"This is disgusting," Robert said as he got the pumpkin goop off his hands and went to wash it hands. Cora had a similar look of disgust, but it was something that she did every Halloween with her family. She was going to make Robert do it, although it wasn't a family tradition of his. They hadn't been home from their honeymoon long, and Robert was still getting used to America.
"Stop washing your hands, will you? You just have to dig out more and wash again. Just wait till you're done. You're such a drama queen," Cora said, watching him scrub his hands at the sink.
Robert chuckled and reached into his pumpkin, pulling out some gunk and playfully tossed it at his new wife, Cora. "Ewww, Robert," she said rubbing it off of her and throwing it at his face. She ran over the sink and washed her hands. "And you say, I overact, you are not finished yet."
She laughed, "I'm almost finished and it's different if someone throws it at me, rather if I do it willingly." She gave him a paper towel and rubbed his face gently. Being touched by her still made him flutter inside, he enjoyed her touch as she wiped all the pumpkin guts off. "You're still sticky," she said rubbing her fingertips against his cheek. Robert leaned in to kiss her, "Robert, go take a shower before the trick-or-treating starts," she said pushing him towards the bathroom. I'll finish your pumpkin for you."
"Thank you, darling," he said giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, making his sticky cheek touch hers.
"Ugh, Robert, I swear, you are a curse," she said and walked back to the kitchen.
Robert dried off his hair with a towel and walked into the sitting room, where Cora was waiting patiently for trick-or-treating to start. He lounged on the couch next to her, putting his arm around her, "This is our first Halloween together," he said smiling.
"I know," she said settling into his arms. "You really never celebrated Halloween?" Cora asked.
"Not terribly, I mean I dressed up and went to parties, but never passed out candy or anything like that. Or touched pumpkins."
"Something you don't want to repeat," she asked questioningly.
"I wouldn't say that, they do look beautiful," he had noticed this when he lit them earlier. He grabbed her hand, "This is our life, Cora, not mine. I want to do things that make us both happy."
"Me too," she said and kissed him gently on the lips. A minute later the front doorbell rang. "Our first trick or treater," Cora said with excitement and grabbed the bowl before running to the door. "Trick-or treat!" two children came to the door.
"Ooooh. A cat and a power ranger. How cute you both look!," Cora said handing them the candy. "Thank you!" they yelled excitedly and dashed off. Robert came up behind her, putting his arm around her waist. She gave out a breathe, "I want one of those," Cora said.
"A cat?" he asked.
"No," she said slapping him gently. "I want a child."
He looked at her seriously, while she passed out candy to even more children. They had been married for a few months; they had been trying, but it hadn't happened yet. He knew that she wanted one desperately. Even now, he could tell as she looked longingly at the children walking hand-in-hand with their mothers and fathers as they went trick or treating. She wanted that, which made him want to give it to her all the more. "I will give you one, darling," he whispered in her ear. She smiled gently at him.
After trick-or-treating was over, Cora and Robert sat in each other's arms. "I just want a little girl so bad," she said to him softly.
"I will give you one, my dear. Don't give up hope quite yet. Next Halloween, we could have an infant in our arms."
She let out a forced laugh, "Yes dressed up and covered with pumpkin gunk. How will we know what to do?"
"We'll figure it out together and I promise I will not throw anything from the pumpkin at the baby," he said tracing circles on her arm.
"It will be so much fun to dress them up and as they get older take them trick or treating. I just can't wait!"
"I can't either, then when they are older they can pass out candy. While you and I go to Halloween parties to collect our sanity."
"Oh, do stop," she said. "It won't be horribly bad."
"No, but I will miss you, my darling. Especially since now all I can think of is being with you and you alone," he looked deeply into her eyes.
"You don't regret moving here with me?" she asked. She paused, waiting for him to answer. When he didn't, she continued on. "I know our first months haven't been so happy and you've been homesick, and well America isn't home..."
"Stop right there, I don't regret any of it. England may be my home, but it doesn't have one thing."
"What's that?" she asked playfully.
"You and I couldn't imagine my life without you, not now," He kissed her deeply. It was true. He had only met her about six months before. She was a student on a study abroad program-only twenty; he was older by five years and well-established in his field. When she entered the restaurant, he had to go up to her. He had never seen anything so simply beautiful. Her fine porcelain skin, the bluest eyes he ever saw, and her warm heart all made her irresistible to him. He made her so happy in that month together; he had thought he would never fall in love and marked himself a bachelor. He had watched as some of his friends married, but figured it wasn't for him; he had never been a ladies man. He had even seen some of their marriages fall apart quickly because they were too young. But when he was with Cora, he knew it was the real thing and he was not willing to let it go, even if it seemed stupid to his parents and his friends.
A month passed too quickly, as he kissed her goodbye at the airport, he promised that he would join her once again when things were settled. Cora was skeptical that he would, but was absolutely over the moon when he called her two months later to say he had everything in order and he was coming over to be with her. Cora, of course, was just finishing up her last semester at university. She had worked very hard, so she was graduating a year early. He bought a small apartment near her dorm and spent his time with her; he was glad to find the spark hadn't faded-it had actually gotten stronger. That summer, they married. And although Robert had missed his home, he never did look back. "I will be with you, Cora," he promised when she left England for America and he had kept his promise. Now he planned to give her everything that he could to make her happy. Like they worked together to carve the pumpkins that night, he would carve out their lives together and make his wife as happy as he could.
Cora and Robert sat on the porch. It was quite a warm Halloween night. He gave her the last of his cigarette. She got up to look at the pumpkins and he followed behind her. "Shall we put them out?"
"I don't think. I think we should let them burn a little longer."
Cora kissed him gently, knowing not to give up yet on the baby or fear that Robert was unhappy to be in America with her. She took his hand in his, warming up against him and enjoying the fact that they had time to love and live together.