05. AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE

"I have reserved a room in a fine restaurant. We can decorate the place an hour before our reserved time."[Larry]

"So, I will leave the decorations to you guys and also bring Lila with you."

"What's with that smirk?" [Charlotte] She mumbled with a pout on her lips.

"I will buy the decorative items and send it to Charlotte on Friday. I will come at the reserved time with Ashley. Let's surprise him!"[Larry] He winked.

"There he goes again, escaping from duties and leaving all the messy work for us" [Charlotte]

"Come on guys! I have to keep him company on that day otherwise he might feel lonely by the time we surprise him"[Larry]

"Oh! Almost forgot. The reserved time is 6 pm. Make sure to be there before we come"[Larry]

Charlotte sighed and looked at my face as if waiting for my opinion.

"Alright, Larry. Let's do it according to your plan" [Tiara] I smiled brightly.

We parted ways outside the school gate. Charlotte and Larry went the other way.

After a few steps, Larry joined Ashley who seemed to be walking alone. Charlotte took her bicycle and went towards her home. I took a cab home.

I reached home but little did I know that there was a surprise waiting for me.

I unlocked the passcode of my apartment on the 14th floor.

I entered the hall and switched on the light. I saw a new pair of shoes.

It was strange since I live alone with my mom after shifting to France.

My mom was a famous superstar so she was usually not home. She used to inform me before she returned home.

Nobody except her and Lila knew the passcode.

I was sure that those shoes were neither mine nor Lila's.

My apartment had a master bedroom with an attached bathroom, guestroom, a master bathroom, a common hall with a huge TV, a spacious balcony, and a kitchen.

I had locked my master bedroom before going to school.

I could hear that there was someone taking a shower in the master bathroom.

The shower went off. The door clicked open which surprised me.

When I saw the person coming out of the door, I finally had a sigh of relief.

"Mom? You are back already?" [Tiara] She had a tinge of surprise on her face.

"Tiara dear, I am back!" [Mom] The water droplets were dripping from her hair. She wore a bathrobe and she was rubbing her long hair with a hair towel.

She looked so young. No wonder she was a famous superstar.

Her company kept her age and private life confidential. So, nobody knew that she has a daughter.

But I did not expect mom to come home after so many days without notice. It's almost been two weeks since I last saw her. She went to Los Angeles for shooting a fantasy movie. The shooting was supposed to end next week.

But I wondered why was she back so suddenly. She didn't text nor call me. She usually doesn't do that. I wondered if something happened.

"Welcome back! Mom!" [Tiara] I gleamed at her arrival.

"Aren't you back a week too early though?"

"Moreover, I didn't even receive a text from you. I was afraid that a burglar had broken into our apartment."

She replied with a beaming smile.