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Halloween Dusk, 6:58 PM, Anderson Home, Dining Room
You’d think your wife loved Trick or Treating more than your kids, the way she’d strategically planned out the route around the neighborhood. You were sitting at the dining table, applying black whiskers to Isaac's face. He was going as a Black Kitty Cat — with an extremely cute and fancy bow tie collar. Abby was balancing your other two — Genevieve was a baby Chick, her favorite animal, and she was happily sitting in Abby’s arms, all ready to go. Elijah was having a bit of an issue with one of his many legs attached to his torso. He was going as a spider that is also a human. Not to be confused with Spider-Man. Something you and Abby had to clarify with Elijah on multiple occasions. You were dressed like a witch that matched Isaac and Elijah’s costumes, while Abby was dressed like a Farmer to match Genny’s.
“There, all done!” You capped the eyeliner pencil, letting Isaac step back and look at himself in the mirror. “Oooh I love it, Mama. Thank you.”
“You are so welcome. Now go get your puffer vest and your bucket, okay?”
It was going to get pretty cold once the sun set, so each of the kids had a puffer vest or shawl that matched their costume.
Once all eight of Elijah’s arms were secured, the group of you started out the door and out onto the streets where kids and families were already milling about. The neighborhood you guys live in is close to the elementary school, thus the neighborhood became the best place for a little kid to trick or treat within the past 20 years or so. Now it’s a perfect set up with the best candy, houses hosting child-friendly games, and even a few of the older folks host a cake walk at the soccer field park.
To give the parents and adults some Halloween magic, one older woman makes halloween themed baked goods and fresh coffee and hot cider. Abby was an absolute fiend for her Popcorn Balls, buying one for you and three for her. You both get Butterscotch and Abby gets the rainbow marshmallow one — for gay reasons — and a chocolate drizzled one she treats like it’s a fancy dessert.
The night takes a turn an hour into the walk. By now the kids have a good amount of candy. Elijah has a bit more because some of the houses were for “Big Kids” and Isaac wasn’t ready yet. Genevieve was too busy trying to waddle away from you to care about the candy. You were in the middle of chasing her down someone’s drive away when you heard Isaac start to cry, followed by noises of anger from someone you didn’t expect — Elijah.
You turn the corner onto the sidewalk to see Abby crouched down in front of Isaac who was crying. You run over to them and scan his sad face for any reason for the crying, but see nothing obviously wrong. Then your eyes and ears are both on Elijah, dressed as a spider-human, who is scolding a teenage zombie that was covered in life-like guts. Even though he’s smaller than the teen, the older boy’s face looks embarrassed.
After checking in with Abby, who is successfully calming down Isaac, you walk towards Elijah, Genny still in your arms.
“Elijah?”
He stops talking and turns to you. His angry expression changes to relief, tears of frustration bubbling in his eyes. “Mama! He scared Isaac! He jumped out at us and scared Isaac! He has friends with him too!” You reach out for Elijah, who turns to glare at the boy before running into your body.
You lock eyes with the teenager and raise an eyebrow. He now looks more scared and you don’t know if it’s because of you or whatever Elijah had been saying to him. Or it could be Abby, who is now standing upright and glaring at the boy, just a few feet behind you.
“Is this true?”
“Ye-yes. I-I’m so sorry. I swear I didn’t mean to make the kid cry. I just wanted to spook them, ya know, because it’s Halloween. I’m so sorry.” He seems genuine enough and Isaac doesn’t seem as scared anymore. You still think that Elijah and Abby could stand to simmer down more.
“I understand it’s Halloween, but you are in a neighborhood filled with elementary school kids. Have some sense next time.” You look around and only see older kids walking with their parents. This neighborhood was practically little-kid-only on Halloween.
The teen nods rapidly. “Yeah. I didn’t wanna come but my friend made a bet.”
“Where are your friends now?”
“Probably five blocks over.”
“Good friends you got there.” You give him a wry smile.
“Okay, here’s what’s gonna happen. I will accept your apology on behalf of my kid. And I will let you go. However, no more scaring kids dressed like farm animals, okay? Sounds good?”
“Yea-yes.”
“Okay now you better go because I can only hold my wife back for so long,” you nod your head back to Abby who is holding Kitty Cat Isaac in her arms but she somehow looks like a Wolf Soldier with that expression on her face.
The teen locks eyes with Abby and his face drains of color. You have to bite the inside of your cheek to not smirk.
“Yes. Thank you. So sorry!” He says the last part to Isaac and Elijah before running away down the sidewalk. You walk back to Abby and Isaac. You stop in front of her and free your hand holding onto Elijah to smooth Abby’s furrowed brow.
“Easy there, mama bear,” you joke. Her brow softens.
“More like you’re mama bear; standing up for our cubs,” she says and boops your nose. You automatically scrunch it, making Abby laugh.
You blush under her loving eyes. “To be honest, if anyone is Mama Bear it would be Elijah right now,” you look down to Elijah. “I am very proud of you, Eli. You are very brave to stand up for your brother. I’m sure he appreciates it.”
At the mention of himself, Isaac looks down at Elijah.
“Thank you, Eli. Momma, can I go down?” Abby lets him down. Once on the ground, Isaac wraps his arms around Elijah in a tight hug.
“Do you guys want to continue?” Abby asks after a moment.
They break away and Elijah grabs one of Isaac’s hands to hold.
“Yes, I am good now!” Isaac confirms. His hand squeezes Elijah’s in excitement. His tears are gone and a smile has replaced them.
You and Abby share a smile between yourselves.
“Okay,” you say. You boost Genevieve higher on your hip. She’d been supporting a concerned frown for her brothers, but fortunately never felt the need to wiggle out of your arms and run off like she did before. “Let’s go get candy!”
Halloween Night, 10:13 PM, Anderson House, Living Room
“Ugh,” Abby groans. “I love Popcorn Balls!”
She takes another large bite out of the popcorn ball, looking like a less dignified Snow White eating the poison apple. Laughter bubbles out of you as you watch her try to catch the loose pieces her mouth misses.
It’s your laughter that must remind Abby that she’s not alone. She turns her head to you and raises an eyebrow.
“What’s so funny?” She asks.
You don’t answer her at first, leaning forward to pick off a piece of Popcorn Ball that was sticking to her chin. She had this look on her face that could rival Isaac’s goofy, innocent expressions. Which often features a joyful grin that they just happen to share.
Once her face is clean of a few more pieces, you answer her. “Nothing. You’re just so cute.”
Her confusion makes you laugh again. “I’m cutely funny, not funnily cute and that was your funnily cute laugh. And you just did it again.” Her lips quirk upwards. You know she’s teasing you.
Rolling your eyes, “I am not starting this again with you.” You make a move to get up off the couch and Abby stops you from moving. Now she’s really laughing. Her fingers dig into your sides, tickling you.
“Baby, I’m sorry. I was messing. C’mon, here, where's your Popcorn Ball?” She looks around the couch. You both had settled down on the couch after putting the kids to bed. All three of the kids’ candy buckets are sitting in front of you on the coffee table. It was a yearly ritual that, after you tuck the kids into bed, you and Abby stay up and sort through all the candy.
It’s half because you have picky children and it’s better to give Elijah the Three Musketeers now, than wait for him and his brother to painstakingly trade them. And Isaac really only eats things with peanut butter and chocolate combined. Since Genny doesn’t get candy because she’s 2, when they get non candy treats like color changing pencils that change with heat, or trinkets you can show her that light up or any cute figurines, you put them in her bucket.
Once you guys pick through all the candy, you trade between yourselves the leftovers that the kids don’t like.
“Ya know?” you muse aloud while looking for a piece of chocolate in the leftover pile. “We have some brave kids.”
Abby’s knee nudges yours. “Yeah, we do.”
You find the chocolate bar and tear it open. You break the bar in half and give Abby the other piece, without a second thought.
She says thanks and pops her half in her mouth like a baby bird getting fed. You choke on your piece of chocolate, trying not to die from chocolate while simultaneously laughing at Abby’s face.
The noise makes Abby turn towards you, eyes wide.
You manage to swallow the chocolate without much damage. You reach for your cup to wash down the remnants.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” you start laughing again. “Why did you eat the chocolate like that?”
“What?” Abby blinks at you. Then a look of realization grows on her face. “Were you laughing at me and that made you choke?” Abby huffs and rolls her eyes in faux irritation.
You give her a pout. “I’m sorry, my love. You are just so cutely funny. I can’t help it.” You move until you’re able to lean against Abby and curl up against her side. She pointedly looks away, but her lips quirk upwards. And she still wraps her arm around you, like it’s second nature.
Still seeing that she’s going to make you work for it, you cup the side of her face and pull her cheek to your lips. You loudly kiss all over her cheek, exaggerating the smooching noises until Abby starts laughing at the sensation.
“Okay, I forgive you,” She moves her cheek away from you. You watch as her hand come up to cup your own cheek and she pulls your face towards her to kiss you soundly on the mouth. You fight to keep your lips from smiling, kissing Abby back with just as much love.
After a moment or two, you break away. You press a few light kisses to Abby’s face, pointedly on freckles that dust her cheekbone like a constellation.
“Mmm,” Abby preens under your affection the same way she’s done for years that you’ll never get tired of.
“Mm, I love you,” you say against her skin, between kisses.
“I love you too.” Abby tightens her grip on you.
“Mm. I love you more, my cutely funny wife,” you joke.
Abby nods her head stoically. “That’s fucking right.”
“Happy Halloween, baby.”
“Happy Halloween.”