It took about an hour for everybody to calm down from the celebration of ridding the wretched criminal of a headmistress, and Paris would not stop thanking me in the process. As a matter of fact, it was almost everyone at the hotel who was cheering me on. Paris even gave me a kiss on the cheek.
You must be wondering about the broken glass at the top anterior of the hotel. Surely an appointment was immediately scheduled by the staff, and we had to be super cautious as we made our way back inside until the said day arrived. There were numerous shiny glass shards that delicately blanketed the lobby, so the best the staff could do at this point was sweep up the debris and mop the entire floor. The downside was we had to wait for it to completely dry, which took a couple of hours albeit being a large and cool area. Some of the guests were cranky from reasons like hunger, tiredness and thirst which made the wait feel twice as long. I myself wanted to go swimming again, but Mom didn't want me going by myself, especially from last night's episode.
Meanwhile, I was on a call with Daphne while looking at the view of the hotel grounds and city from our window. The TV was blaring on low volume so it wouldn't be too quiet when I was silent. Even she was hyped in praising me.
"You were outstanding!" she gushed for the fifth time. "I told you that you had that big spark inside you that was ready for the moment!"
This was something similar Mom told me within the first month I moved in with her. Everybody has some major thing that makes them unique, and Mom is the first and only one to make me feel like the most special person ever. That is the main reason why she earned my trust. Apart from an adult, Daphne makes me feel the same way. "I sure do! And it felt amazing! It was a lot of effort to take, but I did it."
Daphne giggled. "I couldn't agree more."
"I don't think anybody could," I added. It didn't include anybody who tried to slip those words into their disrespectful demeanor towards me in every way imaginable. "I'm just happy to have enough support to make this gift better for us. Miss Honey really appreciates it."
"I know she does. Nobody should ever doubt you." There was a pause before Daphne spoke again. "Do you mind if I drop something off? And it's ok if I can't come in. I'll just set it in front of your door."
Now that got my attention. "What is it?"
"It's a surprise." Daphne whispered this sentence to emphasize the word surprise. That quickly spiked my excitement even more. "But I can tell you that it's something you needed help with."
From the last few words said, I was ashamed to be utterly confused. Was it something I couldn't afford? Or was it one of her own particular ideas? I recall talking to Daphne, Stan and Kyle about what are the best Mother's Day gifts. I turned and discreetly looked across to the opposite room where Mom and Aunt Nellie were in their own conversation. It was a good thing we rented a suite instead of a normal king sized room or else this incident would be tragically spoiled.
After a minute of silence I responded, "Sure, go for it."
Daphne ended the call saying she will bring it over shortly, which was a relief because Mom trotted in my room. She was showered fresh and sprayed with the faintest scent of lavender, and it is the best scent for perfume next to vanilla. Her light brown hair was pressed into soft and bouncy curls whose ends gently kissed her face. It subtly matched the lilac fit and flare dress she was wearing. There are hardly any other words to describe her besides beautiful. Even when she is sleepy.
"Come on, Butters," she said, taking my hand. "Are you ready to go?"
I shook my head in pure confusion. "Wait, go where?"
"We have a reservation at the restaurant. And did I mention it's on the house? Paris was so kind as to offer to pay for our tab today."
"You mean it? Oh boy!" I cried as I swung my arms around Mom. I was still kind of upset about the last ordeal of Barefoot Grill, but if this were a male up for it then I am far past genuinely healed to go. I could not force myself to remain blue from being in such an embrace.
~~~~
The service was shockingly smooth for a Friday afternoon and there was no line when we arrived. We were at a shady table right outside the building with another breathtaking view of the city. Believe it or not, Mom went barefoot too! Lastly, Daphne arrived by surprise with a small gift box. She sat beside me as she was positioned outside of the circular booth opposing Aunt Nellie.
"Daphne, what a lovely gesture for you to visit," Mom said, smiling.
Daphne shrugged. "It's the least I could do." And she meant it. Ever since she met Miss Honey she found herself another trustworthy adult to talk to. We both have similar lives and somehow came across being in the same school and class with the same teacher. I call her special because she is the first official female friend I ran into. She began hanging out with Kyle about a week after, and now they are together. They make a cute couple, and I'm just as elated to have a mom who treats me like an actual kid. I am one of those actual kids apart from some who act and look grown for their ages.
As soon as our waitress, Grace, handed us our drinks and left, Daphne reluctantly held out the small gift box. "Miss Honey, this is for you. I insist."
I was thrown off and instantly remembered her mentioning a gift over the phone earlier. I had a feeling she would do the honors in the end. Mom didn't mind at all; she was exceedingly grateful with shock. "Oh, how lovely! You didn't have to."
I slid closer to her with intense curiosity. Her reaction was more defined up close. "Yeah, go on and open it," I cooed with a pat on her back.
Mom nodded as she carefully unraveled the bow and opened the box. She paused as she released a small, exasperated gasp as she held up a shiny, silver charm bracelet. There were five mixed colorful charms neatly aligned on the band and there was a small hooked clasp to use to put it on. "Daphne…" She was still breathless as she thoroughly admired the precious jewelry in the window's adjacent angle of light. "You really got this for me?"
"Well, it was my idea," I said quietly.
Mom turned to me, giving a skeptical expression. "But how come Daphne gave it to me?" she asked. "What went wrong?"
"I just wasn't able to get it for you on Mother's Day… And nobody was available to help except Daphne. I felt awful for not getting you what I really wanted to get you. It feels like I never did anything and you did all of the effort… I'm sorry."
As I hung my head in shame, I felt eyes all on me. Mom responded first by gently lifting my chin up to face her. "Butters," she said softly, "you already gave me just as much effort as I gave you. Believe me. And I appreciate it."
At least she expressed no signs of being down in the dumps or distress. Now I have become skeptical. "But what did I do for you to say that?" I wondered.
"You came into my life," Mom said, giving my hand a soft squeeze. "If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be in this position right now." Before I could ask further questions, she ran a hand along my cheek. "Just your appearance is enough to satisfy all of my needs," she continued, "and seeing you every day is a gift."
"She's right," Aunt Nellie added. "And I say the same to you. A darling nephew like you is beyond a miracle for me and your uncle. I always look forward to seeing you."
Every compliment triggered a light blush in my cheeks. It was pure and comforting. It feels like I never got the true vibe of comfort at any point in my life. Every day felt like fierce anguish clamming me shut from even the lightest ray of sunshine I set my eyes on. There is little comfort when I'm away from home, but other distressing reasons stem from why I remain shut out like an outcast. I only shared the basics with those around me, but any more details could break some down, including me. I'm simply grateful for having some folks who appreciate my innocent demeanor.
"And I think you are special too," Daphne piped in. "You were the first friend I made since I moved to South Park and won't forget that. You really are like a big brother to me. And I am more than happy to help you surprise this for the holiday."
"A surprise?" Mom asked. She gave each of us equal glances and then landed hers back to me. We knew she would ask aloud sooner or later, and there was no use denying.
"I wanted to make it special since this is our first Mother's Day together," I said.
"And you did a wonderful job," Mom added.
"You are the highlight of our lives," Daphne chimed in, then she performed a stern face. "And don't let anyone make you think otherwise."
"Aww you guys…" I was so flushed that I couldn't muster a whole sentence. Every word they spoke made me lose control of my muscles to force a smile. The most I could eke out was a thank you.
After about 15 minutes of usual chatter, the waiter brought us out food. I myself was so hungry that I practically burned my mouth from my first bite out of a cheeseburger. Fortunately I ordered lemonade to soothe my taste buds. It tasted almost as good as one from Bennigan's.
Another half hour passed as everybody thoroughly cleaned their plates. Aunt Nellie and I were almost stuffed to our limit, but I knew I had a bit of room left. I gingerly pushed my plate to my left as I heard my name in a whisper.
"Butters." Aunt Nellie leaned over and whispered, "The real gift is here. Miss Honey can't look yet."
Right at that moment I saw Paris and our waitress stride out of the kitchen. "Mom, we have something for you." I quickly covered her eyes as I eyed the two women advancing closer to us.
"Another gift?" Mom giggled. "What is it sweetie? More jewelry?"
"No," Daphne and I said in unison. We all laughed at our comment.
Paris and Grace were now standing in front of our booth, carrying a small, pink circular dessert tray.
"Let me get these out of your way," Grace said as she collected our plates. Paris carefully placed the tray in front of Mom. There was a sticky note with Mom's name written on the matching lid.
"You want me to do the honors or do you want to do it?" Paris asked us.
"I would but my hands are tied," I replied.
"Oh, sorry, my fault," Paris chuckled. "I won't mind at all. Here we go!" She slowly lifted the lid which revealed a very delicate and delicious strawberry shortcake that was beautifully stacked with fresh sliced strawberries and whipped cream layers with yellow cake. On the center of the cake, To Mom, From All was written in red icing. It looked like it was fake, but from the smell of the fruit you would think twice before eating it.
From the way everything and everyone was situated, I assumed I could uncover Mom's eyes as Aunt Nellie signaled me with a nod. With that I removed my hands off her eyes and she gasped as she immediately spotted the cake.
"Happy Mother's Day!" the rest of us shouted together.
"Oh my… I… I love it!" She was struggling on the verge of happy tears. "Why… Thank you, thank you all so much!" she said breathlessly. She wrapped her arm around me warmly.
"I knew you would like it. She is one herself," Grace joked.
"I love it too! It's so beautiful!" Daphne chirped.
"Oh, you will really love it once you try it!" Paris told us. "Hope you all enjoy it." She gave Mom a few pats on her shoulder and exchanged winks with Aunt Nellie before walking away. Grace gave us a shy smile as she followed her.
"Maybe she's right," I insisted. "Let's all find out how the cake tastes."
"Butters, you made this day very meaningful," Mom told me, cutting out four slices of cake. "And just from that I can tell Paris is without a doubt right about it. This is one of my favorite desserts."
"Mine too!" Daphne said with her first mouthful.
"Ditto," Aunt Nellie added.
"It's meaningful for me too," I said. "You are very welcome for every bit of it."
Mom and I sat closer to each other as we all gobbled down our cake. She even let me give her the top whole strawberry which is what we called the special one. We also shared each other's slices and giggled from accidentally icing our faces. Daphne playfully stabbed my cheek with a forkful and dabbed icing on my nose. It was my biggest miracle seeing Miss Honey smile. From the day we met up to this moment. She deserves it. The whole booth deserves it. It was a milestone that is meant to be with her forever. By just our presence, I thank God for bringing me into her life.