"Auntie Maura, tell me a story" said TJ, as he carefully drew a face onto the huge pumpkin before him, ready for Maura to carve out with her scalpel. At 7 years old the lanky, brunette child had a quiet and pensive temperament, far removed from the Rizzoli children that had come before him. For this Maura was thankful, certain that she would never have coped with a full day's babysitting duty had he been the exuberant, hyperactive child that Jane, Frankie and Tommy had so evidently been. Dotingly, she smiled down at the boy and began to tell him about the origins of Halloween.
"A long time ago, in ancient Britain there lived people called Celts. For them the 31st October was the most important night of the year"
"That's Halloween" TJ interrupted excitedly.
"Yes, but they called it Samhain. They believed that that night, which marked the end of the summer, was the one night in the year on which the veil that separated the living and the dead was at its weakest. So on this night the souls of the dead would return to their homes and visit their families. At sunset on October 31, they would begin the formal ceremonies by lighting a giant bonfire. This sacred fire cleaned away the old year and prepared for the coming New Year. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, and danced around the bonfire. Many of the dances told stories or played out the cycles of life and death."
"Is that why we dress up for Halloween Auntie Maura?"
"Yes, it is. Most of the traditions we have for Halloween come from the Pagan festival of Samhain."
"Wow" the little boy replied awestruck. He loved listening to his Aunt's stories, which he was too young to realise were not really stories at all. Maura was about to continue her tale when she felt a sudden kick to her ribs which momentarily took her breath. TJ's face quickly changed from its childlike look of awe, to one of concern:
"Does it hurt having a baby growing inside you?" he asked anxiously as he jumped off his high stool and wrapped his skinny arms around Maura's hips.
"No sweetie, it doesn't hurt. But sometimes, if she kicks me hard it is a little uncomfortable" she explained gently. TJ nodded in understanding but held his aunt tighter and, with his head pressed into her protruding stomach he began to whisper:
"Sophia, please don't kick Auntie Maura any more. It hurts her." The words tugged at Maura's already overly emotional heartstrings and she had to force down the lump that had formed in her throat.
"Come on TJ, let's get this pumpkin finished. Auntie Jane will be home soon and then we can get the house decorated for the party!" TJ excitedly pulled himself back onto the stool and continued to draw, all thoughts of hearing a story forgotten. Scrutinising his creation, he gave a decisive nod and proudly pushed his pumpkin over to Maura, who had long since finished her own.
"Wow TJ that's great" Maura praised "Auntie Jane's going to be really scared" The little boy just giggled in reply.
A few hours later, the Isles-Rizzoli home was humming with activity while Maura stood, barefooted in the kitchen, creating an evil looking and potent witches' potion from the several bottles of alcohol set out before her. Just as she was about to pour a bright green liquor into the mix, she felt two strong arms snaking around her, pulling her close. "Hey baby" Jane whispered in her ear as she pushed her body into Maura's back. Maura grinned and turned her head to catch Jane's mouth with her own.
"Hey yourself" she whispered indulgently to her wife. "Having fun?"
"Yeah, but we'll have more fun later, once everyone's gone and we can play trick or treat together" Jane replied coquettishly, pushing her hips tighter into Maura's buttocks.
"You're insatiable" Maura told her with a giggle before resuming mixing her cauldron of cocktail for her guests. Dramatically, Jane affected a stereotypical vampire accent and declared:
"I vant to suck your blood" and she buried he head into the crook of Maura's neck at just the spot she knew her wife could not resist. Maura gave a barely audible moan and sunk back into Jane's embrace, just as Frankie burst through the door:
"Hey Maura, is that..." he began, stopping abruptly as he took in the sight before him "aww, common Jane, put her down. We're all waiting for that potion Maura's brewing up." Jane took a final bite of Maura's neck before reluctantly pulling away.
"Ok, Ok, jeez, can't a girl hug her wife in her own home without getting hassled" Jane huffed playfully as she picked up the black plastic cauldron and began to carry it to the already heaving dining table. As she placed it on the table a small voice shouted "Boo" and Jane pretended to jump in fright as a tiny girl appeared from under the table, giggling.
"Danty Janey, Look!" the child demanded as she twirled in front of her, showing off her costume. "Me cat, miooowwww" Jane reached down and hauled her up into the air and shaking her gently above her head.
"And what a pretty little kitty cat you are Emma" Jane cooed at her niece before lowering her to kiss her tummy. At a little over two, Emma was everything she was sure her own daughter would be; cute, intelligent and funny, except in her imagination, her daughter would have honey blonde curls and brilliant hazel eyes just like Maura.
From their vantage point across the room, Maura and Angela watched Jane alternating between smothering the girl with kisses and tickling her, while Emma squealed in delight and squirmed in Jane's arms trying to escape.
"She's going to be a great mom" Angela said to Maura watching her daughter with affectionate pride.
"I know she will be." Maura sighed in agreement rubbing her stomach lovingly knowing that in a few short weeks' their faith in Jane would be proven beyond doubt. "What time are we taking the kids trick or treating?" She asked Angela. Maura had never experienced the excitement of trick or treating as a child and it had become one of her favourite traditions since becoming a part of the Rizzoli family.
"We're just waiting for Barry, Neda and Tyler to arrive, then we'll go." Angela informed her, looking at her "They said they'd be here by 6".
As if on cue, four year old Tyler Frost burst through the front door. "Rawrrrr, Rawrrr, Rawrrr" he proclaimed as he attempted to be the terrifying dinosaur he was dress up as and Maura pretended to scream in fear. Instantly the boy stopped his roaring and pulled down his hood "It's ok Maura, it's only me. I'm not really a dinosaur" he told her comfortingly. Maura grinned and crouched down to envelop the dinosaur-child in a tight hug.
"Right!" Angela announced. "Everyone come over here please." Maura watched with delight as all her family congregated around her in the hallway; every one of them happy and dressed in some kind of a costume. Noisily they huddled together and prepared for Angela to take the annual family portrait.
"1, 2, 3, say cheese" Angela instructed
"Cheeeeese!"