By telling my husband I was pregnant, I felt I was giving him the ideal birthday present, but what I discovered when I got home completely upended my world. I felt like everything was collapsing because of seven luggage, my twins’ perplexing explanation, and an ignored phone.

I was ecstatic to learn that I was pregnant once more. Over the years, Ryan and I had discussed having another child a few times, but we had chosen to let things happen if they did because of his hectic work schedule and the turmoil of parenting our twins, Jake and Liam, who are seven years old.

I chose to give him the announcement as a birthday present. It was a simple, ribbon-tied little box with the positive pregnancy test inside.
“Boys,” I said, crouching to their eye level on the kitchen table, “this is a special gift for Daddy. Can you give it to him when he wakes up?”

“What is it, Mom?” Jake asked, his eyes lighting up.

Image for illustrative purpose only.
“It’s a surprise,” I said with a smile. “But you have to promise not to open it, okay? Just tell Daddy it’s from me.”

Jake nodded solemnly, taking the box in his hands like he was holding the key to the universe. Liam, of course, was grinning mischievously. “Can we at least shake it to guess what’s inside?”

“No shaking, no peeking!” I said, laughing as I ruffled his hair. “I’ll be back soon, okay!”

After kissing them on the forehead, I rushed out the door.

However, I came to a complete halt when I entered the room later that morning.
The colors of the seven luggage, which were arranged against the wall of the living room, nearly made fun of me. They came in three different sizes: carry-on, small, and large.

My initial assumption was that our home had been broken into. That didn’t make logic, though.

“Oh, hey, Emily!” she called out, waving, and my boys’ eyes brightened when they saw me.

“Mommy!” Jake called out, running up to me with Liam close behind. “Daddy said your gift wasn’t a proper present, so we’re leaving tomorrow!”

Image for illustrative purpose only.
I stared at him, my eyes growing wide. “What? Leaving where?”

Liam chimed in, grinning ear to ear. “He said we’re going on an adventure!”

“What adventure?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. “Why are there suitcases everywhere?”

Jake shrugged. “I don’t know. But Daddy said you’re bad at presents, so he’s fixing it.”

I pulled out my phone and called him, but it went straight to voicemail. “Ryan,” I said, trying to steady my heartbeat. “What’s going on? Call me back.”

Did he mean to take the boys with him when he left? Was I overly suspicious? It can’t be anything horrible, after all, the lads were excited. Correct? Unless Ryan hadn’t told them everything he had planned.
I tried calling him again. Nothing.

Hours went by. My heart would jump whenever I heard a car outside, only to fall when it wasn’t him. I was in full-blown hysteria and it was dark when the front door finally opened.

Danielle’s presence to divert the boys was a true boon.

Ryan walked in, smiling like he didn’t have a care in the world. He was carrying a shopping bag and whistling a cheerful tune from a popular musical.

Image for illustrative purpose only.
“Hey, Em!” he said cheerfully. “How was your day?”

He looked at me, startled. “What? Emily, what are you talking about?”

“The suitcases!” I cried. “The boys said you’re leaving tomorrow because my gift wasn’t good enough!”

For a moment, he just stared at me, confused. Then he burst out laughing.

“Wait, they told you we were leaving you?” he asked, still chuckling as he set the shopping bag down.

“It’s not funny, Ryan!” I snapped, my voice cracking. “I’ve been worried sick all day. I couldn’t reach you, and the boys said you didn’t like—”

“Okay, okay,” he said, holding up his hands. “I’m sorry, Em. Let me explain.”

“First of all,” he said, taking my hands, “your gift wasn’t just a good present; it was the best present. We’re having a baby! That’s incredible, and I couldn’t be happier.”
“Then why—”

“I told the boys your gift wasn’t enough because I was joking with them a little,” he admitted, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “But the suitcases are really my birthday gift to all of us.”

Image for illustrative purpose only.
I blinked, trying to process what he was saying. “What do you mean?”

“I booked a surprise family trip after I opened that box! I thought it would be fun to go on one last adventure before the pregnancy goes further along. Because we have much more to celebrate than just my birthday. Our family is growing!”

That night, we stayed up late packing the suitcases for our trip.

“Where are we going, Dad?” Jake asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

“Can we go to Disney World?” Liam added, bouncing on his heels.

“You’ll see,” Ryan said with a wink.

He finally declared the destination: a sunny beach resort.

Looking back, I can laugh about my reaction. However, I genuinely felt like my world was collapsing when I saw those suitcases and heard the boys’ naive explanation.