Méline is desperately looking for a gift for Mother's Day.

— A pasta necklace? No, I made one last year. A drawing? No, she'll think it's rubbish.

Méline paces around her room, unable to come up with a good idea. Suddenly, her older sister Louise walks by.

— So Méline, are we having a hard time?

— Yes, I can't come up with any ideas. How do you do it?

— Let's say I've been looking for two weeks.

Méline sighed and collapsed onto her bed, discouraged. Louise sat down next to her and affectionately ruffled her hair.

— You know, the problem is that we're always looking for something. But what Mom likes most is spending time with us.

"Yes, but we can't offer him... anything!" protested Méline.

— Who said anything about offering nothing? I have an idea, but we need to work on it together. Are you in?

Méline's eyes immediately lit up.

— Of course! What's your idea?

Louise leans over and whispers her plan in her little sister's ear. As she speaks, Méline's face lights up with a huge smile.

In the following days, the two sisters worked in secret. Every time their mother approached, they hastily hid what they were working on. Their father, complicit in their efforts, helped by keeping their mother occupied as much as possible.

On Saturday afternoon, while their mother was out shopping, Louise and Méline transformed the living room. They moved the coffee table, arranged cushions on the floor, and hung handmade garlands. Méline had drawn hearts and flowers on colored paper, while Louise had written sweet messages on each one.

"Dad, did you prepare what we asked you to?" Louise asked.

"It's in the oven, it will be ready in twenty minutes," he replied with a wink.

Méline runs to her room and comes back with a box she has decorated. Inside, the two sisters have gathered family photos, mementos of precious moments: their first day of school, holidays at the seaside, birthdays, fits of laughter. Under each photo, they have written a little note explaining why that moment was special.

"She's coming!" their father shouted from the window.

The girls rushed to light the candles and get into position. When their mother opened the door, she was speechless at the sight before her.

— Happy Mother's Day! the three accomplices shout in unison.

The living room is beautifully decorated, a delicious smell of cake wafts through the air, and her two daughters hand her the box decorated with so much love.

With tears in her eyes, their mother sat down and gently opened the gift. Page after page, she discovered all the wonderful memories, accompanied by touching messages: "Thank you for teaching us to ride a bike," "Thank you for your hugs that heal everything," "Thank you for always being there for us."

When she gets to the last page, she finds a special coupon: "Good for a full day just with us, doing whatever you want."

— We thought we could go to the park, have a picnic, or stay home and watch movies, whatever you prefer! explains Méline, beaming.

"And we also prepared a show!" adds Louise. "We rehearsed a short play."

Their mother hugs them tightly, unable to hold back her tears of joy.

— This is the most beautiful gift I have ever received.she murmurs. You are my treasures.

The afternoon unfolds wonderfully. The girls perform their impromptu play, which makes everyone laugh. They share the cake their father baked—a little overcooked around the edges, but delicious nonetheless. Then they all settle down together on the sofa to watch their mother's favorite film.

In the evening, while Méline was brushing her teeth before going to bed, Louise joined her in the bathroom.

— So, happy with your day?

"It was great!" Méline replied enthusiastically. "Mom was so happy! You were right, the best gift is being together."

— You know what? We'll do it again next year. And in the meantime, we don't need to wait for Mother's Day to make her happy.

Méline smiles and gives her big sister a big hug.

That evening, their mother carefully put the memory box away in her room, on her bedside table. She already knew it was a treasure she would keep all her life.