My heart races as I twirl around the ballroom in the new dress Mum bought for me, both as a gift and for this occasion. It's finally happening. The day I've been waiting for-my sixteenth birthday party. As I spin around, I take in the once sparsely decorated space, now filled with balloons, streamers, and fairy lights. At the back of the room, the DJ has already arranged the equipment, which includes the diverse music playlist I provided days ago when I was in a particularly giving mood. The music is an important part of tonight, not just because it's my birthday, but since it's the very first time Mum and I are opening our home to Lakeview Hollow. We'd agreed it's the perfect moment to introduce the mansion, still without a name, to our new friends and acquaintances. The guest list is so big that, if everyone shows up, they'll all be crammed into the ballroom like sardines. Besides, and I'm pretty happy about this part, the more people who come, the more gifts I receive. What's not to love about that?

Racing down the hallway, I head to the kitchen for a quick snack before the guests arrive. On the kitchen island, a tray of tempting canapes sits. I tiptoe in, stealing a morsel and stuffing it in my mouth. Maggie spins on her heels, narrowing her gaze on me.

"You wouldn't be pinching the goodies for your party now, would you?"

With my mouth full, I simply raise my eyebrows innocently, and shake my head. Maggie chuckles; she's not silly, and I know I've been caught red-handed.

"So, then," Maggie continues, "How's it taste?"

I swallow the remnants of my mouthful. "If I had pinched a little snack, I'd probably say it's a ten out of ten." Grinning widely to feign my innocence, she shoes me away.

"Look at the time, Aislinn. Shouldn't you be at the door with your mother, ready to greet people?"

Rolling my eyes, she's right. I guess I lost track of time gallivanting about in the ballroom. Leaving Maggie in her element, I stroll over to the foyer. Mum's busily fluffing cushions on the seating, pacing around the room trying to look occupied.

"Mum," I say, snapping her from whatever thoughts preoccupy her mind. "Stop with the fluffing already. The place looks amazing."

Flustered, she sets down the cushion. "Oh Ais, I'm just nervous."

"Don't be," I reply, trying to reassure her. "Everyone is going to love what we've done with the mansion."

She sighs. "I know, sweetheart. I'm worrying about nothing." Feigning a smile, she pulls me into a hug. "So, are you ready to celebrate?"

"Of course," I blurt. "I was born ready." We both laugh at that.

Just then, Jake enters through the large double doors that sit open, waiting for our guests to arrive. He looks at me with a strange expression. He's clearly trying to say something that he doesn't want Mum to know, but that's clearly not a strong suit of his. I scrunch my face up, and mouth, 'What?' trying to work it out, to no avail. Thankfully, I hear the surprise arriving - the one I'd arranged for Mum. She doesn't know about.

Mum looks at me. "That sounds a lot like Liv's voice?"

I smirk, shrugging my shoulders. "It does, doesn't it? Maybe you should go check."

Mum's excitement is palpable as she all but runs to the front door, crashing into Olivia on the porch. "Oh, my goodness, Liv," she squeals, as if she's a teenager herself. "I can't believe you're here. I've missed you so much."

"Surprise," Olivia grins widely. "Of course, I was going to come. There's no way I'd miss Ais's big day. Besides, I was looking for an excuse to get out of that big ol' city and come visit. Please tell me you have a room for me, though."

"Yes, of course," Mum replies, then turns to me and Jake. "Will you two be alright greeting people for a moment?"

We both nod. "We can handle a few handshakes and hugs. Go, catch up," Jake says.

As Mum and Olivia hurry away, Jake turns to me with a curious look on his face. In almost a whisper, he says, "Ais, there's actually something I wanted to talk to you about."

Well, this seems ominous. Curiosity getting the better of me, I proceed. "Yeah?"

"I know this party is for you, and I didn't want to just take the limelight without talking to you first," he says. And now I'm more curious than ever. What's this man got up his sleeve?

Narrowing my gaze, I squint at him. "What exactly are you planning, Jake?"

He chuckles. "Nothing bad, I promise. Maybe I should show you instead."

"OK," I reply, waiting for his revelation.

I study him as he reaches into his pocket, quickly checking that Mum's not in earshot. Then he pulls out a small square box.

My breath catches. "Oh, my goodness, Jake. Are you -?"

He interjects, placing a finger to his lips. "Shh, I don't want her to hear."

"Can I see it?" I ask eagerly.

"OK, but just for a second," he says, opening the little lid. Inside, it's an elegant white gold ring, adorned with a round jewel-a half carat diamond, surrounded by smaller diamonds.

"It's beautiful, Jake. She's going to love it," I say, grinning from ear to ear.

"So, you don't mind?" he says, confirming my answer.

"Of course not. It's exciting. I can't wait to see her face when you ask. How are you going to do it?" I ask. But he snaps the box closed, quickly shoving it back in his jacket, before standing to attention at the door. I twist my head to see Mum headed this way.

The air crackles with anticipation as the first of our guests arrive, lighting up the atmosphere with their laughter fuelled by cocktails and canapes. Ben and Ellie finally arrive. Now it's time for some serious high-level fun.

"Happy sweet sixteen, Ais," Ben says enthusiastically, pulling me into a hug.

"Thanks Ben," I smile back.

Ellie pushes her brother aside to give me a bear hug, too. "Happy birthday, Ais. Ready to party?"

"Absolutely. I've been waiting a whole year for this day."

As the party moves to the ballroom, the DJ amps up the music, deep bass persuading even the shyest guests to get moving on the dance floor. Adding to the ambience, a smoke machine, and coloured lights-something Mum and Jake had requested to 'really get the party started'.

I glide elegantly through the crowded room, greeting and thanking our guests, just as we'd discussed. Surprisingly, I already knew many people in Lakeview Hollow, but Ben and Ellie introduced me to even more folks our age. So, it turns out a bunch of teens were freaked out by our house and thought they'd be cursed if they set foot in it. It's taken until now for them to finally say hi. I just laugh when I hear the stories. They don't even know half the crazy stuff that went down in our house.

Amidst the pulsing rhythm of the music and loud voices straining, Mum's voice cuts through the air, commanding attention. The music softens, playing in the background, almost a hum. She stands a front of the DJ, microphone in hand, smiling. She clears her throat, tapping on the microphone before she speaks.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming out tonight to our home. And for sharing this celebration with our family. Now, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the reason for this joyous occasion-Aislinn, sweetheart. Can you please come join me?"

Ordinarily, I avoid large crowds, and I especially avoid drawing attention to myself in front of those crowds. But, here, tonight, I realise, we're amongst friends, some of which honestly feel more like family. Like Jake, who would give the shirt off his back for anyone in need; and Maggie, who's like the grandmother I've always wanted - there for me whenever I need her, honest and reliable. And how can I forget Olivia-the makeshift aunt, the one who taught me to be cheeky, and all the things that mums don't teach you.

Ben and Ellie push me onwards to the stage, beside my mum. Standing there, I scan the room at all the welcoming faces, who are all staring straight at me. Mum turns slightly to face me, so that she can still address the crowd. Catching her line of sight, I see her eyes glisten, and I know exactly where this is going. With a hint of a smile, I hold her gaze as she speaks from the heart.

"Aislinn, my beautiful girl," she starts, taking a breath, but I know she's trying her best to stop herself from opening the gates to tears. "Sixteen years sounds like a long time, but I can assure you, for me, it's gone by in the blink of an eye. One moment, I'm holding you in my arms, and now," she pauses again, "Now, here you are, a young woman." Mum takes a step closer. "Watching you grow into the remarkable person you are today has been the greatest blessing of my life." She wipes the beginning of a tear away from the corner of her eye as she continues. "You are the bravest person I know, full of courage, kindness, and compassion, ready to take on any challenge that comes your way." Mum smirks a little as she speaks. "In fact, before we moved here, we battled quite a bit," she chuckles, then continues. "Luckily for us, life has brought us here, to Lakeview Hollow. To this magnificent community. And Aislinn, watching you blossom just fills my heart with so much love and affection. I'm so grateful for the privilege of being your mother. Thank you for choosing me." The tears cascade from her as she wipes them away. She moves closer now, placing an arm around me. "So, happy, sweet sixteenth, my darling girl. I love you." She raises her glass and the crowd cheers.

"Thanks Mum," I whisper into her ear as I wrap my arms around her. "And now it's your turn for a surprise."

She takes a step back as the hug naturally unfolds, confusion on her face. "Surprise?" she asks. All I can do is grin and point behind her.

As I stand there, watching in awe, Jake kneels before Mum, holding that little box outstretched in his hands. Her eyes widen, hands rushing to cover her mouth in disbelief, as tears flow effortlessly down her face. The room falls silent, waiting and watching the moment, as if they're all holding their breath hopeful.

Jake's voice trembles as he speaks. "Audrey," he begins, "From the moment I met you, I knew my life had changed forever. You are the light to my darkness, the air to my lungs. You are my strength and my heart."

I can see Mum grappling with her emotions, raw and palpable, swirling. And Jake's words, like magic, a spell of profound love for her. A lump in my throat forms, holding back my own tears of joy, revelling in this moment for my mother. She deserves all the happiness I know Jake will provide her. And then he says my name.

"And Aislinn," he continues, moving his gaze toward me. "You're not just Audrey's daughter, you're truly part of my heart. Every day you amaze me with your humour, your warmth, and your spirit. Something I know you get from your mother."

His gaze returns to Mum. "Audrey, I know you deserve so much more than I can give, but I promise you I will love you every day for the rest of our lives. Will you do me the greatest honour of marrying me?"

The air is electric, hanging on every word spoken, waiting for her answer. My mom's silence speaks volumes about her love as she smiles in a way I've never seen before. I'm so grateful to Jake for bringing her this much happiness. He's the love of her life, the one she's been waiting for, the one she deserves. Realising she's in shock, I move closer and nudge her.

"Come on, Mum. He's waiting for an answer," I say, winking at her. She blinks, her gaze still fixed on Jake.

Finally, she nods, and finds her voice. "Yes Jake. I will absolutely marry you."

He pulls the diamond ring from the box, sliding it up her finger, before rising to his feet. Mum wraps her arms around his neck, plastering a kiss on his lips before he even does anything else. And I watch them together, this loving couple, my wonderful mother, and this amazing father figure. The love that projects from them is something I never saw from my parents, and now I know what's been missing in our lives, ever thankful we've now found it.

And as for the future, who knows what it will bring? But one thing is certain. We will face it as a family-Mum, Jake, and me.