It was Catherine's birthday, and the entire Shire family had been conspiring for weeks to prepare a special surprise.
As Catherine emerged from her room, still half-asleep, the sound of the front door opening caused her to pause.
"Do we have to do this? You don't even celebrate my birthday, why celebrate an unknown girl's birth?" called George, cake in hand.
"SHHHHH!" everyone else immediately hushed him, Alice rushing over to take the cake and place it in the center of the table, surrounded by an array of Catherine's favorite dishes.
Elisa grabbed George's shirt aggressively. "Be quiet!" she muttered.
Just then, Genevieve hurried out of Catherine's room. "Catherine is coming, let's gather around now!" she said in a flustered tone.
Arthur quickly ushered his children together, compressing them so Catherine wouldn't spot them right away.
When Catherine opened her bedroom door, her eyes widened in surprise at the sight before her. "Surprise!" the whole family shouted in unison.
Overwhelmed, Catherine felt tears well up in her eyes.
She couldn't believe this family, who had taken her in as a servant after the war, was now showering her with such love and celebration on her birthday. Did she really deserve this?
"Don't cry," Mary chuckled adoringly as the family gathered around to embrace the emotional girl. Their eyes shone with happiness as they pulled back, seeing Catherine's tear-streaked but joyful face.
Arthur gently guided Catherine to stand in front of the birthday cake. "Come, come," he said softly.
Together, the family broke into song, their voices raised in a jubilant rendition of "Happy Birthday." When they finished, Catherine closed her eyes and blew out the candles, her heart full to bursting.
As the party commenced, Catherine found herself surrounded by the Shire family, each of them doing their part to make her feel special and loved.
In this moment, she knew beyond any doubt that she had found her true home.
YOU ARE READING
The Lost Child
Mystery / ThrillerA lost girl who is said to be kidnapped in the year 1939. During the second world war, she entered the lives of the Shire family as their servant, time flies and WW2 started, the family decides to fly to another country to avoid the tragedy and deci...
