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Happy, healthy Halloween to everyone celebrating!


Not So Spooky Season

Halloween

On Halloween, after trick or treating, the family settled down in the living room to sort the kids' candy and the conversation went to the previous Friday when they had their costume reveals with Elizabeth, Joseph and Grandma Ang.

"You sent our pictures to Uncle Greg and Aunt Susan, right?" Angie asked.

"I did." Her mother grinned. "And they loved them, just like the other fifty people I texted."

"Fifty?" DJ looked up from the candy pile. "Really?"

"Maybe not quite fifty, but, everyone in California and New Jersey and Aunt Carrie's parents and Daddy sent them to your uncles Hoss and Cuzzi…"

"Woah, that's a lot." He smiled at her.

"It is, and they all loved them." She ran a hand over his hair. "Almost as much as Grandpa, Grandma and Grandma Ang."


Friday, October 27th

Upstairs, Catherine nodded she was ready and led the way while suppressing a laugh at the idea they'd come up with for this year.

As they entered the room, her parents and Grandma Ang turned their attention towards the couple. All three clapped as the kids' eyes widened with surprise at the sight before them.

Angie couldn't contain her excitement and broke the silence. "Mommy and Daddy dressed up as us!"

Elizabeth burst into laughter, covering her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Oh, my goodness, Catherine, you look adorable with those curls and that stuffed goat!"

Joseph joined in, "And Steve, your DJ costume is perfect."

Grandma Ang didn't hold back her delight. "You two look almost as cute as the real Angie and DJ, and I have to say my great grandchildren are adorable subjects."

Steve raised his baseball-gloved hand. "No argument there, even if I'm biased."

"Daddy, you totally look like me." DJ beamed. "You'd be the Cubbies' secret weapon," he teased.

Steve winked at him. "I might get spotted - I'm a little too big to blend in with the kids…"."

Angie giggled in delight. "You're way too big for a Cubbie, Daddy, and Mommy, me and you are twinning!" She moved to stand right next to Catherine. "Even our hair matches now!" She pointed out her mother's curled hair.

Elizabeth looked at her daughter and son-in-law with a warm smile. "You two are always full of surprises. I love it."

Catherine grinned. "We wanted to make this Halloween's costumes a surprise." She turned to the kids. "But we were just the appetizers. Now it's time for the main course. Let's get you guys into your costumes." She pointed to the stairs.

"Let's go!" Angie said as she darted for the steps with her brother close behind.

"We'll be right back for reveal phase two," Catherine said as she and Steve followed the kids.


Fifteen minutes later when Angie said, "Uncover your eyes, everybody!" Joseph gasped audibly at the sight of his grandson.

DJ was dressed in a sized-to-fit navy captain's uniform. He stood at attention, cover tucked under his arm, beaming at his grandpa as Elizabeth said, "Ohhh" softly and reached to squeeze her husband's hand.

"Do I look like you, Grandpa?" he asked.

Joseph cleared his throat. "You look better," he said as the ten year old's smile grew impossibly brighter. "And very squared away." He turned his attention to his granddaughter. "And Angie, you look exactly like your mother."

"That straight hair," Elizabeth said, hand to her chest. "I almost had to do a double take."

"Me, too," her husband agreed.

"Me, three!" Grandma Ang said. "Just like Halloweens past."

"I'm Mommy on the team!" Angie said, pointing to the badge at her hip.

Joseph chuckled. "Of course you are." He picked up his phone and snapped several pictures of both kids. "I can't wait to show everyone at Pearl."

"And I can't wait to show my BINGO friends," Grandma Ang told them.

"We'd better get going so everyone can see your incredible costumes before we start setting up for the party," Elizabeth told them.


Halloween

Angie held up a chocolate bar triumphantly. "Look, Daddy! I got a Snickers!"

DJ smiled and pulled out a Twizzler. "And look, I got your favorite, Angie."

Steve grinned. "I used to sort my Halloween candy into categories like 'best,' 'okay,' and 'tradeable'"

Catherine shook her head. "Of course you did."

He pretended to be shocked, "What? Like you didn't categorize?"

"I can neither confirm or deny," she said, popping a mini Hershey's bar in her mouth.

Steve laughed. "I think that's my line."

Angie looked up at her parents with a curious expression. "Hey, Mommy, Daddy, can you tell us more stories about Halloween when you were kids?"

DJ nodded. "Yeah, tell us about all the spooky things you did."

Catherine and Steve exchanged a knowing glance. They had plenty of Halloween stories that could entertain the kids for hours.

Steve cleared his throat dramatically. "Well, there was this one time when my friend Michael dressed as a vampire and scared the kids next door."

Catherine added, "When I was in fifth grade, one of my friends was convinced our neighbor's house was haunted, even though it was just a loose shutter banging against the window. I volunteered to go knock on the door to prove it was okay."

DJ's eyes widened in awe. "That was brave, Mommy!"

Angie nodded eagerly. "Yeah, that was very, very brave. You and Daddy can fight candy-stealing bad guys."

Catherine smirked at Steve who was biting into a candy bar. "And maybe we can even uncover the secret identity of the Snickers thief."

He shot her a mock-serious look. "It's not stealing if I announce I'm eating it first."

"True," she said with a laugh. "Besides, you always share your candy." She pecked his cheek.

"Share, share, that's fair," Angie said. "Can I please eat a Twizzler from the safe pile?"

"Yes, you can have a piece each. And I like that rhyme," Catherine said.

"Ms. Lane told us it. Me and Ashae got to be line leader partners 'cause we share very very good."

"Very well," Steve corrected with a smile and ran a hand over her hair. "And you do. Now, what was your favorite part about Halloween this year?"

"I really like helping Kaitlyn and Jacob make plans for the Tutor Time party," DJ said.

Angie nodded in agreement. "That was very, very fun!"

"And I liked when we all got to do the costume reveal for Grandma and Grandpa and Grandma Ang," he continued.

"And you and Mommy were dressed as me and DJ." Angie laughed.

"And I like getting to stop and say hi to all our neighbors when we went trick or treating." DJ added another Twizzlers to the pile. "And how so many of them had bones for Cammie and treats for Pumpkin and Luna."

Suddenly a shadow of uncertainty passed over his face and he looked across the room to where Luna was perched on the back of the couch observing.

He bit his lip.

"I guess tomorrow is after Halloween," he said softly. "They'll be expecting Luna back at the shelter."

Angie's bottom lip started to tremble.

Steve looked at Catherine who gave him a nod to let him know it was time to reveal their secret.

"I called the shelter today and I talked to Ms. Gwen," he said. "I told her I'd be in tomorrow."

DJ reached out and gave Angie's trembling hand a squeeze.

Four plaintive eyes turned towards Steve.

"Do you have to?" Angie asked with a soft, quivering voice.

"I do," Steve said. "How else will I be able to sign the adoption papers?"

It took a second for his words to register.

DJ's face was the first to looked first at Steve, then Catherine. "Do you mean … is Luna gonna get adopted and live here forever?"

"Daddy and I both think that Luna has found her forever home," Catherine said.

Angie's squeal of happiness filled the room. She ran to the couch and hugged the newest member of the family. "Did you hear that Luna? You're part of our family now. You don't have to go back to the shelter."

"Angie and I will take care of her," DJ said. "I promise. Thanks for letting her stay."

Steve beamed. "You're very welcome."

"You're the best Mommy and Daddy in the whole world," Angie said as she rejoined the group carrying Luna.

Steve smiled. "Thank you. But just so we're clear, three pets are definitely enough."

"Four," Angie said. "You forgot to count Felix."

"Three pets that live with us." Steve chuckled. "So no more new pets."

"OK, Daddy." Angie snuggled her face into Luna's soft fur, which muffled her one word reply.

"Probably."

# THE END thanks for reading


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