Before the sun even thought about rising, the house was already awake—at least, one part of it was. CUTIS slipped quietly out of bed, careful not to make a sound. The wooden floor creaked once, and he froze, holding his breath. From the next room came only the soft, rhythmic breathing of Mom and the gentle squeaks of the baby monkey curled beside her. Safe. No one had noticed.
CUTIS grinned to himself. Mission begins.
He tiptoed into the kitchen, where moonlight still lingered on the counter. Today wasn’t just any morning. It was a day CUTIS had been planning for a whole week. Mom had been exhausted lately—caring for the baby monkey, managing the house, and still finding time to smile for everyone. CUTIS had seen the tired lines around her eyes, the way she rubbed her shoulders when she thought no one was watching.
And the baby monkey? Well, the little rascal had been extra clingy, waking Mom up again and again at night.
“Today,” CUTIS whispered, rolling up his sleeves, “you both get a surprise.”
He opened the fridge slowly, wincing at every tiny sound. Eggs, bananas, sweet potatoes, milk—perfect. He pulled out a small notebook where he had scribbled his plan in messy handwriting.
Step one: breakfast.
Step two: clean house.
Step three: special gift.
CUTIS cracked eggs with surprising skill, moving carefully but confidently. He remembered watching Mom cook so many times, never realizing how much effort it took. As the pan warmed, the smell of food slowly filled the kitchen. He mashed bananas into a soft bowl for the baby monkey, adding warm milk just like Mom always did.
Suddenly, a small shadow appeared at the doorway.
CUTIS jumped. “Ah—!”
Two bright eyes stared back at him.
The baby monkey had woken up.
“Shhh!” CUTIS whispered urgently, crouching down. “You’re not supposed to be awake.”
The baby monkey tilted his head, then squeaked happily and ran straight toward him. He climbed CUTIS’s leg, then his shirt, and perched on his shoulder like a tiny general inspecting troops.
“So you’re awake early too, huh?” CUTIS whispered. “You better not ruin the surprise.”
The monkey responded by patting CUTIS’s cheek and tugging his hair.
“That’s not a promise,” CUTIS sighed.
With the monkey supervising from his shoulder, CUTIS continued cooking. Eggs sizzled, sweet potatoes steamed, and fruit was carefully arranged on a plate. For Mom, he added her favorite tea, brewed just right.
As dawn slowly painted the sky pink and gold, CUTIS cleaned the living room. He picked up toys, folded blankets, and even wiped the floor—something he rarely did without being asked.
The baby monkey followed him everywhere, sometimes helping, sometimes creating more mess.
“Hey! I just cleaned that!” CUTIS whispered when the monkey tossed a cushion onto the floor.
The monkey squeaked proudly.
CUTIS shook his head. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
Finally, everything was ready. CUTIS placed the breakfast tray on the table, added a small hand-drawn card, and stepped back to admire his work. The card showed a smiling Mom, a baby monkey, and himself holding hands. Underneath, he had written: Thank you for taking care of us every day.
His chest tightened as he looked at it. He hoped Mom would like it.
He carried the baby monkey gently and tiptoed back to Mom’s room. She was just waking up, eyes half-open, hair messy.
“Mom,” CUTIS whispered. “Don’t get up yet.”
She blinked in surprise. “CUTIS? What are you doing up so early?”
He smiled. “Close your eyes.”
Mom raised an eyebrow but smiled softly and obeyed. CUTIS took the baby monkey’s tiny hand and gently pressed it against Mom’s cheek.
“Eeeek!” the monkey squeaked happily.
Mom laughed, eyes opening. “Oh! Good morning, little one.”
“Wait,” CUTIS said quickly. “That’s not the surprise.”
He led Mom into the kitchen. The moment she saw the table, she froze.
Breakfast was laid out neatly. The house was unusually clean. Sunlight streamed through the window, making everything glow.
“What… what is all this?” Mom asked, her voice soft.
CUTIS rubbed the back of his neck. “I wanted you to rest today. You do so much for us. For me. For him.”
The baby monkey jumped from CUTIS’s arms onto the table, immediately grabbing a piece of banana.
Mom laughed, then suddenly grew quiet. Her eyes shimmered as she looked at CUTIS.
“You woke up early… just for this?” she asked.
CUTIS nodded. “Every day you wake up early for us. I just wanted to do it once.”
Mom pulled CUTIS into a hug. He stiffened in surprise, then hugged her back tightly. The baby monkey squeezed between them, squeaking loudly, insisting on being part of the hug too.
“All three of us,” Mom laughed through tears.
They sat together and ate breakfast slowly. Mom smiled more than CUTIS had seen in days. The baby monkey made funny noises, spilling food everywhere and somehow ending up with banana on his head.
CUTIS laughed. “At least one of us is enjoying the mess.”
After breakfast, Mom rested on the sofa while CUTIS played with the baby monkey, letting her relax. The monkey climbed onto CUTIS’s back, pulled his hair, and squeaked proudly like a rider on a horse.
“Why is your love so painful?” CUTIS groaned.
Mom watched them, her heart full. She realized then that the biggest surprise wasn’t the breakfast or the clean house—it was seeing CUTIS grow kinder, more thoughtful, more loving.
As the sun rose higher, the baby monkey finally fell asleep in Mom’s arms. CUTIS covered them both with a blanket.
Before leaving the room, Mom whispered, “Thank you, CUTIS.”
He smiled softly. “Unbelievable, right?”
And maybe it was.
Because sometimes, the most unbelievable surprises don’t come from big gestures—but from a quiet morning, a caring heart, and a boy who woke up early just to say, I love you. 💛🐒
