Our hearts go out to the victims and their families and all those affected by the attack yesterday in New York City.
Looking Back, Looking Forward (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
"Happy day after Halloween!" Mary said as the Skype call connected.
Joan leaned close to the screen, waving. "Hi, Unca Steve! Hi, Ann Caf! Hi, Baby Angie!"
"Hi, Joanie," Steve answered, smiling broadly at her enthusiasm.
"Hi, honey," Catherine said. "Did you have a fun Halloween?"
Joan nodded excitedly. "I went twick-o'-tweating wif Mama and Daddy. I'm Elsa, Mama is Anna, and Daddy is Olaf!"
"Yes, we saw pictures of you in your costume," Catherine said.
"All three of you," Steve said, his grin directed at Aaron who shrugged unashamedly.
"I'll show you!" Joan said suddenly, scrambling over Aaron's legs and out of sight.
"They've seen pictures, peanut, you don't have to put your costume back on," Mary called after her.
"Just my gloves!" Joan called back.
Mary sighed, chuckling. "Of course. You gotta get the full effect of the gloves."
"They technically weren't part of her costume," Aaron said. "She got them for her birthday and they still worked, so she wore them, too."
"Is that why she finally settled on Elsa?" Catherine asked. "I know she was having a hard time choosing."
"Yeah," Mary said. "We knew she was going to be a princess, it was just a matter of which one."
Aaron chuckled. "I think we went through the whole list twice before she finally picked."
"And that was only because we were running out of time to actually get the costumes."
Catherine and Steve grinned, knowing that choosing a princess had to have been tough for Joan.
"Hey, she's really making progress on her speech," Steve said. "She said 'gloves'."
Catherine nodded. "And 'Elsa' and 'Olaf.' "
"And when we were in LA earlier in the month she was starting to say more t-h sounds," Steve said.
Mary beamed. "Yeah, the speech therapist at the school is great. Joan sees her for about 15 minutes a day three times a week with a couple other kids."
"The r's are proving tricker, but she'll get there," Aaron said confidently.
"Absolutely," Steve said.
The sound of tinkling chimes preceded Joan's return to view. The first thing they saw were the loose light blue gloves with sparkly edges, followed by Joan's arms as she wrangled her way back in front of the screen.
"Fweeze!" she yelled, thrusting both arms out. The motion triggered the sound effects again and Joan giggled, doubling over.
"Those are … impressive," Steve said, barely containing his grin. "You wore those the whole time you were trick-or-treating?"
"Oh yes," Aaron said. "Freezing everything in sight."
Steve chuckled in amusement.
Joan dropped her arms, leaning forward again. "Did Baby Angie go twick-o'-tweating?
"She did," Catherine said, shifting the baby in her arms. "Just for a little while."
"Remember?" Mary said. "I showed you the pictures. She wore a Wonder Woman onesie and an adorable little cape and headband."
"I want to see again," Joan said.
Mary sighed, but dutifully got out her phone and scrolled to the picture. Joan squealed, bouncing in place excitedly at the sight.
"I want to be Wonda' Woman for Halloween, too!"
"Halloween was yesterday, pumpkin," Aaron said. "Do you mean next year?"
"Yeah, next yeaw!"
Mary chuckled. "You think you're gonna remember you want to be Wonder Woman next year?"
Joan nodded seriously and her parents laughed.
"Okay, we'll see if you change your mind between now and then," Mary said.
"I won't," Joan insisted.
"It's not a question of 'if' you'll change your mind, but how many times," Aaron said, pressing an affectionate kiss to her head.
"And that's why we love you, Joanie," Steve said.
"Baby Angie and I can bof be Wonda' Woman," she said excitedly. "We'll match!"
"But Angie probably won't be Wonder Woman next year," Catherine said.
"Right," Steve said. The corner of his mouth lifted in a wry smile. "According to Jacob, you can't wear the same costume two years in a row."
"Really?" Mary teased. "Then how do you keep getting away with a suit?"
"Technically, they've all been different costumes," he said in his own defense.
Catherine smiled at him, thoroughly amused.
Joan looked between her parents and the screen, trying to follow the conversation. She circled back to the salient point as far as she was concerned. "Baby Angie won't be Wonda' Woman next yeaw?"
"Probably not," Catherine said. "But you still could be."
"That's right," Steve said. "You can be anything you want, Joanie. Anything you want."
Later that night after Angie had gone down to sleep, Steve and Catherine stretched out in bed.
"Well, we've got Angie's first Halloween under our belts," Steve said, shifting to slide an arm around Catherine's back.
She settled against him and smiled. "Yep. Another year or two of picking out her costume for her, then we'll get to see what she decides for herself."
He grinned at the thought. "Can't wait." He glanced over at the sleeping baby in her bassinet. "I hope she'll want to make her own costume … at least once. Like the Allen kids. Chin has such a good time working on Dylan's with him."
She smiled. "Dylan may have his own costume creation business by then."
"Yeah. And Kaitlyn with the jellyfish." He paused, thoughtful. "I'd like to do that with Angie someday, make her costume. Whatever it is."
"Even if that means you may end up in something other than a suit?" she teased.
He sighed, lips quirking in a smile. "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it."
She poked his side lightly. "Softie."
He kissed the top of her head. They lay in comfortable silence for a few minutes, his fingertips brushing against the bare skin of her upper arm and hers tracing over his chest.
"You know, that's how I want all Angie's holidays to be," he said eventually. "Surrounded by family, happiness …"
"Love."
"Yeah," he said quietly. "That's the kind of holiday I hope she always has."
She tightened her arm around his torso, knowing well his train of thought. "As long as we have something to say about it, she will."
"That's right," he agreed firmly.
After another moment, she sighed happily, snuggling closer. "Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. Then Christmas."
"Your parents and Grandma Ang will actually be here for Christmas," he said, smiling at the idea.
"I know they're looking forward to it," she said. Her own smile grew soft and reflective. "And we won't be dreading the day they have to leave after Thanksgiving."
He pulled her closer and kissed her head again, remembering one emotional moment in particular a few years ago.
"Yeah." He glanced down at her, a small smile appearing on his face. "Also … no more air mattress. Between our guest room and the condo, there's plenty of room for Mary, Aaron, Joan, and Aunt Deb."
She grinned up at him. "Ohh, I'm kinda gonna miss the air mattress," she said, her tone shifting to a familiar one that always made his stomach flip in anticipation.
"Oh yeah?" He grinned back, shifting smoothly to roll on top of her. "Well, you just say the word, Rollins, and I'll have it inflated in a matter of minutes."
She ran her hands up his chest and around his neck to pull him down to her. "Maybe another night." She kissed him lingeringly. "Tonight, I don't see any reason to move."
He quirked an eyebrow at her and she chuckled.
"Move out of this bed," she clarified
He grinned, leaning closer. "Our kind of post-holiday celebration?"
"You got that right."
Hope you enjoyed!
Notes: Mari and Sammy – Thanks, as always, for the love and support. Another Halloween under our belts!
Readers and REAL McRollers – Thanks for your amazing support! We're so glad you're still with us.
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