FRENEMY: Enemies And Foes

My heart belongs to Dylan, not you, Thomas.

Dylan squirms out of the hug, a look of anticipation on his face. "What's going on?" Doris asks, her eyes shining with curiosity. "Just curious," he answers with a playful grin before turning to leave. But as he tries to walk away, Doris grabs his wrist, sending a jolt of electricity through his body. He can't help but smile, feeling a strong connection to every touch of hers.

"Tomorrow is Mom's birthday, but she doesn't like to celebrate it," says Doris. Dylan is curious and asks why. Doris doesn't know the answer, but Dylan thinks that something may have happened in her childhood that she can't remember. Suddenly, Dylan has an idea. "Do you have any old pictures in the house, like ones of when you were very young?" he asks. Doris says that she doesn't know, as her mom never allowed her to see them, but she remembers that there might be some in the storeroom if Dylan checks it well.

"What do you want to use that for?" she asked when Dylan stood up. "I want to plan a picture-perfect birthday surprise for Mandy and throw her a surprise party. She will love it," Dylan tried to reason with Doris.

"I trust you; anything you say, I will do," Doris said with a smile, as Dylan lost himself in thought. "Happy birthday in advance, Mandy. I just hope I don't find those photos because if I do, you will get your best birthday surprise ever," he thought.

*******
Dylan and Marvin crept into the dusty storeroom, their eyes scanning for any hidden treasures. Suddenly, their gazes landed on a pile of old books and picture albums. Without wasting any time, they dashed towards the pile, eager to inspect the contents. Dylan's nimble fingers flipped open one of the albums he had grabbed, and his eyes were immediately drawn to a collection of faded photographs. "Look at this, Marvin. Every single one of these pictures is of Doris and Mandy. It's weird though, there aren't any baby photos of Doris," Dylan said, his forehead crinkling with confusion.

Meanwhile, Marvin had found a wedding album and was flipping through its pages. "Look at this, Dylan," he said excitedly. "There's not a single photo of the wedding in this album!"

Dylan's disappointment was visible on his face as he and his brother continued to search through the shelves in front of them. Suddenly, Dylan turned towards a cupboard to his right and walked over to it. He opened the cupboard and found a single photo lying on the lower shelf. He picked it up and saw that it was a picture of Bobby and a woman hugging each other. Dylan was shocked and immediately called Marvin. He showed him the photo and asked if the woman could be the one singing a lullaby. Marvin was amused and said that it was possible. Dylan then asked Marvin to take him to the place where Mandy had gone to meet the woman, with an evil smirk on his face.

"Sure, why not?" Marvin replies. "But what are you planning to do with it?" he asks. "It's a birthday gift for Mandy, but we have to go there first," he answers. "And what's in the birthday gift?" Marvin asks. "Happy birthday, Mandy. You'll receive a special birthday package that you'll remember for the rest of your life. And as for the birthday wish..." he answers with a triumphant smirk.

THE NEXT MORNING
As Doris and Dylan descend the stairs, they are greeted by Mandy and Sonya, who have come to visit. "Happy birthday, Mom!" Doris exclaims, hugging Mandy with excitement. "Happy birthday, Mother-in-law. I wish you a long life and prosperity," adds Dylan, sporting a mischievous grin as he embraces Mandy. "Doris, since today is your mother's birthday, you should host a party," advises Sonya. "Absolutely, we'll throw a party that will leave everyone stunned. Right, Doris?" Dylan says, prompting a response.

"Absolutely. He is right. He slept a little because he kept planning for your big day. I want to spend the whole day with you but I have to go somewhere." Doris said and the look on Mandy's face said it all. Mandy knew Dylan would never plan something nice for her. "Due to the nature of my work, I have been attacked many times. That is why I want to send you all away soon because I don't know what will be their next move" Doris says worried about her family.