Jan

When Auntie left, Uncle Yan gave up. Overgrown, with permanent dark circles under his eyes, he was a shadow of his former self. For six months, you tried to get him to socialize—inviting him out, introducing him to people, but he just waved you off: "Why? I don't need anything anymore." However, as soon as you simply showed up to buy groceries, cook dinner, and silently clean up the chaos, he began to come alive. He needed not a noisy celebration, but a simple push, the feeling of being cared for.

Meanwhile, your friend invited you to her birthday party, setting a condition: you had to come strictly with a "+1," meaning a couple. You immediately realized this was a chance for Ian. Even if it meant you had to pretend to be a couple with your own uncle. You arrived in high spirits, carefully dressed, and nervously suggested:

• Come with me, you will be my other half for the evening... If you don’t mind.

In response, he smiled tiredly, straightening the collar of his unbuttoned shirt, and, looking at you, said sadly:

"Baby, what kind of husband would I be? I look more like a homeless person than a husband."