Page 53 of Make Me Whole

Sky chuckled and bit her bottom lip—which made me jealous because I wanted to do that. “They are so sad. Thank you.”

I winked and placed her hand on the crook of my arm. “Were you just late or are you still feeling sick?”

Sky groaned, giving me the short version of her answer. “A bit of both. Whatever this stomach bug is, it sucks.”

I was about to ask her—for the third time in as many days—if she wanted me to take her to the doctor, but as we approached the foyer, she pulled her hand away from my arm and I dropped the thought. I placed my hand over hers, holding it in place, and shook my head. “We’re staying in character.”

The panic that tinged her eyes vanished, giving way to excitement. “I love Halloween,” she whispered. Slipping back into Morticia, she addressed the kids with zero motherly affection. “Ready, children?”

They nodded, and we exited the house. Al and Molly sat by the portable fire pit we had set up at the property line. Al’s lawn chair was on our side and Molly’s on hers, and a large bowl of candy sat on a black pedestal on either side.

Our original plan was for Al to dress like Uncle Fester to round up our family, but I was glad he'd decided to match Molly instead. They were dressed as a wartime couple from the 1940s, and they looked good together. Since they were busy giving out candy and we were late, we didn’t stop to chat and started our trek through the houses.

Aiden and Ella discussed the tricks they’d pull on the houses with no candy as Sky and I followed them through the streets. My heart filled with fatherly joy as I watched my son walk up to the first house to get his candy.

Without caring whether he would be embarrassed, I pulled my phone from my pocket and shot several photos of him talking to a mummy and his wife, then digging into their bowl for some candy.

“Do you always take pictures of him trick-or-treating?”

I shook my head but kept taking pictures of my son. “This is his first time. There are always too many mothers with their sons on Halloween. He never wanted to go out, so we stayed home watching theAddams Familymovies from the 90s and eating candy I bought for him.” As the kids thanked the couple and walked back to us, I pocketed my phone and stole a peek at her. “Until this year.”

The corners of her brows dipped with emotion as the significance of today—of her and Ella—sank in. A moment later, Aiden tugged at her hand, forcing her eyes away from mine and down to his exuberant face.

“Look how much candy I got, Aunther Sky!”

She let go of my arm and bent over to look inside his pumpkin. Her eyes widened, and she offered him a fist to bump. “Way to go, Aid! That’s awesome. They were very generous.”

“Yeah, they were. We have to remember that for next year.”

Sky’s grin faltered for a moment. She knew the reno house would be sold by then, but I was glad she didn’t ruin his joy with reality. Instead, she tickled his neck and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“I’ll remember it for you, sweetie. I promise.”

Aiden hugged her and took her hand after she got up. They walked hand in hand to the next house, talking and laughing like a mother and son. As I marveled at my son’s dream come true, a small, cold hand snaked into mine.

I looked down at Ella, and her cheeks reddened. Her little fingers loosened as if she was pulling away, but I curled mine tighter. “Are you cold?”

“A little,” she admitted, still shy but holding my hand tighter.

“Do you want my jacket or a snuggle to the next house?”

Her little eyes sparkled, and she giggled as if the excitement was too much to contain. “The snuggle.”

I laughed and picked her up. Her arms curled around my neck and her head dropped to my shoulder. Though she was thin for a seven-year-old, she wasn’t a feather either, but I didn’t mind carrying her. I liked the way she played with my fake mustache as we talked about the generous Mummy couple and how much she liked candy corn even though no one else does.

When we reached the next house, Sky looked at me as I put her daughter back on the ground. Her eyes watered and her fingers intertwined with mine as we watched the kids run to the next house, like true siblings out on a fun family Halloween night. We said nothing to each other. We didn’t have to.

* * *

It was almosteight when we arrived back at the house. There were only embers left on the fire pit, and a note inside the pumpkin on our side informed us that Al had gone over to Molly’s and would see us for breakfast.Good for him!

The kids had come through with their end of the deal—six full-size candy bars of Sky’s and my choosing—so it was my and Sky’s turn to live up to the bargain. While she went upstairs to help them change into the Halloween pajamas she had bought for them and set up the playroom for the sleepover, I ordered pizzas and got the fire in the TV room started.

Per Sky’s suggestion, we watchedThe Addams Family. Aiden was thrilled to share our little tradition with the girls, and I was thrilled to simply sit on the couch with my pinky curled around Sky’s.

After two pizzas and two tubs of ice cream, the kids were too stuffed to stay awake, and since they had school the next day, we said goodnight and Sky took them upstairs to tuck them in. I got two beers from the fridge and carried them to the TV room as I waited for her to come back down.

When she entered the room carrying bedsheets and blankets, my shoulders sagged with disappointment. “Am I sleeping on the couch?”

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