As the car turned the corner and pulled up to her house, she noticed something odd. A few more cars than usual were parked outside. She was filled with curiosity.
Is there something going on that I'm not aware about?
She quickly got out of the car, while the chauffeur helped with her bags, and she made her way up the front steps. The door was slightly ajar, and she could hear people laughing and chattering inside.
She pushed the door open and stepped inside, and was immediately hit by a chorus of voices.
"SURPRISE!!!"
Everyone shouted, throwing their hands up as confetti rained down.
Her eyes widened in shock. Standing in front of her were her parents and grandparents waving excitedly. Her cousins from Paris— Dominic and Anna, and a couple of her friends back home, were all gathered in the living room.
Eva placed her hands on her chest, feeling overwhelmed.
"Oh my God! You guys!" she exclaimed as she rushed forward to hug her parents first, with her mom pulling her in tightly.
"Welcome home, sweetheart." Her mom said.
Her dad kissed her on the forehead.
"We thought you could use a little welcome party." He said with a wink.
Eva was still taking it all in when she spotted her cousins from Paris. Her memories of their last gathering at the wedding came back and she hugged them affectionately, laughing as they spoke over each other, excited to see her again.
"I miss you, Eva!" Her cousin Anna said.
"I miss you too!" Eva replied, "I had no idea you guys were coming!" She said, holding Dominic's hand and smiling at his wife, Margaux.
"Well, we wanted to surprise you…" Anna said with a playful smile. "But we're not the only surprise…"
Eva stood confused.
"What do you mean?"
Her father stepped aside with a grin, revealing someone else standing just behind him. Eva caught her breath…
Èdouard.
He looked just as she remembered him from the wedding— the tall, handsome Frenchman who had completely captured her attention during her cousin's big day. His hazel eyes lit up when they met hers, and he wore a smile on his face.
"Eva," he said in that cool voice she hadn't been able to get out of her head. "Surprise!"
For a moment, she stood frozen in place, her brain struggling to catch up with the fact that Èdouard was standing there. He was unbelievably present in her hometown. The same Èdouard she had met in Paris but never thought she would see again after the wedding ceremony.
"Èdouard?" she finally said.
He nodded, stepping closer.
"It's been a while."
Without thinking, Eva found herself hugging him and laughing. The feeling of familiarity was instant.
"I can't believe you're here!" She said, pulling back a little to look at him. "I mean, how? When?"
"Your cousins invited me." He explained, "They told me you'd be home for the holidays, and I couldn't resist the chance to see you again."
She felt a hint of comfort hearing him say that, for she had spent some time at school wondering what had happened to him, and why he left Paris without saying goodbye. And now, there he was, standing in front of her like some kind of dream…
"I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" She admitted, with a trace of vulnerability in her tone. "You left without saying goodbye, you know?!"
"I know..." He began, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry about that. I—" He hesitated, looking at her apologetically. "I didn't mean to leave like that. It's just that I had some important work calls to attend to, and my family needed me back home quickly, so…"
"Hope it's not some sort of emergency back home?"
"Not exactly, but you know, it's just family stuff. But yeah, I guess I panicked and just left. I apologize for not saying goodbye, by the way. Uhm… I just didn't want to ruin anything by complicating it further. I thought it would be easier that way. But looking back now, I see how wrong I was."
She stopped to assess him for a moment, and she could see the sincerity in his eyes— she understood what he was saying.
"I'm really glad to be here now." He added, smiling at her.
She nodded in agreement.
"I'm glad you're here too," she said. "It's good to see you again."
They stood there for a moment, smiling at each other. Then, he took a deep breath and glanced around the room before turning his attention back to her.
"So, I was thinking," he began, "Since we both share the same interest in travels, why don't we embark on a travel adventure, huh?" He suggested.
She raised her eyebrows in excitement.
"Wow! That'd be amazing! I mean…Where do you have in mind?"
"How does a trip to New York sound to you?" He asked, with anticipation in his eyes. "Just the two of us. A little adventure to kick off the holidays."
Her jaw dropped, his words hitting her like lightning.
"Wait, you want to go to New York…with me?"
"Yes!" He said. "I figured, why not? and what better way to do it than with you?"
She had always wanted to visit New York, and the idea of going with someone like Èdouard was more than anything she could have imagined. It felt spontaneous, exhilarating— exactly what she needed after the whirlwind semester.
"I—" she paused, "I think that sounds amazing."
"Is that a yes?"
"Absolutely!" She said, laughing. "Let's do it."
Before she could even process what was happening, he pulled her into a hug, kissing her forehead.
As they pulled apart, her eyes gleamed.
"I guess we'll have to tell everyone about it, huh?"
He chuckled.
"Do you think they'll take the news well?"
She glanced over at her parents and cousins, who were chatting nearby, totally unaware of their conversation, and she grinned…
"Only one way to find out."
With a playful push, she led him over to her family. Her parents looked up curiously as they approached, sensing that something was up…
"Mom, Dad," She said, "Èdouard and I have a little announcement."
"What's going on, sweetheart?"
"We're going to New York next week…Together!" She beamed.
For a moment, there was silence as her family tried to process the news. Then, her mother clapped, cheering and signaling the others to join in.
"Oh my goodness, that's wonderful!"
Everyone else in the room cheered, clearly thrilled by the idea. Even her grandparents, who were usually more reserved, smiled in approval.
"New York, huh?" Her father said, "That's quite the adventure!"
"It really is, dad, and I can't wait."
She felt a sense of satisfaction. The day had brought surprises she hadn't seen coming, but they were exactly what she needed. With an exciting adventure ahead of her, the holiday season was already promising to be unforgettable.
What about Benjamin? Aren't you going to tell him?
A voice said.
Oh please. We just started dating, besides, I'm not doing anything wrong.
Another explained.
With the notorious warring voices alive again, Eva was forced to make a decision. A decision she personally didn't think was necessary, after all, Èdouard was a family friend and it was going to be just a travel adventure— nothing more.
Regardless, she felt obliged to inform her new boyfriend about her plans…It was the right thing to do…