The Christmas-in-October party was bittersweet. Molly was showing off her new bling and she and Reggie were taking suggestions for the best month to get married. “Christmas,” he insisted.
“Valentine’s Day,” said Sunny. “It’s such a romantic time to get married.”
“Yes, but who would come. You’ll all be out celebrating,” said Molly.
“November,” Reggie said. “The month to be thankful, and that says it all because I’m thankful I found this woman.”
“I want to be flower girl,” Paisley said.
“That goes without saying,” Molly assured her.
With that settled, Paisley was ready to play with the kids and leave the grown-ups to the boring activity of sitting around and talking.
There was plenty of activity for the kids, including a pumpkin-carving contest, and even Bella had fun doing that. She also got into going from house to house, wearing Santa hats and delivering net bags filled with candy corn and caramels. Reverse trick or treat.
Arianna and Sunny escorted them while Molly and Ava helped ready the treats and games back at Mia’s house. Mia wouldn’t be able to eat any of the cookies Arianna had baked, but she’d left her mother sipping on hot cider and chatting with Alden and Reggie, who had come dressed like a giant pumpkin and dubbing himself the Great Pumpkin. How much longer would her mother be with them? She bit into a thumbnail and gave it a vicious rip.
“Great idea,” called one of the neighbors, waving at them.
“We’re full of great ideas,” Sunny said as they walked on.
“That we are,” Arianna said. “Although I’ve got to admit, I’m not sure how thankful I’m going to be feeling next month. Somehow, this all feels so...inconsequential in light of what’s going on with Mom.”
“I can sure understand that,” Sunny told her. “In some ways I guess it is. But when you stop and think how throwing these parties has lifted our spirits, brought us and our families closer together, I think it’s been worth it.” She rubbed her growing belly. “If we don’t celebrate the good things in life all that’s left is sorrow.”
Arianna nodded. Of course, what Sunny said made sense, but she wasn’t the one about to lose her mom.
“Sophie needs this. She needs these good memories to hang on to when Mia isn’t here anymore,” Sunny continued.
Arianna bit her lip and nodded.
Sunny slung an arm around her shoulder. “We’ll get you through this, girlfriend.”
They would certainly try, but in the end Arianna knew the only person who would be able to get her through what lay ahead was herself. She tore into another fingernail.
The kids came storming back into the house, pumped over how many neighbors had raved over the simple treats they’d shared.
“Mrs. Cho even gave us all a cookie,” Sophie reported.
“It was awesome,” Dylan added.
“Well, I hope you saved room for pumpkin casserole and cookies,” Molly said to him.
“Cookies, yeah,” he replied, obviously not ready to commit on a cooked stuffed pumpkin.
But when it came time to eat dinner, he was the first of the kids to ask for seconds, and that had Molly smiling, since the pumpkin casserole had been her idea.
They didn’t make a late night of it, mainly because Mia was looking so tired.
“You look tired yourself, and I bet you’re ready for some Halloween partying with just you and Alden,” Molly said to Arianna.
Arianna looked to where Alden was lounging on the couch, Sophie snuggled up next to him. “You don’t have to rush off,” she said, insisting on being polite.
“No rushing, but I am going to start moving the troops,” said Molly.
“Those two kids sure are a perfect match,” she said to Reggie a few minutes later as they walked back down the street to her house.
“Just like us,” he said. “You want to hang out at your place or come over to mine?”
