My frustration bubbled over.
I fumbled with my phone, pulled up a picture of Denton, and held it out to her. “This man. Has he been here?”
For a moment, her composure faltered.
Her eyes flicked to the screen, and something unreadable crossed her face. Then, she smiled faintly. “You’ll find out soon enough,” she said.
“What does that mean?” I demanded, but she stepped back toward the door, ignoring my question.
“Wait here,” she instructed before slipping out again.
The silence that followed was unbearable. My mind raced, imagining every worst-case scenario. Had Denton lied to me?
Was this woman protecting some secret?
Suddenly, a burst of noise shattered the quiet. The door swung open, and a wave of people flooded in, their cheers echoing through the room.
Confetti rained down, and my heart jolted in confusion. I recognized faces—friends, family, even my kids and nephews.
Dylan and Ella ran toward me, laughing and throwing handfuls of colorful paper in the air.
“Mama, surprise!” Ella squealed, jumping into my lap.
I looked around, bewildered, as Denton appeared in the doorway. He wore a sharp tuxedo and carried a bouquet of deep red roses. His grin was wide, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Denton?” I stammered, my voice barely audible over the commotion.
He walked over and knelt in front of me, holding out the roses.
“Happy 10th anniversary, darling,” he said softly.
Behind him, a large banner unfurled. In bold letters, it read: “Happy 10th Anniversary!”
My breath caught as the realization hit me. This wasn’t betrayal.
It was… a surprise.
Denton took my hand, helping me to my feet. “I bet you have a million questions,” he said, his tone playful.
“That’s an understatement,” I replied, my voice shaky but tinged with relief.
He chuckled, glancing at the young woman who now stood smiling near the door. “I knew you’d find that note and wouldn’t be able to resist following the clues.”
I blinked at him, still processing.
“The note? The phone call? All of this?”
“It was all part of the plan,” he said, squeezing my hand.
“This house—it’s like the place where we first met. Remember? That summer by the sea?”
My eyes widened as memories rushed back.
The sandy beaches, the salty breeze, the way he’d made me laugh until my sides hurt. “I… I can’t believe you remembered,” I whispered.
“How could I forget?” he said, his voice soft. “I wanted to do something special.
Something you’d never forget.”
The kids tugged at my arm, their excitement bubbling over.
“Mama, we were in on it too!” Dylan said proudly. “Dad said it was a secret game, and we had to wait here until you showed up!”
Ella nodded enthusiastically. “We got to throw confetti!”
I laughed, the tension in my chest finally breaking.
“You two did a great job.”
Denton gestured toward the young woman. “And this is Rebecca. She works for a company that organizes parties like this one.”
Rebecca stepped forward, smiling.
“Your husband has quite the imagination. I was happy to help.”
As the evening unfolded, Denton explained how he’d rented the mansion for the day and coordinated everything with our friends and family.
“I wanted to remind you of where it all began,” he said as we sat together, the kids playing nearby. “Life gets busy, and sometimes we forget to take a step back and appreciate what we’ve built.”
I felt a lump in my throat as I looked at him.
“I can’t believe I doubted you,” I admitted. “I let my mind go to the worst places.”
He chuckled, wrapping an arm around me. “I wanted to keep it mysterious, but maybe I overdid it a little.”
“Just a little,” I teased, smiling through tears.
Source: amomama
