When Maria planned a surprise party for her husband’s 40th birthday, she thought it would be a night to remember for all the right reasons. She invited close friends and family, decorated the house, and made sure everything was perfect for his big day. But when the doorbell rang, something unexpected happened.
My husband’s 40th birthday was coming up, and I wanted to throw him a surprise party. I told him I would be out of town on his birthday, and we agreed to celebrate on another day.
The night before his birthday, I pretended to pack my bags and leave for the airport. But instead of traveling, I stayed overnight at my friend Karen’s house.
As I packed, Karen asked, “Are you sure this will work?”
“Absolutely,” I said. “Tom thinks I’m visiting my sister.”
The next day, I got up early to prepare everything. Tom usually came home around 6 p.m., so I invited friends and family to arrive at 5. By 4:45, guests began showing up, starting with his brother, Jim.
“Need any help?” Jim asked, carrying a box of decorations.
I handed him streamers and said, “Sure, hang these up.”
Soon, Tom’s best friend, Dave, arrived with his wife, Lisa. “Wow, Maria, you’ve outdone yourself,” Lisa said, admiring the decorations.
“Thanks! Can you help with the balloons?” I asked. Everyone worked together, and by 5:30, the house looked amazing, with streamers, balloons, and a big banner that said, “Happy 40th, Tom!”
At 5:45, I gathered everyone in the kitchen. “Tom will be here soon. Let’s hide,” I said, feeling excited. We turned off the lights and found hiding spots, waiting in the dark. My heart raced when I heard the key in the lock.
The door opened, but instead of Tom, I heard a woman’s voice. “Do you think he’ll like it?”
My heart sank. Who was this woman? For a second, I thought Tom was cheating on me. The lights came on, and we all gasped.
Standing in the doorway was a young couple, just as shocked as we were. The woman held a suitcase, and the man had a set of keys.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“Who are we? Who are you?” the woman responded, equally confused.
Jim stepped forward. “We’re here for a surprise party. Who are you?”
The man replied, “We rented this house on Airbnb.”
My face went pale. “Airbnb? This is our house!”
Dave scratched his head. “Tom must have listed it after Maria said she was leaving.”
The woman looked at me sympathetically. “Oh no, we didn’t know. We’re so sorry. We’ll leave right away.”
“No, it’s okay,” I said, trying to stay calm. “Let’s figure this out.”
The couple, still confused, stepped inside, and everyone started whispering, trying to understand what happened.
Karen came over and whispered, “Maria, what’s going on?”
“I have no idea,” I whispered back. “Tom must have put the house on Airbnb when I told him I’d be away.”
Tom’s sister, Susan, spoke up. “Let’s all sit down and talk this out.”
We moved to the living room, the party decorations now feeling out of place. The couple introduced themselves as Jake and Emily.
“We’re really sorry,” Jake said. “We thought the house was empty.”
Emily nodded. “We didn’t mean to crash your party.”
I smiled. “It’s not your fault. This is just a big mix-up.”
I called Tom, and he answered cheerfully. “Hey, honey! I thought you’d be on your flight.”
“Tom,” I said, trying to stay calm, “did you list our house on Airbnb?”
There was a pause. “Uh, yeah. I thought we could make some extra money since you were out of town.”
I took a deep breath. “Tom, I’m not out of town. I was planning a surprise party for you. Now, we’ve got guests and an Airbnb couple here.”
There was silence before Tom finally said, “Oh no, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
I looked at Jake and Emily, who sat awkwardly on the couch. “What do we do now?”
“I’m coming home. We’ll figure it out,” Tom said.
I turned to everyone. “Tom’s on his way. We’ll sort this out soon.”
Jake stood up. “We can find another place to stay.”
Lisa shook her head. “No, stay. There’s plenty of food and drinks. Join us.”
Emily smiled. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. The more, the merrier,” I said.
Tom arrived fifteen minutes later, looking sheepish. “I’m really sorry,” he said. “I just wanted to save money for a vacation.”
Susan laughed. “Well, you certainly surprised us.”
Jake and Emily decided to stay, and soon everyone was laughing and having a great time.
As the night went on, I smiled. Despite the chaos, it turned out to be a night none of us would forget. And as for the vacation, Tom and I would definitely be taking one, with a funny story to tell for years to come.
“I Might Only Have A Few Days Left,” Mark Zuckerberg Honors Wife on Their 20th Anniversary
Celebrating their undying love and partnership, Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, marked their 20th anniversary with a heartfelt private celebration. They are reflecting on their journey from college to becoming parents of three.
The couple made a sweet tribute to each other
Mark made a sweet tribute to his wife to celebrate their two decades of love. He uploaded a throwback picture from their first year together. He also reminisced about how they met for the first time. At that time, Mark only had a few days left before he got kicked out of school.
“20 years since our first date. We met at a going away party my friends threw for me in college when they thought I was about to get kicked out of school. I asked her out but told her we’d need to go out soon since I might only have a few days left. Later on, I started Facebook, we got married, and now have three wonderful girls. What a wild ride,” he said.
Continuing the heartfelt celebration, Priscilla also penned a touching tribute for Mark. She is grateful for how he makes her laugh even after two decades together.
“20 years since our first date. He still makes me laugh constantly, and we are never short of wild adventures. And now we have 3 little ladies riding along with us!”
They met unexpectedly
The pair, both 38, first crossed paths in 2003 at Harvard University while waiting in line for the bathroom at a party hosted by Zuckerberg’s fraternity. In 2010, the lovebirds took the next step by moving in together, and two years later, they surprised their guests by tying the knot in their backyard. The unexpected wedding caught everyone off guard, as attendees initially believed they were there to celebrate Priscilla’s graduation from medical school.
They are still going strong.
Last year, they commemorated their 10th wedding anniversary by reimagining the very photo taken on their wedding day a decade ago. Mark penned, ’’10 years married and half our lives together. Here’s to more adventures.’’
The couple is feeling blessed.
Earlier this year, the Meta CEO was over the moon to become the father of three girls. He joyfully announced on social media that Priscilla gave birth to their third daughter on March 24, 2023.
The proud dad took to both his Facebook and Instagram to share heartwarming photos of his new baby daughter, capturing precious moments with both himself and his wife just after she entered the world.
He wrote, ’’Welcome to the world, Aurelia Chan Zuckerberg! You’re such a little blessing.’’
The couple, already parents to 7-year-old Maxima and 5-year-old August, revealed the news of their third pregnancy in September. Mark shared a heartfelt photo of the two, his hand resting on Priscilla’s stomach, accompanied by the caption, ’Lots of love. Happy to share that Max and August are getting a new baby sister next year!’’
Congratulations to this inspiring couple, and our best wishes go out to this sweet family of 5. Some other celebrities have recently welcomed a baby and chosen to share touching photos of their bundle of joy with the world.
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