“Maria, are you sure you want to do this? You know Tom isn’t fond of birthday celebrations.”
But, yes, I was sure he deserved something nice and fancy. So, I called his parents, his brother Jim, his best friend Tom and his wife Lisa, and some of Tom’s colleagues, telling them about the surprise.
Needless to say, I spent a bunch of money on decorations, balloons, drinks, and plenty of food because I wanted everything to be flawless.
Knowing Tom was getting home from work at around 6 p.m, I told everyone to be at my house before that and help me decorate the place.
One by one, Tom’s secret guests started to arrive.
“Wow, you’ve really outdone yourself, Maria,” Lisa praised my efforts.
“Thank you, Lisa! Are you able to assist with the balloons? I gave them a balloon bag.”
Everyone helped, and around 5:30 p.m, the room looked fantastic. A huge banner stretched across the wall with the message, “Happy 40th, Tom!”
By 5:45 p.m., everyone had gathered in the kitchen.
“All right, everyone — Tom’s almost here,” I said, feeling my excitement rise. “Lights off, and hide!”
Everyone was laughing as we were trying to find a place to hide in the kitchen. As I crouched behind the kitchen counter, my heart started racing in the darkness. And then I heard they key turn in the lock and a woman’s voice asking, “Do you think he’ll like it?”
My stomach dropped. A woman? For a moment, I thought Tom was bringing someone home.
The lights flipped on, and everyone gasped. A young couple stood in the doorway, both shocked by the sight of balloons and us gathered there. The man was holding keys and the woman had a suitcase.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“Who are you?” she fired back.
Jim popped up from behind the counter. “We’re here for a surprise party!”
The man blinked. “We rented this place on Airbnb.”
My jaw dropped. “Airbnb? This is our house!”
It didn’t take long to realize that Tom had listed the house online when I told him I’d be out of town.
I called him immediately. “Tom, did you put our home on Airbnb?”
A pause. “Yeah, I figured we could make a little extra while you were gone.”
“I didn’t go, Tom. I stayed to throw you a surprise party.”
Fifteen minutes later, he came home looking mortified. “I just wanted to save up for a trip for us,” he said.
The tension turned into laughter, and somehow, we all ended up celebrating together, even the Airbnb couple.
It turned out to be the most unforgettable party ever.