When Maria arranged a surprise party for her husband’s 40th birthday, she didn’t expect to see strangers walking through the door instead of him. The surprising mix-up, which involved an unanticipated Airbnb rental, resulted in a memorable night of laughing and unexpected guests.

My husband’s 40th birthday was approaching, and I wanted to throw him a surprise party. To prepare, I informed him that I would be out of town on his birthday. We decided to celebrate on another day instead.

On the evening before the big day, I pretended to pack my bags and head to the airport. In truth, I stayed the night at my buddy Karen’s house.

“Are you sure this will work?” Karen asked, raising an eyebrow as I stuffed clothes into my suitcase.

“Absolutely,” I replied. “Tom thinks I’m going to visit my sister.”

Karen chuckled. “You’re a sneaky one, Maria.”

The next day, I awoke early to ensure that everything was perfect. Tom always arrived home from work about 6 p.m., so I invited all of his friends and family around at 5. That way, we’d have time to set up before he arrived.

By 4:45, people began to arrive. His brother, Jim, came first.

“Hey, Maria! Need any help?” Jim asked, carrying a box of decorations.

“Sure, Jim. Can you start hanging these streamers?” I handed him a bundle of blue and gold streamers.

Next came Tom’s best friend, Dave, and his wife, Lisa.

“Wow, you’ve really outdone yourself, Maria,” Lisa said, admiring the decorations.

“Thanks, Lisa! Can you guys help with the balloons?” I handed them a bag of balloons.

Everybody pitched in. By 5:30, the living room looked fantastic. Blue and gold streamers draped from the ceiling, and balloons abound. A large banner reading “Happy 40th, Tom!” hung across the wall.

At 5:45 p.m., I assembled everyone in the kitchen.

“Okay, everyone, Tom will be here soon. Let’s turn off the lights and hide,” I said, feeling the excitement build.

We all found hiding locations behind the kitchen counter and elsewhere. My heart was beating while we waited in the dark. I held my breath as I heard the key turn in the lock.

The door opened, and I could hear footsteps. But then I heard a female voice.

“Do you think he’ll like it?” the voice said.

My heart sank. So, who was she? For a brief moment, I suspected Tom was ᴄʜᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ on me.

The lights went on, and the entire room gasped.

A young couple stood in the doorway, appearing just as astonished as we were. The woman was holding a luggage, while the male held a pair of keys.

“Who are you?” I blurted out, stepping forward.

The woman’s eyes widened. “Who are we? Who are you?” she exclaimed.

Jim stepped out from behind the counter. “We’re here for a surprise party. Who are you guys?”

The man looked around, bewildered. “We rented this house on Airbnb. We were supposed to stay here for a few days.”

I felt the color drain from my face. “Airbnb? This is our house!”

Dave scratched his head. “Tom must have listed it after Maria said she was going out of town.”

The woman looked at me sympathetically. “Oh my gosh, we had no idea. We’re so sorry. We’ll leave right away.”

“No, no, it’s okay,” I said quickly, trying to keep the situation calm. “Let’s just figure this out.”

The young couple, still perplexed, stepped inside and shut the door. Everyone murmured, trying to figure out what was going on.

Karen came over to me. “Maria, what’s going on?”

“I have no idea,” I whispered back. “Tom must have put the house on Airbnb when I told him I’d be out of town.”

Tom’s sister, Susan, walked up to the couple. “Hey, why don’t we all sit down and talk this through?”

We all migrated to the living room, and the decorations and party materials seemed weirdly out of place. The young couple introduced themselves as Jake and Emily.

“We’re really sorry about this,” Jake said. “We thought the house was empty.”

Emily nodded. “Yeah, we didn’t mean to crash your party.”

I forced a smile. “It’s not your fault. This is just a big misunderstanding.”

I took out my phone and dialed Tom. He answered the second ring.

“Hey, honey! I thought you’d be on your flight by now,” he said cheerfully.

“Tom,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, “did you list our house on Airbnb?”

There was a pause. “Uh, yeah. I figured since you were going to be out of town, we could make a little extra money.”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. “Tom, I’m not out of town. I was planning a surprise party for you. And now we’ve got a house full of guests and a couple who thought they rented our place.”

Tom’s silence was palpable. “Oh no, Maria, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

I looked at Jake and Emily, who were awkwardly seated on the couch. “What do we do now?”

Tom sighed. “I’m on my way home. We’ll sort this out.”

I hung up and turned to everyone. “Tom’s coming home. We’ll figure this out when he gets here.”

Jake stood up. “We can find another place to stay. We don’t want to ruin your party.”

Lisa shook her head. “No, stay. We’ve got plenty of food and drinks. Join us.”

Emily smiled hesitantly. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” I said. “The more, the merrier.”

Tom showed up around fifteen minutes later, looking apologetic. He entered and instantly apologized to everyone.

“I’m really sorry about this,” he said. “I was just trying to save up some money for a vacation for Maria and me.”

Susan laughed. “Well, you certainly surprised us, Tom.”

Jake and Emily ended up staying, and the celebration continued. They were excellent sports about the whole thing, and everyone was soon laughing and having a fantastic time.

“Cheers to unexpected guests and surprise parties,” Dave toasted, raising his glass.

“Cheers!” we all echoed, clinking our glasses together.

As the night progressed, I could not help but smile. Despite the turmoil, it was a night we’ll never forget. And as for the vacation, Tom and I would undoubtedly take one, with a story to share for years to come.