"Look at you. Grandma is gonna love seeing you in this." Ana says as she fixes Teddy's pumpkin top hat. He's laying down against an orange pillow with small pumpkins around him. He's in a little pumpkin costume for his little photoshoot. She loved dressing him up in funny clothes to have for his childhood. She wanted to do it for every holiday.
"He's so adorable" Kate says standing at the kitchen counter. Jose is taking Teddy's pictures for us. Teddy is so calm and is just chilling out.
"He's a natural Ana." Jose says as he takes the pictures.
"How is he this calm with the camera?" Kate asks.
"He just a natural." I hear the door shut and footsteps come towards the dining area. Christian walks through the hall and into the living room. "Hey honey."
"What's going here?"
"Ted's photoshoot. I told you it was today." I say as I walk towards him.
"Does he have to have the camera in his face like that?"
"Christian he's done it before. The flash isn't on so it isn't hurting his eyes. Come on he's cute isn't he."
"Yeah he is." Ana notices the tenseness in Christian's shoulders and chest
'What's wrong?"
"I just not a fan of Halloween that's all."
"Well maybe this year could be a first."
"Maybe. I'm going to go change." He walks off to the stairway leaving Ana confused and concerned.
Later that night
The thunder and rain pouring from outside wakes Ana from her sleep. She turns over onto her side and she realizes that Christian isn't on his side. She hears Teddy's cries on the baby monitor. She gets out of bed to give him a feeding but as she walked down the hall she heard Christian's voice on the monitor.
"Hush now Teddy. It's alright, daddy's here now. I know you're scared but it's okay. You don't have to be afraid anymore buddy. Daddy won't let you ever be alone." Christian is holding him in arms in the rocking chair when he looks up and see Ana standing at the door. Her arms were crosses and she was smiling at the sight of her husband comforting their son. "You were peaceful sleeping I didn't want to wake you."
"What's hurting you Christian?" She walks up to the two of them and kneeled down next to the rocking chair.
"When I was younger, I would see kids run up and down the street trick or treating. They would knock on the door but my birth mom would tell me not to open it. She sat on the couch drinking and taking drugs. My first halloween it was raining. At night, she would hide me in my room and told me not to open the door. She had guys in and out that night, dressed in different outfits for them. I remember her taking me to the diner and eat so much food and ice cream. She had all this money out of nowhere and I never asked how it as came to be."
"Christian I had no idea." She says holding his hand.
"I don't want Teddy to ever feel like I don't care. I want to be there for him and give him a real childhood."
"You already are. You are giving him so much and he knows that."
"Ana, promise me we'll both be here for him."
"We will." She wraps her arms around him and lays her head on his shoulder. She understood why he felt the way he did. She wanted to hep him heal from his past and embrace their future.
