The Surprise
"Here she comes!" he announced, trying not to raise his voice too much.
Layla's father could hardly contain himself as his attention darted from the window, to the front door, to the guests that filled his home. He had never thrown Layla a surprise party before, probably because she always preferred to be in the know about everything. Just keeping her Christmas presents a surprise when she was a kid was hard enough. She was always the type to snoop into closets to find them, or shake and inspect them under the Christmas tree like a skilled detective. She was smart and clever and hard to take off guard, which is exactly why today was such a big deal to her father. He knew he could finally surprise her with something in her life, and her twenty-first birthday seemed like the perfect opportunity.
She had been overly consumed with college papers and tests, so her mind wasn't exactly on birthday cake and gifts. But that didn't mean that Layla forgot her birthday either. She did not forget. But she kept silent about it around the house when she realized that her father hadn't said two words on the subject. His silence bothered her deeply. But she tried not to let the fog settle over her heart about it. She told herself that she was probably getting too old to be fussed over anyway. Despite her self-soothing efforts, though, she could feel the fog push in as her heart secretly sank.
"She's just about at the door, everyone!" her father said, rushing over to get in position to take the winning 'Kodak moment' picture. "I can't wait to see the look on her face!"
You could hear a pin drop as they listened to Layla rustling her keys in one hand as she juggled the mail from the mailbox in the other. The door creaked open slowly as she pulled the keys out of the doorknob.
"SURPRISE!" the guests exclaimed, followed by a roar of laughter.
Layla almost fell backwards out the door again as she went from startled, to shocked, to unspeakable joy in what felt like 3 seconds flat.
"What?!" Layla cried. It was the only word she could form in that moment.
"We've been set up and waiting for you, Layla! Happy happy birthday!" her father said loudly over the guests' excitement. "I bet you thought I forgot. I bet you thought I didn't even care. But the truth is, I've been working out this moment for a long time."
"But...but...how did you..." Layla said, her wheels turning fast, trying to figure it all out.
"I've been working hard behind-the-scenes for you, Layla. I had to work on it very quietly and in places you couldn't see me. I know, I usually share my secrets with you. But this one had to be a surprise. Besides, surprises are far more fun than having it all figured out, anyway. Don't you think?"
Layla nodded, trying to take it all in. The balloons. The streamers. The cake displayed on the table. The faces of her favorite people that filled the room. It was all just...perfect. Every detail. It was more than she could ask or imagine.
"I thought you forgot." Layla confessed. "I interpreted your silence to mean...well, you know." She could feel her tears rushing into position as she realized that his silence bothered her far more than she admitted to herself. She had started to question her father's love for her, and that reality was more unsettling for her than his forgetfulness toward her birthday. But today those lies were being knocked down. For she could see plainly that her father loved her deeper than she even first knew.
Throwing her arms around him, Layla said, "You're the best, dad."
Squeezing her tightly, her father whispered, "I didn't forget about you, Layla. I'll never forget about you."
Layla's father could hardly contain himself as his attention darted from the window, to the front door, to the guests that filled his home. He had never thrown Layla a surprise party before, probably because she always preferred to be in the know about everything. Just keeping her Christmas presents a surprise when she was a kid was hard enough. She was always the type to snoop into closets to find them, or shake and inspect them under the Christmas tree like a skilled detective. She was smart and clever and hard to take off guard, which is exactly why today was such a big deal to her father. He knew he could finally surprise her with something in her life, and her twenty-first birthday seemed like the perfect opportunity.
She had been overly consumed with college papers and tests, so her mind wasn't exactly on birthday cake and gifts. But that didn't mean that Layla forgot her birthday either. She did not forget. But she kept silent about it around the house when she realized that her father hadn't said two words on the subject. His silence bothered her deeply. But she tried not to let the fog settle over her heart about it. She told herself that she was probably getting too old to be fussed over anyway. Despite her self-soothing efforts, though, she could feel the fog push in as her heart secretly sank.
"She's just about at the door, everyone!" her father said, rushing over to get in position to take the winning 'Kodak moment' picture. "I can't wait to see the look on her face!"
You could hear a pin drop as they listened to Layla rustling her keys in one hand as she juggled the mail from the mailbox in the other. The door creaked open slowly as she pulled the keys out of the doorknob.
"SURPRISE!" the guests exclaimed, followed by a roar of laughter.
Layla almost fell backwards out the door again as she went from startled, to shocked, to unspeakable joy in what felt like 3 seconds flat.
"What?!" Layla cried. It was the only word she could form in that moment.
"We've been set up and waiting for you, Layla! Happy happy birthday!" her father said loudly over the guests' excitement. "I bet you thought I forgot. I bet you thought I didn't even care. But the truth is, I've been working out this moment for a long time."
"But...but...how did you..." Layla said, her wheels turning fast, trying to figure it all out.
"I've been working hard behind-the-scenes for you, Layla. I had to work on it very quietly and in places you couldn't see me. I know, I usually share my secrets with you. But this one had to be a surprise. Besides, surprises are far more fun than having it all figured out, anyway. Don't you think?"
Layla nodded, trying to take it all in. The balloons. The streamers. The cake displayed on the table. The faces of her favorite people that filled the room. It was all just...perfect. Every detail. It was more than she could ask or imagine.
"I thought you forgot." Layla confessed. "I interpreted your silence to mean...well, you know." She could feel her tears rushing into position as she realized that his silence bothered her far more than she admitted to herself. She had started to question her father's love for her, and that reality was more unsettling for her than his forgetfulness toward her birthday. But today those lies were being knocked down. For she could see plainly that her father loved her deeper than she even first knew.
Throwing her arms around him, Layla said, "You're the best, dad."
Squeezing her tightly, her father whispered, "I didn't forget about you, Layla. I'll never forget about you."
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