May 19, 2026 · Across the sea
Happy Birthday,
Amal.
A small letter that took the long way around the Mediterranean to find you.
The same sky
Tonight, two cities are watching
the same stars.
Amman
Rabat
≈ 3,742 km between us.
Tonight, that's the shortest distance in the world.
I.
There is a sea between us. A few hundred kilometers of it. And tonight, all of that water is just a quiet road leading from me to you.
II.
I don't have a candle big enough to put on this page, so I lit the whole sky instead. Every star out there is something I would tell you if I could be in the room.
III.
Today is yours. The morning, the cake, the noise, the laughing, all of it. I just wanted to be the first thing you read on it, even from this far away.
IV.
If I could fold this year into an envelope and slide it under your door, I would. Twelve months of small mornings, loud laughing, and the quiet that only happens between us.
V.
So tonight, from this far away, I'm sending you the biggest wish I have. That this year treats you exactly the way you deserve, which is gently, and brightly, and often.
Two little envelopes
Open them whenever you want.
Make a wish.
I already made mine.
19 · 05 · 2026
from Amman, with everything I have.