“Congratulations, my wife.” Stephen’s voice warmed my heart as he kissed my forehead.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
My mother, father, and Liam also came over.
“We are so proud of you, dear,” Mom said, her eyes glistening.
“We always will be,” Dad added, giving me a pat on the back.
“Well, you’re supposed to inherit the Sarmiento Hotel and Restaurant Group of Companies. But it looks like the responsibility will really be passed to me,” Liam teased.
I bit my lower lip and playfully pinched his cheek. “Don’t worry. I know you can manage. Besides, I will still help you out like I originally planned.”
After saying our goodbyes to our other classmates and professors, we also left. But I was surprised when, upon exiting, someone suddenly called out to Stephen, and he quickly excused himself from me.
“Where are you going? I thought we were going to celebrate?” We had already discussed the night before that we would dine at one of my family’s owned restaurants to celebrate our graduation.
He gave me an apologetic look as he held both of my hands. “I’m really sorry. There are some things I need to take care of at the headquarters. I’ll be with the boys.”
A sudden nervousness gripped me. “Why? Is there a problem? Does it have anything to do with the organization?” I asked, worriedly.
He sighed lightly. “No, it’s not related to them. I’ll see you later, okay?” He gave me a quick peck on the lips.
I didn’t want to let go of his hand, but Mom pulled me away. My anxiety increased when I noticed that even Dad was joining them.
“Even you, Dad? What’s going on?” I could feel that something was wrong, but they just didn’t want to tell me.
“Don’t worry, sweetie. We’ll see you later to give you a kind of celebration you will never forget,” Dad said with a reassuring smile.
I was about to ask more questions, but Mom pulled me into Shantel’s car.
“We’re having some girl bonding time now, okay? Let’s take this chance to prepare for the celebration later,” Shantel grinned from the driver’s seat.
I blinked at her. “What? Where are we going?”
Mads peeked at me from the passenger seat. “We’re going to pamper ourselves today, Thalia.”
My eyebrows furrowed. I couldn’t tell if it was just me or if everyone was acting strangely today.
Mom held my hand tightly. I looked at her, and she just smiled at me.
“Don’t worry. Just enjoy the day, sweetie.”
Even though I was confused, I nodded, and we started chatting about various things during the journey.
But my brows furrowed when our car came to a stop in front of a boutique.
“What are we doing here?” I glanced at the boutique from outside the window. It’s a shop filled with dresses and gowns.
My gaze then shifted to my outfit. I was wearing a pink off-shoulder dress that reached above the knee. It looked formal enough, so I thought it would be suitable for the celebration later.
“Of course we need a new dress for the celebration later!” Shantel even clapped her hands.
My mouth dropped open. I was about to protest when Mom hastily pulled me out.
I shook my head and followed them inside. Even Ryza and Amelia seemed excited.
A saleswoman immediately greeted us as we entered.
“Good day. What are you looking for, ma’am?” she asked with a smile and politeness.
“We need a white dress for a big celebration. We want the most expensive and the most beautiful dress in this shop. Especially for her,” Mom pointed at me.
My eyes widened as I looked at Mom.
“What? White?”
Mom held me firmly by my shoulders and looked at me intently.
“Don’t ask too many questions, dear. Just choose the best one. Alright?” She adjusted a few strands of my hair behind my ear.
I let out a sigh before nodding.
“This way, ma’am.”
I followed the saleslady as Mom and the others began browsing to select their outfits.
I looked around at the racks, and suddenly my gaze lifted. It immediately caught my attention—a white dress worn by one of the mannequins here.
“I want that one,” I pointed at it, and the saleslady quickly attended to my request.
It was an elegant A-line white dress adorned with a combination of pearl and crystal beads. The v-shaped back added to its stunning appeal.
“Such a nice choice, sweetie,” Mom said with delight as she approached me. I noticed that they also had clothes in their hands now.
But I furrowed my brows when I noticed that they were all holding dresses in the same shade of blue—my favorite color.
“Wait. I’m the only one different. I think I should get a blue one—”
“Oh no, sweetie. It’s alright. Now, choose your shoes already so you can wear it all together.” Mom interrupted what I was about to say.
I blinked. “Wear it all together?”
“Just choose, Thalia. We still have other places to go after this,” Ryza said in a slightly rushed manner.
I didn’t say anything more and quickly picked out a pair of white stilettos. But Shantel stopped me suddenly.
I raised an eyebrow at her. “Why?”
“You’re already quite tall. I think it’s better if you wear flats,” she explained. Her eyes sparkled as they landed on a white classic ballet flat with a crystal anklet and a more fashionable design.
She immediately picked it up and handed it to me. “I think this one is better. What do you think?”
I took it from her and nodded. It actually matched the dress I had chosen. Plus, it would definitely be more comfortable.
Mom paid for everything before we headed to the fitting rooms to change. While inside, I couldn’t help but continue to wonder.
Something’s really going on here.
To my surprise, our next stop was a salon. We weren’t the type to often go to salons to get our makeup and hair done, so this was quite unexpected.
I opted for a light makeup application. I always felt uncomfortable when there was too much makeup on my face. It felt heavy and suffocating.
As for my hair, it was styled into a braided updo. It was the first time I had ever gotten my hair braided.
When we were done, Mom paid again. I let it slide, hoping to avoid a lengthy discussion.
However, I let out a yelp when, upon getting into the car, they suddenly blindfolded me.
“Hey! What’s this all about? What’s going on?” I asked in a fluster.
Seriously, what are they up to?
“Be still, Nathalia. Don’t remove your blindfold, okay? We have a surprise party for you.” Shantel’s voice was full of excitement.
“What the hell? Why didn’t I know about this?” I exclaimed.
I can’t believe it. Stephen and I had already made plans for how we were going to celebrate our graduation today, and now I find out there’s another plan in place.
“Duh, Thalia. It’s called a surprise,” Mads retorted.
I just frowned and didn’t bother asking any more questions. They weren’t planning on answering anyway.
Sometimes, I really can’t understand what’s going on in the minds of my friends. And now Mom was joining in too.
“Nathalia, why don’t you take a nap? Our journey is still quite a ways off,” Shantel suggested.
I furrowed my brow. “What? Why? Where are we really going?”
I was getting more and more bewildered because of my companions today.
“You’ll see later”.
I was about to argue when suddenly I started feeling dizzy. Honestly, I hadn’t been feeling well since I woke up this morning. But I didn’t pay it much mind because of the special day.
I closed my eyes slowly and drifted off to sleep.