Chapter 438 Birthday Surprise
A few days before Mitchell's birthday, Patrick started rallying everyone in their group chat, making sure they all kept the evening of the 31st free to celebrate his birthday.
He even tagged Victor to remind him to book his flight back home early. Over the years, no matter whose birthday it was, they would always gather together to celebrate. Danielle and Willow would also be there, making each birthday a warm and simple get-together.
The day before Mitchell's birthday, Willow took the afternoon off. She just told him that Danielle had something to discuss with her. He didn't ask much and simply said, "Give me a call when you're done, and I'll come pick you up."
"No need. We'll just take a cab back. You don't have to run around. Just... come home early after work," Willow insisted, worried. If Mitchell worked late, her surprise would lose its purpose.
She first called Danielle, telling him that she was preparing a birthday surprise for Mitchell and asked her to keep the story straight.
When Danielle got the call, he curiously and nosily asked, "What surprise are you planning for my brother?"
Willow smiled and said, "It's a secret."
"Not even a hint?" Danielle persisted.
"I'll tell you tomorrow," Willow simply replied. She thought that Mitchell should be first person to know about the birthday surprise, so she kept her lips sealed and didn't tell anyone about it, not even Danielle.
She went straight back to the apartment and started unpacking all the deliveries she had ordered. There were over a dozen boxes filled with decorations that she had bought online, including balloons, scented candles, string lights, electronic candles, and a photo album made from pictures of the two of them. She had prepared everything meticulously in advance.
After picking up the packages, she quickly started unpacking and decorating the apartment.
From the entrance to the bedroom door, she created a long walkway with balloons wrapped in string lights. She stuck 'Happy Birthday' balloon letters on the window and projected 'Happy Birthday' on the living room TV screen.
The rest of the space was filled with balloons, and the bed was adorned with electronic candles arranged in a heart shape. The dining table in the living room had a bouquet of vibrant red roses and a very small decadent cake.
Thinking that the two of them wouldn't eat much, Willow didn't buy a big cake; the small one was exquisite.
By the time she finished decorating, it was already dark. She checked the time; if Mitchell left work on time, he should be on his way home by now.
She quickly went out, ran to the security office, and picked up the fireworks she had stored there to avoid Mitchell finding them. She then headed to the small park behind the apartment. This park was usually bustling with people taking evening walks, but it wasn't too crowded.
Worried she wouldn't have time to set off the fireworks later, she hired a security guard who had just finished his shift to help her. They went to the park together, found a flat open space, set up the fireworks, and then Willow quickly called Mitchell. She needed him to come to the park first before going home, or else the surprise at home would be ruined.
The call connected quickly, and Willow hurriedly asked, "Mitchell, are you home yet? Where are you?"
Mitchell was probably driving, his deep and pleasant voice echoing faintly. "Yeah, I'm almost home. I'll be at the apartment in five minutes. Are you done with Danielle? Do you need me to pick you up?" he gently inquired.
He thought she was still out.
"No... no need, Mitchell. I'm already back. I'm at the small park behind the apartment. Can you come find me here first before going home?" Willow requested, trying to remain calm. She was a bit nervous since it was her first time doing something like this.
Mitchell was a bit puzzled but didn't think much of it since they often took walks in the park after dinner.
After parking his car at the apartment garage, he headed straight to the small park.
The park wasn't big, so he didn't bother calling Willow to ask for her exact location; he just went in to find her. At this time, the park wasn't crowded. The streetlights were dim, and he occasionally passed by a few people.
The park's center had a small lake with a calm surface. The reflections, fallen leaves, and benches all seemed to be imbued with a romantic hue.
Mitchell soon spotted Willow standing in the small square, stretching her neck and looking around, probably trying to see where he would appear from. He raised his voice and called out, "Willow."
Hearing his voice, Willow looked up and saw him. She couldn't help but run towards him excitedly. She stopped in front of him, her eyes sparkling as she panted slightly, "Mitchell, you're here."
Mitchell smiled warmly at her and asked with concern, "Why are you here at this hour? Did you have dinner with Danielle?"
Willow smiled sweetly, taking his hand and leading him towards the small square. She had already found the perfect spot to watch the fireworks.
She replied playfully, "I just felt like coming here. I had dinner."
She had actually snacked on some cookies in the afternoon and had been too busy decorating to eat a proper meal, but she couldn't tell him that.
She led him to the center of the small square.
Mitchell finally sensed something was off; it seemed like Willow was hiding something from him. Still smiling, he looked at her with eyes full of stars and asked softly, "Is there something you want to tell me?"
Willow checked the time; it was almost the agreed moment for the security guard to light the fireworks. She ran to the roadside to fetch the small fireworks and lighter she had left there, then handed one to Mitchell while keeping one for herself. She lit both of their small fireworks.
He watched her actions with a smile, thinking Willow had just bought some small fireworks for them to play with. Seeing her so happy made him happy too.
He had heard that one of these small fireworks could burn for nine seconds, releasing quantities of sparks in an instant, more than the stars in the Milky Way. Watching the lit fireworks felt like seeing a sky full of stars.
As their small fireworks were about to burn out, there was a sudden bang from not far away. A large firework shot into the sky and exploded into a brilliant flower. Then, one after another, fireworks soared into the night sky, blooming like colorful, golden flowers.
The fireworks filled the night sky.
Mitchell was momentarily stunned, a bit dazed. Seeing Willow's smiling face and the small fireworks they had just lit, he realized that the other fireworks were her doing.
Willow stepped forward, stood on her tiptoes, and whispered in his ear, "Mitchell, happy birthday to you in advance."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
