"Hey! I've been looking for you everywhere. Where did you disappear to?" the young man asked.
Before Lara could answer, her mother's voice cut in.
"Where were you, Lara?" Sam snapped. "We have so much to prepare for tomorrow, and you vanish without a word! Look at Nick—he's been helping me with everything while you've been roaming around!"
She turned to Nick, her tone instantly softer, patting his back with open affection.
Sam leaned closer to Lara and lowered her voice. "Just look at him. Handsome, helpful, already behaving like part of the family. And he loves you too. Why don't you just make him your boyfriend already?"
Lara clenched her jaw, irritation flashing across her face. "Can we just focus on getting things done, please?" she said sharply. "We'll talk about this later."
The house was already buzzing with chaos. Everyone was preparing to welcome Ben's friends and their families. It was her father's fiftieth birthday the next day, and the entire family had planned a surprise for him before he returned from his business trip.
The next day…
The long dining table was perfectly set. The halls were decorated, the dance floor cleared, and the cake—baked by Lara and Sam with equal parts effort and love—waited in the center. The maids finished arranging the food while friends and their families arrived early, pitching in wherever help was needed.
The palace stood ready. All it waited for was Ben.
The moment he stepped inside, the house erupted.
"Happy birthday!!!"
Balloons popped, confetti rained down, and laughter filled the air. Ben froze for a second, stunned, then broke into a wide smile. He walked straight to Sam and kissed her gently on the cheek.
"Thank you," he said warmly. "All of you."
He turned next to Lara, pulling her into a hug. She whispered, "Happy birthday, Dad."
"Thank you, love," he replied, holding her a second longer.
Ben was at ease among his people—laughing, joking, drawing everyone in with his easy charm. His friends respected him deeply, and it showed in the way they gravitated toward him. After a while, he blended into the crowd… and then quietly slipped away.
Lunch was lively, filled with chatter and clinking glasses, when the front doors opened again. An older man entered with his wife, smiling broadly.
"Happy birthday, Ben!"