A few minutes later, the sound of the door opening made look up.
Both Camila and Bella erged, freshly dressed, looking far more composed than before—at least on the surface.
Bella clutched sothing behind her back, her hands visibly fidgeting, and her expression was a mix of nervousness and anticipation, like she wasn't sure how I would react to the surprise.
Camila, on the other hand, walked with her usual grace, but the way she occasionally bit her lower lip gave her away.
Whatever this surprise was, it had both of them on edge, and I couldn't help but feel a growing curiosity.
As they approached, I got up from the sofa and folded my arms, giving them a playful smile.
"I'll admit." I said, breaking the silence. "When you two said there was a surprise, I was half expecting you two to co out naked and wrapped in ribbons. You know, as the surprise itself...Little disappointed, honestly, since that isn't what I'm seeing."
Camila stopped in her tracks and tilted her head, a teasing smile tugging at her lips.
"Oh, don't worry." She replied smoothly, her voice carrying that soft, mischievous tone I knew all too well. "I'll save that surprise for your birthday that's coming soon and give you the best birthday present ever."
Her words hung in the air for a mont, her smile daring to react. I laughed, shaking my head as I said, "Well, that's the first ti in years I've actually been excited about my birthday."
Camila chuckled, but Bella let out a soft groan, clearly embarrassed by the exchange. "Mom, don't tease him so much...He might actually strip us naked one day and wrap us in ribbon for his satisfaction." She muttered, though her tone lacked any real bite.
I then straightened up, raising an eyebrow. "Alright, alright." I said, letting the mont pass. "So, if it's not ribbons, what's this big surprise?"
Camila turned to Bella, gesturing subtly in her direction. Bella froze for a second, her eyes widening as she realised both of us were now looking at her.
"What? Why are you staring at ?" She blurted, her voice rising slightly.
"Because..." Camila said patiently, though her smile carried a hint of amusent as she stared at the present behind her. "You're the one holding it. Go on, show him."
Bella hesitated, clutching whatever it was tighter behind her back. She glanced at , her cheeks flushing slightly, then back at her mom and then .
"Y-You...You better not say anything an about it, okay?" She muttered quickly. "Seriously, Daddy. Everyone put a lot of effort into this."
I blinked, taken aback by the sudden defensiveness in her voice. "Hey." I said softly, giving her a reassuring smile. "I won't say anything bad. I promise."
"...So, co on, let see. I'm dying to know what the surprise is."
Bella bit her lip, clearly still nervous, but after a mont's hesitation, she stepped forward.
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Slowly, almost reluctantly, she brought her hands out from behind her back, revealing a dium-sized basket.
Inside, nestled carefully in shredded paper, were several small glass jars. Each jar seed to hold a different sauce, the contents ranging from vibrant reds to creamy yellows and even deep greens.
Bella's pretty blue eyes trembled, her fingers curling nervously around the basket as she handed it to .
And as soon as I caught sight of the contents—jars filled with rich, colourful sauces—I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitent.
"Wait a second..." I said, leaning in closer to get a better look. "These are Camila's sauces, aren't they?" My voice carried a note of enthusiasm, and I turned to Camila, my grin widening. "These are your sauces, right? The ones you always make at ho?"
Camila raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a small, knowing smile. "Maybe." She said coyly.
"Oh, co on, don't play coy." I teased, reaching out to pick up one of the jars. It was a deep red tomato sauce, thick and vibrant, the kind of homade goodness that you could practically taste just by looking at it. "These are definitely your sauces. I'd recognise them anywhere."
I held the jar up, admiring the care that had gone into it, then glanced at Bella. "You have no idea how much I love these, Bella. The first ti I tried one of your mother's sauces..." I paused, letting the mory flood back, then looked at Camila with a playful but genuine grin. "It was incredible. I couldn't stop devouring it...I rember finishing the entire jar in one sitting and practically begging for more."
Camila's cheeks flushed slightly, and she let out a soft, almost shy laugh, though the warmth in her expression showed how much she appreciated the praise. "It wasn't that good." She said modestly.
"Oh, it 'was' that good and so much more!" I insisted, holding up the jar as evidence. "I rember thinking, 'This is the kind of sauce that ruins you for anything store-bought.' And now..." I gestured to the basket. "Now you've given an entire collection of them? You two really outdid yourselves."
Bella's nervousness seed to ease at my enthusiasm, and she smiled a little, though sothing about her expression caught my attention—almost like she was holding back from ntioning sothing that I had missed out on.
"So, this is the big surprise?" I asked, looking between them. "A basket full of your amazing sauces because you know how much I love them?"
But even though I was excited at the mont, both mother and daughter had rather varying reactions that didn't suit the situation.
Camila tilted her head slightly, watching with an unreadable expression, while Bella's face shifted into sothing I couldn't quite place—was that dismay?
"Thank you." I continued, completely ignoring the shift in mood. "This is seriously one of the best surprises I've ever gotten. I'll make sure to use them with every al. There's so much here, I could probably go weeks without running out!"
I chuckled, expecting them to share in my excitent, but when I glanced at them once again, I froze.
Both of them continued to stare at , their disbelief practically radiating through the room.
Camila's once-playful smile had softened into a thoughtful, almost amused expression, while Bella looked like she was holding back a groan. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and her hands clenched tightly at her sides as if she couldn't decide whether to laugh or scold .
Bella then leaned slightly toward Camila, her voice dropping to a whisper, though it was loud enough that I caught bits of it. "Why's he getting so excited over a bunch of sauces, Mom?" She asked, with an incredulous tone as she eyed up in amusent. "He hasn't even realised what the actual surprise is yet!"
Camila chuckled softly, her eyes flicking toward as her lips curved into a warm smile. "That's what's so great about him, Bella." She replied, her tone affectionate. "It's why I love him so much. He doesn't need grand gestures to be happy. He'll take the smallest thing from us and treat it like it's gold...That's just who he is and why I wouldn't choose anyone else over him."
Bella blinked, her expression shifting as she considered her mother's words. She glanced at again, her earlier frustration easing as a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"Yeah." She murmured, nodding slightly. "I guess that's true."
By now, I was fully aware they were talking about , and the heat rising to my cheeks was undeniable.
"Hey..." I said, clearing my throat and trying to break the mont before I turned entirely red. "What are you two whispering about over there?"
Camila's eyes sparkled with amusent as she looked at , tilting her head slightly. "Oh, nothing." She said innocently, though the hint of a smirk betrayed her.
Bella, however, let out an exasperated sigh, crossing her arms over her chest. "Seriously, Daddy? You still haven't figured it out yet?" She asked, her tone sowhere between disbelief and teasing, and then continued to reveal, saying, "The sauces aren't the main surprise!"
I frowned, glancing at the basket in confusion. "T-They're not?" I asked, scratching the back of my neck. "Then...What is?"
Bella groaned, throwing her hands up. "You're so dense sotis!" She exclaid, stepping forward and pointing at the jar in my hand. "Look closer at the label! It's not just about the sauce; look at the label on the jar itself!"
Frowning slightly, I brought the jar closer to my face.
At first glance, it still looked like any other jar of homade sauce, but as I studied it more closely, the details began to pop out.
The label wasn't just handwritten like I thought it was—it was a full, professionally designed label.
Tiny, adorable illustrations of tomatoes, basil leaves, and garlic surrounded the text, giving it a playful yet polished look.
The na of the sauce, 'Tomato Basil Bliss', was written in bold, curly script that practically scread, 'buy '. It looked clean, charming, and, above all, incredibly professional.
I blinked, turning the jar over in my hands, the glossy finish of the label catching the light.
"Wow!~" I said softly, the words spilling out unconsciously. "This is...really good!" I traced the edges of the label, admiring the tiny details—the shading on the tomatoes, the perfectly balanced layout of the ingredients, and even a little tagline at the bottom that read, 'Handcrafted with love.'
"It's so professional, you two...I can't believe that you actually made this." I continued, almost talking to myself. "...It looks like it could be sold in a store."
The mont I said those final words, a flicker of realisation hit like a lightning bolt.
My eyes widened, and I slowly looked up at Camila and Bella, who were standing side by side, both grinning from ear to ear.
Their expressions were almost identical—wide smiles, sparkling eyes, and a shared look of anticipation, as if silently asking, Well? How's the surprise?
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