Have you ever answered a call that sent a shiver down your spine? I did. And it felt like my life was over.

But before I dive into that heart-stopping moment, let me tell you a bit about myself and how I got here.

I’m Arlene, a 38-year-old woman who absolutely loves her life as Leo’s mother and Brandon’s wife.

I love my family a lot. Whenever I tell someone that Brandon wasn’t my high school sweetheart, they think I’m joking. Why? Because of the bond we share.

The truth is that I met Brandon at work, and it didn’t take us much time to realize that we shared a deep connection.

After spending a few months together, we understood that we were meant for each other, and that’s when we decided to tie the knot.

Marrying him was the best decision of my life.

I remember the day Brandon looked into my eyes and said, “Arlene, you’re so different from all the other girls I’ve known. You’re smart, funny, and you get me like no one else does.”

I replied, “And you’re the only one who laughs at my terrible puns, so I guess we’re stuck with each other.”

But let’s save our love story for another time.

Fast forward two years, and we welcomed our son, Leo, into this world.

I can’t describe the feeling when I held him in my arms for the first time. I was over the moon.

I’d never felt such pure joy and love before. It was like my heart grew ten sizes that day.

My mother-in-law, Martha, was also thrilled at Leo’s birth. He was her first grandchild and she made sure Leo understood that.

I kid you not, she used to send him a gift every week! I mean, who does that?

Honestly, I felt like it was a bit too much, so I decided to talk to her about it. I didn’t want to offend her, but… she wasn’t too happy after learning about my feelings.

“Martha, I appreciate your love for Leo, but don’t you think all these gifts might spoil him?” I asked her.

Martha retorted, “Nonsense! He’s my grandson, and this is my way of showing love. You worry about raising him, and let me spoil him a little.”

There were other instances where Martha and I didn’t see eye to eye regarding Leo. For example, the time she wanted to let him stay up past midnight on a school night to watch fireworks.

“Martha, he has school tomorrow,” I argued.

“Oh, lighten up, Arlene,” she shot back. “One late night won’t hurt. Let the boy live a little!”

Despite our differences, I knew Martha loved Leo deeply. So when Leo’s school break came around, and he begged to stay at his grandmother’s house, I agreed.

As I packed his bag, I reminded him, “Leo, promise me you’ll be on your best behavior with Grandma.”

His eyes sparkled with excitement as he replied, “I promise, Mom! We’re going to have so much fun!”

Martha lives in another city, so I drove Leo there myself. As we pulled up to her house, I felt a mix of emotions.

I was happy for Leo’s excitement, but a little anxious about being apart. This was the first time I had allowed him to stay at Martha’s.

“Grandma will drop you back in two weeks, okay?” I said as we unloaded his bags.

Leo’s face lit up. “Oh, two weeks? Isn’t that going to be a Saturday? Your birthday?”

I smiled and nodded. “That’s right, sweetie. Grandma will bring you back and stay for my birthday party.”

After saying our goodbyes, I headed home, looking forward to some quiet time. However, I felt a bit sad thinking my baby won’t be around.

You can always call him, Arlene, I told myself. He’s gonna be okay. He’s a grown-up boy now.

Little did I know that my worst fears would come alive two weeks later.

Time flew by as I cleaned the house and enjoyed some me-time. And before I knew it, my birthday morning arrived.

As I was getting ready, my phone rang.

It was an unknown number, but I figured it might be someone wishing me happy birthday.

I answered cheerfully, “Hello?”

What I heard next made my blood run cold. It was my son’s terrified, trembling voice.

“MOM, PLEASE SAVE ME!!! I’M SCARED! I’M IN SOME DARK PLACE, AND THERE’S A MAN WITH ME AND…”

The call dropped abruptly.

“Hello? Leo? Leo?” I shouted into the phone. I tried calling back, but the number was switched off.

Oh, no, no, no, I thought to myself. Please tell me I’m dreaming. Please tell me this is a nightmare.

My mind raced with horrible scenarios. How could this happen? Wasn’t he supposed to be safe with Martha? I tried calling her, but there was no answer.

Without a second thought about the guests who were supposed to come over, I grabbed my keys and bolted out the door.

I quickly jumped into my car and started driving to Martha’s house, my hands shaking on the steering wheel.

I kept trying Martha’s number as I sped down the highway, but she didn’t answer any of my calls.

Finally, I called Brandon.

“Brandon,” I choked out when he answered, “something’s happened to Leo. He called me… and he sounded so scared—”

“Slow down, slow down, Arlene,” Brandon said. “What did he tell you?”

“He said he was in a dark place with a man,” I cried. “I tried calling your mom but she isn’t answering. I’m on my way to her place. I don’t know what’s happening…”

“Oh my…” Brandon’s voice was filled with shock and fear. “I’m leaving work now. I’ll meet you at Mom’s house, okay? Try to stay calm, Arlene. Drive safe. We’ll figure this out.”

The car ride was only supposed to be two hours long, but it felt like an eternity. Those two hours were the longest of my life, and I’ll never forget the terrifying feeling that gripped me during that time.

Finally, I screeched to a halt in front of Martha’s house. It was eerily quiet.

My heart pounded against my chest as I walked to the door. To my surprise, it was unlocked. I pushed it open.

“Leo? Martha?” I called out.

Silence.

I rushed inside and turned the lights on, but no one was there. I only found a folded piece of paper on the kitchen island.

With trembling hands, I picked it up. My eyes widened as I read the two words written on it, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

Suddenly, people started pouring out of every nook and cranny of the house. My friends, family, Leo, Brandon, and Martha. All of them shouted, “Surprise! Happy Birthday, Arlene!”

I stood there, frozen.

I can’t explain the feeling of relief I felt when I saw Leo, safe and sound, running towards me with a big grin on his face.

But that relief quickly turned into confusion and anger.

“What… what’s going on?” I stammered, hugging Leo tightly.

Brandon came over, looking a bit guilty.

“We wanted to surprise you for your birthday. We know you don’t like big parties, so we thought this would be a fun way to celebrate.”

Martha chimed in, “It was all Leo’s idea, actually. He wanted to do something special for his mom.”

I looked down at Leo, who was beaming up at me.

“Did you like the surprise, Mom? I practiced that scared voice for days!”

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The fear and panic of the past few hours were still fresh.

However, seeing everyone here, safe and smiling, began to fade the tension.

“You all nearly gave me a heart attack,” I said in a trembling voice.

Brandon hugged me tight. “We’re so sorry for scaring you. We just wanted to make your birthday unforgettable.”

“Well, mission accomplished,” I replied, finally allowing myself to smile. “This is definitely a birthday I’ll never forget.”

As the initial shock wore off, I found myself surrounded by love and laughter.

My anger was slowly replaced by gratitude for having such a caring (if slightly misguided) family and friends.

Looking back, I can laugh about it now. But I made them promise never to pull a stunt like that again.

After all, there are less heart-stopping ways to say “Happy Birthday!”

Has anyone ever surprised you like that?

If you enjoyed reading this story, here’s another one you might like: When my son, Jake, came home with a mysterious box from our creepy neighbor, Mr. Carson, I was uneasy. But nothing could have prepared me for the horror that emerged when Jake opened the box! As Jake’s health was threatened, I realized we had to confront Mr. Carson and flee for our safety.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.