[title subtitle=”WORDS Sarah Phillips
IMAGE Wojciech Zalewsk“][/title]
Robin loved this time of year. She enjoyed the warm afternoons followed by crisp, cool evenings. Pulling her sweaters, boots and knit scarves out of storage. Seeing her neighborhood lit up with the vibrant reds and yellows of the maple trees that lined the street and marveling at how death could look so beautiful. Top all of that with pumpkin spice, hot cocoa, and warm plates of comfort food, and she just couldn’t imagine anything better.
For weeks her neighborhood had been decorating for Halloween. It was highly trafficked by children and their parents, probably because everyone on her street seemed to take it so seriously. Nearly everyone participated, with some variation of witches, ghosts, and skeletons displayed in yards and on porches. Orange lighting and webs containing black spiders hung from doors and windows. The decorations were never too scary, though, keeping in mind the littlest of trick or treaters.
Robin planted chrysanthemums of every color down her walkway and placed carved pumpkins lit up by LED candles on her front steps. On her porch, scarecrows sat slouched on bales of hay that flanked her front door. Bags of Smarties, Tootsie Rolls, bubble gum, Hershey’s bars and glow stick bracelets were opened and dumped into a large red bowl. The big night was here, and after finishing her dinner, she donned her witch hat, wrapped herself in her warmest wool blanket and took her place on the top step of her porch, her bowl of treats beside her.
Shortly after, a black suburban pulled up in front of her house, her best friend jumping out of the passenger side, dressed in a cream sweater, jeans and brown riding boots, her long red hair in a messy bun on the top of her head. She turned and waved at her husband and twin boys before making her way up the sidewalk. “You look cute. Where are they off to?” Robin asked.
“Thanks,” Megan smiled. “School carnival. I told Brian that I simply couldn’t leave you by yourself tonight.”
Robin winked at her friend, “Uh-huh. Wine’s on the table. Bring me a glass, too.”
“You got it.”
By the time Megan returned, also wrapped in a blanket, the kids had begun rolling in. They took turns handing out candy to little ones dressed as super-heroes, dinosaurs, insects, and a whole lot of princesses. In between, they caught each other up on their lives as though they didn’t talk every single day, laughing to the point of tears at almost every turn.
Behind them, the front door opened, which made them both jump. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, baby. I wasn’t expecting you. Come, have a seat with us,” Robin said as she moved the bowl of candy.
Jess sat between them, readjusted her ponytail and pulled the sleeves of her red University of Arkansas sweatshirt over her hands. Her third year of college kept her busy, so it was odd to see her on a Thursday night. Even on the dimly lit porch, Robin saw that her daughter’s eyes were red and puffy. “What’s wrong?”
“I broke up with Justin tonight,” she said before covering her face with her sleeved hands in an attempt to conceal her tears. They had been dating for over a year. She liked him so much that she brought him home for Christmas. Robin and Megan wrapped their arms around Jess, cocooning her while she caught her breath.
“Tell us what happened,” Megan said before handing out candy to a unicorn.
“He said that he was at the library working on a report that’s due next week. So, after work I went to his dorm room to wait for him.” Jess paused for the group of trick or treaters to move on to the next house.
“I opened the door to his room and there he was, making out with some girl.”
“Nooooooo,” Robin and Megan said in unison, followed by, “what a jerk,” and “the audacity…”
“I slammed his door and drove straight here. He keeps texting me, saying that he’s sorry and that it didn’t mean anything to him. But it means something to me!” she said, wiping her face.
“Of course, it does, baby,” Robin said, reaching to tuck a stray hair behind her daughter’s ear before giving candy to a little girl dressed as Princess Jasmine.
“So, yah, anyway, that’s the tea.”
Confused, Robin looked at Megan who shrugged her shoulders. “That’s the what?”
“The tea,” Jess replied, miming sipping tea, complete with her pinky raised up.
“I don’t get it,” Robin replied. She was often confused by millennial language. It seemed to her that they took random words and gave them completely random meanings. She looked at Megan, who shrugged again.
“It’s a meme. You know, with Kermit the Frog?”
Robin giggled, “Sorry, I don’t speak in meme.”
Jess pulled her phone out, searching. And wouldn’t you know it, there on her phone was a picture of Kermit the Frog, sipping a cup of tea. “You use it after you tell a big, dramatic story.”
“Oh, okay,” Robin said, even though she still didn’t understand, “anyway, I knew I didn’t like that boy.”
“Mom!” Jess rolled her eyes.
Robin threw up her hands, “I’m just saying. I knew he wasn’t worthy of you.”
“In yourmom’s defense,” Megan chimed in, “she is pretty good at setting people up. I never would have looked twice at Brian, but somehow your mom knew he would be perfect for me; and he is.”
Robin leaned back and nodded at her friend, “Thank you, Megan. See, young lady? I know what I’m talking about.”
“She’s just not good at picking them out for herself,” Megan rebutted, making Jess burst out in laughter.
“Hey now,” Robin said, hands on her hips in mock protest, unable to keep from laughing herself. It was true, she hadn’t had any luck in that department in too long to think about. She secretly worried that it had rubbed off on her daughter and hoped that Megan picked up the slack as a role model of relationships. “Well, there’s one thing that I know for sure. You deserve better. He’s obviously a cheater. And once a cheater…”
“Always a cheater,” Megan finished.
“I know, I know,” Jess said before taking a bite of Hershey’s and sliding a glowing bracelet over her wrist.
Robin unwrapped the left side of her blanket and her daughter settled into the warmth of her mother’s arms. Jess’s cold hand reached for her mother’s and Robin held it, just as she always had.
They watched as little boys and girls carrying plastic pumpkins and Wal-Mart sacks filled with candy marched up and down the sidewalk, their little feet crunching the dry leaves. Most were still full of energy, though some were already asleep, being carried to cars to be taken home and tucked into bed. Some held their parent’s hand, still leery of the costumes and the dark decorations. A few traded candy with their friends. All of them were playing pretend for the night.
She thought about her daughter’s reality, the pretender her boyfriend had been revealed to be, and the heartbreak she must be feeling. She kissed the top of her daughter’s head and said, “I’m sorry.”
“I know, Mom. It’s okay.”
When the full sidewalk turned sparse with children, Robin said, “You know, I have the perfect remedy for that heartache of yours.”
“Ice cream?” Jess asked, looking up.
Megan raised her glass, “And more wine.”
Robin smiled at them both, glanced around her empty yard, and took off her pointed hat. “Ladies, I believe my work here is done.”
