My sister and I live in different states. Last week, we visited our parents together to spend some time with them. Mom gifted us the same suitcases a few Christmases ago, and it was never a problem until recently. As my sister and I were leaving our parents’ house to go to the airport, we accidentally switched suitcases. I only noticed it when I arrived back at my place and opened the luggage. There were my sister’s shoes and clothes, and at first, I thought it was a funny mix-up. Then I noticed an envelope hidden among the clothes. In my mom’s handwriting, there were a few words on the envelope: “Open When Clara Is Not Around!” I felt betrayed but hopeful. Maybe it was something sweet. But as I opened the envelope, tears swelled up in my eyes. What
When Clara realized she grabbed the wrong suitcase at the airport, she didn’t expect anything unusual. But opening it, her jaw dropped in shock. Among the clothes lay a mysterious envelope that would change everything.
“Bella, make sure you grab the right one,” I called out half-jokingly.
“Don’t worry, Clara,” Bella laughed. “I know which one’s mine.”
Mom’s birthday weekend had been lovely, and Bella and I had a great time catching up with our parents. But it was time to head back to reality. We stuffed our identical suitcases into the trunk of our Uber.
“Safe travels, girls. Call when you get home,” Mom waved, smiling warmly.
“Do you have everything? Tickets, phones, chargers?” Dad asked, helping us load the luggage.
“Yep, all set!” I said, giving him a quick hug. Bella and I got into the car, and as we drove off, I felt a familiar pang of sadness.
“I wish we could stay longer,” I sighed, staring out the car window.
“I know,” Bella agreed. “But we’ll be back soon. Cheer up!”
At the airport, we checked in and went our separate ways. I arrived back at my apartment, exhausted but content. Opening the suitcase, I froze. Bella’s shoes and clothes stared back at me. I chuckled about the mix-up but then noticed an envelope nestled between her clothes.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw the familiar handwriting: “Open When Clara Is Not Around!”
With a deep breath, I opened the envelope and was stunned to find a stack of money inside. Just days ago, my parents had said they couldn’t help me buy a new car. Now, seeing this money, I felt a surge of emotions.
I called Bella. “Hey, did you know there’s an envelope in your suitcase?”
“Envelope? No, I didn’t know about that.”
“It has Mom’s handwriting. Did you see what it’s for?”
“No idea,” Bella sounded genuinely surprised.
I decided to call Mom to get to the bottom of this.
“Hi, sweetheart!” Mom answered cheerfully. “How was your trip back?”
“It was fine, Mom. I need to talk to you about something… I found an envelope in Bella’s suitcase with your handwriting on it. It said, ‘Open When Clara Is Not Around!’”
Mom went quiet. “What was in the envelope?”
“Money, Mom! A stack of money. You said you didn’t have any money to help me with a new car! What’s going on?”
Mom sighed. “Oh, Clara, I’m so sorry. That envelope wasn’t meant for Bella. It was for you.”
“For me? Why hide it in Bella’s suitcase?”
“It was supposed to be a surprise,” Mom explained. “Your dad and I wanted to help you get a new car. Bella suggested we surprise you. Your dad must have mixed up the suitcases by accident.”
“So, you weren’t giving Bella money for that bag she wanted?” I asked.
“No, Clara. The money was always meant for you. We wanted to show you that we believe in you and support you, even if we didn’t have much to give at the moment.”
I felt a mix of relief and guilt. “Mom, I’m sorry I doubted you and Bella. I love you, Mom. Thank you so much for this.”
“Love you too, Clara,” she said before we hung up.
I called Bella. “Hey, Bella. I just talked to Mom. Thank you for the surprise. It means a lot to me.”
Bella laughed. “No problem, Clara. We just wanted to help. I’m glad you found the surprise, even if it was a bit mixed up!”
“I was so stupid to act like that,” I said. “Thanks for everything. Love you so, so much!”