My Mom

“Why are you silent? Say something,” Nathan asked.

Tyler swallowed hard before saying, “It’s nothing major, Grandpa. I wanted to tell you after I finished. You know, it was supposed to be a surprise.”

“See, he was planning a surprise,” Clara interjected, her laughter high-pitched and strained, desperate to diffuse the tension.

No one joined in her laughter. Clara’s face fell, her gaze dropping to her lap.

Timothy dabbed at his mouth with a napkin, setting his spoon down as he said, “Well, it seems this surprise has taken up about a billion dollars already.”

“What!” Peter’s voice echoed through the dining room, his eyes darting between his father and Tyler, shocked.

Nathan felt a cold knot forming in his stomach. A billion dollars? How had Tyler managed to move that kind of money without him noticing?

“Tyler!” Clara’s voice was a mixture of disbelief and panic as she stared at her son.

“Hmm, hmm.” Timothy’s cough silenced the room, drawing all eyes back to him.

“Well, that’s part of th