Ten years together, and the biggest obstacle to peace is a date of birth, as if sharing personal details is just another academic requirement for his mom’s approval.

She’s spent a decade building toward a PhD, mastering complex theories and navigating the academic jungle, but apparently the most advanced subject is explaining why birth details aren’t just casual data points. For someone who’s written papers longer than most people’s resumes, it’s ironic that the most complicated negotiation is over a date and time. Her research skills come in handy when she has to explain, yet again, why astrology matching isn’t just a quick Google search and why handing over her birth info feels less like a formality and more like signing a contract she hasn’t read.