in the military would also host birthday parties for him. Later, when they realized that he was not actually interested in it, they stopped. So very few remembered when his birthday was. So when Neil saw the birthday surprise Mia had prepared for him, he was actually very touched. Some simple decorations, a common heart-shaped cake, plus a few home-cooked dishes. This was the birthday di