This is the story of love, surprise gifts, and a Black Friday Nintendo 3DS release.
After a series of dating disasters, I finally met an incredible guy who I instantly felt a deep connection with—and it turned out he felt the same way. We’d been friends for years before I realized I had romantic feelings for him, and by the time I admitted it, our relationship quickly blossomed. Our past friendship gave us a unique foundation, and everything moved faster than it might have if we’d started from scratch.
At the time, I’d just landed a decent job and wanted to spoil my new boyfriend with something special. Though he wasn’t big on gifts—whether giving or receiving—he always tried for my sake since I love giving gifts. I usually buy him practical things he’ll actually use, things he wants but can’t afford, or small indulgences like imported candies he loves. So, when we both realized we were avid gamers, I knew I had the perfect opportunity to get him something meaningful.
One day, while chatting casually about consoles and games, he admitted that his Nintendo 3DS had finally broken and he really wanted a new one. As luck would have it, I found out that a popular game store would have a Black Friday deal on the very console he wanted—an exclusive, limited-edition Mario 3DS, which happened to be his favorite childhood series. The catch? I was scheduled for the morning shift on Black Friday, which meant I’d have very little time to grab one before they sold out.
But the situation had a silver lining: I worked near several game stores, so after my shift, I rushed to the closest one to check if they had any in stock.
I walked up to an employee, asked about the Mario edition, and braced myself for bad news.
Employee: Sympathetically “I’m really sorry, but we sold out in, like, an hour.”
Me: “Yeah, that’s about what I expected. Do you have anything else?”
The employee, seeing I wasn’t about to throw a fit, checked their stock and even looked at nearby stores. He found one last red 3DS XL at another location, also on sale for Black Friday. Not only that, but when he saw it was the last one, he called the store to have them hold it for me. I couldn’t believe it! Less than five minutes later, it was safely set aside in my name.
As I left, the employee went the extra mile, suggesting I check their website on Cyber Monday, as the Mario edition might be available online. I thanked him profusely, picked up the 3DS XL, and felt like I’d won the lottery.
Fast forward to Sunday night. My boyfriend and I were hanging out when the clock neared midnight. I pulled out my phone to check the store’s website.
Me: “Sorry to interrupt, but I need to do something quickly. It’s time-sensitive.”
Boyfriend: “Hey, I get it. No worries.”
Right at the stroke of midnight, I checked the website, and there it was—the Mario 3DS was back in stock and at an insane 75% off! I quickly added it to my cart, paid, and confirmed the order in mere moments. With a huge grin, I put my phone away and apologized again.
I returned the 3DS XL a few days later, explaining the situation to the employee, who wasn’t bothered at all.
When Christmas arrived, I was practically bursting with excitement. My boyfriend unwrapped his gift and stared at the limited-edition 3DS in shock. Then, he looked up at me, speechless.
Boyfriend: “How… when did…”
Me: “Merry Christmas, honey.”
He set the 3DS down, stood up, and hugged me tightly, tears in his eyes. It was the kind of moment you never forget.
A few months later, he shared a funny story. Apparently, his coworker had seen him playing with his new 3DS and couldn’t believe it.
Boyfriend: “So, [Coworker] asked, ‘How the heck did you get that?!’ and I said, ‘[My Name] gave it to me for Christmas.’ [Coworker] was like, ‘How the heck did she get that?!’ So, I told him I’d ask you. So, how did you get it?”
Me: Laughing “Remember when I pulled out my phone in the middle of our conversation right at midnight on Cyber Monday?”
Boyfriend: Eyes widening “I didn’t even realize it was Cyber Monday!”
Me: “I was hoping you wouldn’t.”
Boyfriend: Laughing “I love you so much.”
Me: Embracing him “I love you too.”
Three years later, we celebrated our anniversary. The lovers who game together, stay together!