Finding the hidden camera tucked under my bathtub was terrifying, and realizing my son had put it there was even worse. But his tearful explanation made me realize he was on a mission to reawaken a part of me I thought was lost forever.
The jigsaw puzzle on our kitchen table had stayed the same for weeks, and I was getting worried. My son, Drake, and I used to love them, but things were much different now.
A puzzle on a table | Source: Pexels
These days, he would rush straight to his room after school and shut the door firmly behind him. That is… after coming home later than usual.
I stirred the pasta sauce and checked my phone again: 6:45 p.m. Two hours late, just like yesterday. Through the kitchen window, I watched our neighbors walking their dogs and laughing together.
Our house used to buzz with that kind of energy. Now it felt like Drake and I were living in separate worlds, connected only by quick hellos and leftover dinners. Did this happen to all pre-teens?
A woman concerned | Source: Pexels
A few minutes later, the front door creaked open.
“Hey, Mom.” Drake’s voice floated through the hallway, followed by the thud of his backpack hitting the floor.
“Kitchen,” I called out happily. “Dinner’s almost ready.”
He poked his head around the corner. I saw his messy hair covered by a backward baseball cap. Something about his eyes made me feel like my boy was back, even for just a second.
Boy with a backwards baseball cap | Source: Pexels
But they soon darted to the floor when I looked at him. I knew something was going on, but I had no idea how to address it. My boy almost seemed older than his few years.
“Sorry I’m late. Chess club ran long.”
“Chess club?” I raised my eyebrows. “Yesterday it was math tutoring. And Tuesday was yearbook committee.”
“Oh yeah, I do all those now.” He shuffled his feet. “Can I eat in my room? Got tons of homework.”
Math book and notebook | Source: Pexels
I gripped the wooden spoon tighter, accidentally dripping tomato sauce onto the stovetop, and decided enough was enough. “Drake, what’s really going on?” I asked, turning and putting one hand on my hip.
“Nothing! I told you, just busy with school stuff,” he shrugged and moved further into the kitchen. Without meeting my gaze, he grabbed a plate, scooped up some pasta, and disappeared before I could press further.
Pasta dish | Source: Pexels
I sighed and wondered to the heavens for the millionth time if I should intervene. Maybe I wouldn’t get an answer from up above, but I could try to find some of my own.
I checked the hallway, and his door was shut as usual, but he had left his backpack in the living room. It was my chance.
Inside, crumpled between textbooks, I found a piece of paper with an address scrawled in unfamiliar handwriting: “1247 Maple Street. Don’t be late. This is it.”
Backpack on the floor | Source: Unsplash
What was going on? I wondered, horrified.
***
That night, I found myself going through his old baby photos, spread across my bedroom floor like pieces of a life I barely recognized anymore.
There he was, two years old, grinning with spaghetti sauce all over his face. That happy little boy used to tell me everything. Now he barely looked at me.
Toddler covered in spaghetti sauce | Source: Midjourney
The parent-teacher conference from last week played in my head.
“Drake seems… distracted lately,” Mrs. Peterson had said, sliding his failed math test across her desk. “He’s been falling asleep in class. When he’s awake, he’s always scribbling in his notebook, but it’s not notes from the lesson.”
How could he be getting a grade like that with math tutoring? Was it time to pull the plug on all other clubs?
A math test | Source: Pexels
Either way, I knew sleep wouldn’t come, so I decided to take a shower.
The bathroom was my sanctuary, the one place I could relax and belt out old songs without anyone hearing. Tonight’s selection was “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”
The steam rose around me as I hit the chorus, and I remembered how I used to dream of being on stage.
A woman washing her hair | Source: Pexels
“Where do we go now?” I sang, letting my voice soar like it used to at the coffee shop open mics when my future hopes were far grander than what reality allowed.
Sadly, those wishes were extinguished the moment, Tom, Drake’s father and my ex, left us for his new family in Seattle.
But now wasn’t the time to dwell on the past again. The present was much more important. I finished cleaning myself up and exited my shower. As I dried my hair, I felt the pull on my ear and heard a clink on my tiled floor.
A woman drying up | Source: Pexels
My earring! I bent down to get it and saw the crystal’s shining light reflecting from just under the bathtub. Except… something else caught my eye.
There, hidden under the edge, was an old nanny cam I used when Drake was a baby. And it was ON. I immediately went pale. But I examined the angle. It would only be recording my feet. I didn’t get it.
Still, my hands shook as I took it and carefully wrapped myself in a towel to march straight to Drake’s room. The sound of his furious typing stopped when I pounded on the door.
A woman holding a small camera | Source: Pexels
“Just a minute!” he called out, and I heard drawers being opened and shut. What in the world?
“Drake, open this door right now!”
Finally, I heard footsteps and the door swung open.
He stood there in his oversized gaming headphones, and his own face turned white as soon as I held up the nanny cam.
A boy with headphones | Source: Pexels
“Drake, what is this? Why was this hidden in the bathroom?!” I asked, as my anger and bravado turned to extreme worry.
When he remained silent, I gulped and asked, “Have you been… recording me in the bathroom?”
His eyes widened at that. His expression was terrified. “Oh no… Mom, you weren’t supposed to find that. IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK. I can explain!”
“Then start explaining.” I pushed past him into his room and looked at his computer. The screen showed some kind of video editing software. Oh, no! What is he doing?
A laptop on a desk | Source: Pexels
But before I could panic more, Drake spoke. “I…” He slumped onto his bed. “You weren’t supposed to find out yet.”
“Find out what? That my son is making videos of…” I couldn’t even say it.
“No! Mom, listen,” he pleaded as tears welled up in his eyes. “Remember when you used to sing at the coffee shop open mics? Before Dad left?”
The question caught me off guard. “What does that have to do with anything?”
A woman looking confused | Source: Pexels
“You were so happy then. Now you only sing in the shower, when you think no one can hear you.” He wiped his nose with his sleeve. “But you’re still amazing, Mom. I wanted to show you that.”
He reached for his laptop and turned it toward me. His fingers pressed play, and suddenly, the screen showed me… well, a music video.
I saw a sunset over the city and streets filled with people chasing their dreams. But the main part was the soundtrack with my voice, clear and strong. It was playing “My Way.”
A sunset over New York | Source: Pexels
“I met an old man, Mr. Arthur. I’ve been going to his studio after school,” Drake continued. “He’s been teaching me video editing. I wanted to surprise you for your birthday, show you that you shouldn’t give up on your dreams just because…”
“Because your father left?” The words stuck in my throat.
“He owns all these old instruments, and he lets me practice drums while he teaches me about making videos.” Drake’s words tumbled out faster now. “I’ve been doing extra chores for neighbors to pay for studio time. Mr. Arthur says I have a good eye for it.”
A drum set | Source: Pexels
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you worry about everything now.” His voice cracked. “Ever since Dad left, it’s like you stopped believing in good surprises. I thought if I could just finish the video, show you how amazing you still are…”
Tears welled and fell before I could stop them. All this time, I’d been so worried about what he was hiding. Never once did I consider he might be worried about me too.
A woman crying | Source: Pexels
“You could have just talked to me,” I said softly, wrapping my arms around him.
“Would you have listened?” He looked up at me, suddenly seeming older than 11. “You always say you’re fine, but I hear you crying sometimes. And you never sing anymore, except in the shower.”
I pulled him close, feeling his thin shoulders shake. “I’m sorry, baby. I guess we’ve both been keeping too many things inside.”
We stayed in silence for a few minutes before I remembered something. “Oh! Is Mr. Arthur’s studio on 1247 Maple Street?”
A music studio | Source: Midjourney
“Yes!” Drake said, but then frowned. “How did you know?”
“In the interest of honesty…” I began and confessed to rummaging through his backpack. Shockingly, we just laughed at each other.
***
The next day, we visited Mr. Arthur’s studio together. He turned out to be a gentle giant with calloused hands and kind eyes, surrounded by dusty guitars and vintage recording equipment.
Music equipment | Source: Pexels
“Your boy’s got talent,” he told me and showed me more of Drake’s videos. “And so do you.”
And now that the secrets were out, Drake and I finally finished the jigsaw puzzle together. I also sang outside the shower for the first time in years.
What’s more, next week, I’m singing at the coffee shop again. My son will be there, recording every moment. This time, I won’t be afraid of a little camera.
Celine Dion’s Son at 23: From Balding to Stunning — You Won’t Believe His Transformation
René-Charles Angélil, Celine Dion’s son, has changed a lot as he’s grown up.
He now looks a lot like his late father and seems older than he really is, according to people online.
His look includes a beard and signs of balding.
Celine Dion was married to René Angélil for 21 years. He sadly passed away in January 2016 after a long fight with cancer. He was 73 years old when he died at their Las Vegas home.
Angélil left behind his wife, Celine Dion, who won five Grammy Awards and whom he married in December 1994. They had three children together. In the years following, Dion has also shared her own health challenges.
In an emotional Instagram video from December 2022, Celine Dion revealed she was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called Stiff Person Syndrome. She announced the cancellation of her European tour because of her condition and shared her deep sadness over this difficult decision.
Despite losing her long-time spouse and dealing with her illness, Celine Dion has stayed strong, thanks to the support of her three sons: René-Charles, and twins Nelson and Eddy, who are 13. René-Charles, born in January 2001, is her eldest child.
René-Charles Angélil has been in the spotlight since he was a baby, often seen with his famous mother, Celine Dion. From being photographed as a baby to growing into a young adult with a beard, his transformation is striking.
René-Charles at Six Months Old
At just six months old, René-Charles was baptized in July 2001 in Montreal, Quebec. Photos of him with his parents leaving the Notre-Dame Basilica captured the moment.
As a baby, René-Charles had a round face with soft, rosy cheeks and bright, curious eyes. His light brown hair was fine and sparse. He wore a simple, white outfit with delicate patterns for his baptism.
In the next image, René-Charles, held lovingly by his world-famous mom Dion, looked curious and content. The photo perfectly captured a tender moment between mother and son.
René-Charles at 15 Months Old
In March 2002, during a family outing in New York City, René-Charles was seen with his mom and dad once more. Dressed in a cozy navy blue coat and matching hat to stay warm in the chilly weather, he looked snug and happy. His parents stood proudly beside him, reflecting their joy and unity as a family.
René-Charles at 20 Months Old
By September 2002, during a casual day out in Paris, René-Charles had grown noticeably. At 20 months old, his light brown hair was a bit longer, framing his face more fully. His features were becoming more defined, showing the growth and changes from his earlier baby days.
**René-Charles at Six Years Old**
In March 2007, René-Charles was seen with his mother at Disneyland. Standing next to Celine Dion at the “Sleeping Beauty” castle, both looked thrilled and joyful, capturing a fun moment in his childhood.
As a new parent, Celine Dion shared in an interview, “I love being a mom—it relaxes me to read stories, do finger painting, and play with Play-Doh. People might find it hard to believe, but I really do have a normal life.”
René-Charles at Seven Years Old
In May 2008, René-Charles was seen on a family outing in Paris, leaving the Four Seasons George V hotel with his parents. Holding his mother’s hand, his long brown hair was neatly parted on the side, and he looked happy and excited.
René-Charles at 17 Years Old
René-Charles celebrated his 17th birthday with Dion in January 2018. Wearing glasses, he looked both sophisticated and stylish in a light gray dress shirt paired with dark trousers, reflecting a polished and put-together look. His mother, dressed elegantly in a yellow dress, stood beside him with a proud smile.
René-Charles at 18 Years Old
In January 2019, René-Charles marked his 18th birthday with a heartwarming celebration alongside his mother, Celine Dion. Dion shared a touching Instagram post, capturing their close bond as she embraced him. Both looked joyful and content, highlighting the special moment as René-Charles stepped into adulthood.
René-Charles at 23 Years Old
At 23, René-Charles Angélil made a notable appearance at the Grammys alongside his mother, Celine Dion. Sporting a full beard, he radiated confidence and maturity. In a memorable moment, he also posed with Dion and Taylor Swift, showcasing his growth into a poised and self-assured young man.
Celine Dion’s son has changed a lot since his childhood. He now sports a more rugged look, having moved away from his signature long hair.
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