My heart stopped. I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. I slipped out of the hall without saying a word, hands shaking as I called her again and again — but every call went straight to voicemail. My mind spiraled with panic and regret. I shouldn’t have left her. What if something really happened?

When I finally pulled up to our house, there were cars parked outside and lights glowing through the windows. I rushed in — and was met with a deafening shout of “Surprise!”

There she was, standing in the center of the room, laughing at my horrified expression. My wife and my sister had teamed up to throw a surprise party — and had sent that terrifying text from a temporary number to make sure I’d show up.
I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or faint. She later told me it was just a “fun little lesson” about priorities. And though my heart nearly gave out that night, she was right — it made me realize how precious our time together really is.