“Happy Halloween, love.” Josh, already dressed for work, roused Liz, and sat on the bed next to her. She pulled the covers closer to her body and tried to ignore him.
“We never decided what we’re doing for Halloween,” he said.
Rubbing her arm, he bent close and kissed her cheek, her temple, and then the side of her head.
“I know you’re awake Elizabeth Anne.” He was bossy, albeit playfully so.
“I don’t want to do anything today,” she muttered.
Josh brushed her hair away from her face and tucked it gently behind her ear.
“No passing out candy? What about helping at the church’s fall fest? Or Christy is having a cookout at the barn. She said we were more than welcome to come out. She did suggest that we bring candy to pass out to the kids that will be there, but she said we didn’t have to.”
“Josh,” she whined.
“I just think we should do something today, sweetness.”
“I don’t.”
“What about Tyler? Do you think he wants to do anything today?”
“He’s probably up for school. Call him in here.”
“Tyler!” Josh’s bellowed.
In less than a minute, the shaggy headed teenager appeared in the doorway of their bedroom. “Yeah, whassup?”
“What do you want to do for Halloween tonight?” Josh asked.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing at all?”
“I said nothing.”
“Two against one,” Liz said.
“What about the cookout at the barn? Or passing out candy for the neighborhood kids? We could pass out full-size candy bars. Or we can go help at the church tonight.”
“I don’t want to do anything.”
“See, Josh. We just want to let today pass us by. It’s just another day now,” Liz said.
“Well I want to do something. That should count for something,” Josh said.
“Okay, Dad. Let’s pass out full-size candy bars to the neighborhood kids.”
“Great, I’ll leave work at one. Then I’ll swing by and pick the candy up at Sam’s Club.”
“Great,” Liz muttered.
“We’ll have fun.”
Josh leaned over and kissed her temple again, pausing for her to kiss him before he left, but no such luck. He swallowed his disappointment and followed Tyler out of the bedroom.
“I have half a mind to offer you a ride to school today, but I guess that’s not a real treat since you drive these days.”
“Yeah, I’m good Dad.”
Tyler looked over his shoulder as Josh grabbed his briefcase. His shoulders sagged forward and his face looked older to Tyler.
“Thanks though. We’ll have fun tonight. Maybe I could grab us a couple costumes on my way home from school?”
“Nothing scary, you know the rules.”
“Sesame Street?”
Josh laughed out loud, answering, “Yeah, Sesame Street would be great bud.”
Between work and home, Josh stopped at the store. Picking through the meager, leftover decorations, he grabbed a few pumpkins, a handful of cute scarecrows and a fall sign to liven up the front yard. He made it home an hour before Tyler.
Using the ladder from the garage, he strung together black, orange, and purple streamers and hung them from the edge of the roof. The long strands flapped in the gentle breeze. Scattered around the yard, little girl scarecrows with rosy cheeks and skirts were interspersed with little boy scarecrows with stitched on smiles and overalls, six altogether. They were a friendly fall scene.
Honking as he pulled into the driveway, Tyler hopped out of his car just as his dad hauled the ladder back to the garage.
“Looks good for last minute.”
“Thanks, bud.”
Tyler got into the backseat of his car and pulled out a Big Bird costume and an Elmo costume— both big enough to fit an adult. Josh couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“Wait until Mom sees these.”
“I got her one too.”
Tyler pulled the third and final costume from the car. The bright blue Cookie Monster costume sent Josh into another fit of laughter.
“Perfect.”
“I wanted the green grouchy one,” Tyler admitted.
“For you?”
“No, for Mom.”
“You’re something else, kid.” Josh held his side as laughter rattled his ribs. “Let’s get changed and then see if we can get Mom into her costume.”
Once they were both in their costumes, they reconvened in the living room. Together, they made their way down the hallway, laughing the whole way.
“Happy Halloween!” they cheered in unison.
“No guys, I’m not doing this,” Liz said.
“Look, we got you one too,” Tyler exclaimed.
Josh flipped on the light and Liz actually smiled at their silly costumes. A chuckle rose up through her chest and she covered her mouth.
“Why are you doing this to me? Colby loved this stupid day. We always held him back. Nothing scary. Dark roots. Don’t over enjoy a devil holiday. But it never stopped him. He always had the most fun picking silly costumes and going around for candy. When he got too big to trick-or-treat, he loved passing candy out to the other kids. He loved decorating and celebrating. It’s too much, Josh. Why are you forcing me to do this on one of my son’s favorite holidays?”
“I want to celebrate to honor him.”
“What about what I want?” Liz peeled herself out of the bed and snatched the costume from Tyler. She disappeared into the bathroom to change.
“I am going out front,” Tyler whispered to Josh.
Liz did come outside with them and she helped pass out the full-size candy bars to eager kids, dressed up and charming as they each said, “Trick or Treat!” Several neighbors asked, in that polite sort of way like it’s what they were supposed to do, how the family was holding up. Each time it happened, Liz tensed and shied away.
“We’re doing as well as possible. Just getting on with life and, you know, living,” Josh would say.
Liz swallowed down the acid taste in the back of her throat and glared at him out of the corner of her eyes. It was too much. She shoved her bowl of candy into his hands and walked up the steps. She disappeared through the front door and told herself to shut it gently but the anger bubbling within shot like lava down her veins and she slammed the door.
The pictures on the wall clattered and her gaze shot to Colby’s sparkling blue eyes. She grabbed a decorative bowl off the little entry table. She cocked back to hurl it at the picture.
If it’s broken Josh will have to take it down.
As she stared into her son’s eyes and remembered his inquisitive nature, she lowered the bowl from the air and placed it back on the table. Pulling her Cookie Monster mask off, she made her way into the kitchen. The mask crinkled as she smashed it onto the kitchen counter. After yanking the cold handle harder than necessary, water ran freely from the faucet. She cupped her hands under the faucet and drew the water upward to splash it over her face. Shutting the water off, she leaned over the sink as her face dripped. With her right hand, she fumbled for a paper towel and then dried her face with the rough, disposable towel.
Swiping the crinkled mask from the counter, she pushed out the places that needed it, and carried it with her to the front door.
“Lord, give me strength and grace,” she whispered.
She eased the front door open. Stephanie stood on the front lawn, talking with Elmo and Big Bird.
“Hey Cookie Monster,” she called.
“Hey to you too,” Liz raised her mask and tipped her head.
Stephanie embraced her where the porch met the yard.
“Did you pass out candy this year?” Liz asked.
“Until I ran out. Thought I’d come steal some of yours so I can watch a sappy movie while eating candy and then go to bed for the night, like the ol’ spinster I am.”
“Aunt Stephanie is a spinster,” Tyler said with a boyish laugh.
“You’re not a spinster,” Liz said.
“Kind of I am. I’m good with who I am and the life I have. God’s been good to me.”
Three elementary-aged kids came running up the driveway. Dressed as Alvin and the Chipmunks, they were exuberant when they said, “Trick or Treat!”
Josh dropped big candy bars into their candy buckets and Tyler complimented their costumes.
“Thanks, Elmo,” one of the boys said. Grabbing their candy bars out of their bags, they waved them at their waiting parents and ran for the next house.