Everyone froze.
There were balloons everywhere.
Streamers.
Flowers.
A huge cake.
And across the far wall hung a banner:
HAPPY 60TH, MOM!
Five of my children stood beneath it.
Mark.
Jason.
Caleb.
Sarah.
Eliza.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
I should have felt relieved.
Instead, anger rushed through me so quickly that I almost shook.
“So this is where you were.”
“Mom—” Mark began.
“I waited four hours.”
His face fell.
“Please let us explain.”
“Four hours, Mark.”
Jason stepped forward.
“We weren’t ignoring you. This was supposed to be a surprise.”
“A surprise?”
Eliza’s smile disappeared completely.
“We thought you’d love it.”
“I cooked dinner for all of you.”
Sarah looked suddenly alarmed.
“Why did a police officer bring you here?”
I ignored her.
“I sat at that table alone while every one of you ignored my calls.”
Mark rubbed his forehead.
“Grant was supposed to get you.”
My anger paused.
“What?”
Jason nodded.
“We’ve been decorating since this afternoon. Grant said he’d handle bringing you here.”
“He was supposed to arrive around seven,” Sarah added.
I stared at them.
