Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
NOAH
“Thanks so much for coming with me. I’m sure there’s tons of cooler things you could be doing on Halloween than accompanying me while I take Mikey trick-or-treating.”
I lean down and peck Audrey on the cheek. “I’d do anything you wanted to do. Adult Halloween is usually just getting drunk anyway. It’ll be nice to enjoy Halloween the way we did as kids.”
With that we get out of Noah’s car and walk to my parents’ front door. Sarah lives in an apartment, so she always brings Mikey to Mom and Dad’s to trick-or-treat.
Before we let ourselves in, I ask, “Where did you say Sarah was again?” Why wouldn’t she want to be the one to take Mikey around?
“She’s got a community college class on Thursday nights now. I guess after our fight over money, she decided to use the time she was working extra hours to go back to school for a degree that will allow her to make more money and be a more stable home for Mikey.”
“What is she going for?”
“Accounting, I think. But she has a lot of basics to take since her bachelor’s is in education.” She opens the front door and calls out, “Mom, Dad, we’re here!”
A bright blue streak of lightning comes flying out from the side hall, appearing in front of us. Mikey is wearing a football player costume. He’s got shoulder pads on and a helmet that’s two sizes too big, so he keeps having to push it back from covering his eyes.
Her mom rounds the other corner at the same time gazing lovingly at her grandson. “He’s had that costume on since the second he got up this morning.” Her eyes turn to us and land on Noah. She holds out her hand for him to shake. “You must be Noah. I’m Sally.”
I reach my hand out for hers. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Dupree.”
“Oh, please. Call me Mrs. Sally at least. I’m not old enough yet to be Mrs. Dupree.”
I chuckle politely. “That I can do.”
Audrey turns to Mikey, hands on her thighs to get down to his height. “Did you pick this costume out yourself?”
“I did,” he basically shouts, too excited to use his inside voice. Then turns instantaneously shy. “I wanted to be like Noah.”
My heart melts a little at his words. I don’t think I’ve ever been someone kids look up to. I’ve always been busy looking up to my dad, making sure I was doing the right things for him.
I pat my hand on his oversized helmet. “That’s super cool, little man.”
“Are you about ready to go?” Audrey asks and Mikey nods. “Go get your Jack-o-lantern bucket to carry your candy and we’ll head out.” He shoots off in the direction I’m assuming the bucket is in.
Her mom takes this chance to turn her eyes back on me. “Doesn’t he look so precious in that get-up?”
I nod. “He definitely does. Maybe he’ll be in the league one day and you’ll have photos of him from tonight to show off at his draft party.”
“Wouldn’t that be something? I’m sure you’re great with kids.”
Audrey clears her throat next to me. I can tell she’s getting uncomfortable. Is this the kind of thing she gets all the time? I can see why it’s annoying.
“I’m not sure, I haven’t spent that much time around them.”
“Oh, well, you’ll enjoy getting to know Mikey then.”
“He’s been fun so far. We had a great time at Jaden’s pool party.” Mikey had a great time. Audrey and I? Not so much. But it’s what finally broke through Audrey’s barriers and got us here, so it’s hard to be ungrateful for it.
“You’re a natural, I can tell.” She pats my shoulder. “Full of fatherly instinct.”
We’re saved by Mikey coming back around the corner, Jack-o-lantern bucket bouncing on his wrist.
Audrey seems all too happy to have a reason to leave. “Okay, buddy, let’s get going. It’s already getting late.”
We go right back through the front door, waving as we go. We get to the sidewalk and start walking to the left. “We’ll start with this neighbor because they always have full-size candy bars,” Audrey says as she walks.
We follow Mikey most of the way up the path while he makes his way to the door. We stop a few feet from the front door as Mikey goes up and rings the doorbell.
I take the time we’re out of earshot to ask Audrey about her mom’s comments. “Is she always like that?”
Audrey waves to the woman who opens the door. “Who? My mom?”
“Yeah.”
“Pretty much.” We watch as Mikey gets his first piece of candy. The bar so long it almost sticks up out of the pumpkin bucket. “Say thank you,” she calls to Mikey as he turns to come back toward us.
“Even after everything from your ex? She still lays it on like that?”
She shrugs as she guides a hyper Mikey down the walkway and back on to the sidewalk.
The next house has their porch light on, too, so we go up toward the door with him.
We stop a few feet from the front porch as Mikey goes up again.
“I don’t know if it’s because I’ve never spoken up enough, or because she doesn’t know when to quit. ”
“I guess only time will tell on that.”
We continue to walk, enjoying the cooler temperatures and the crisp feeling in the air. Mikey runs into a friend from school and his parents, so we walk together for a block. When they split off, Audrey checks the time on her phone. “We’d better start getting back, Mikey.”
“I don’t wanna,” he whines back at her.
“You can hit the houses on the other side of this street on the way.”
This consoles him for the moment, but no less than five houses later, he’s in front of Audrey asking to be carried because he’s too tired to walk more. “I can’t carry you anymore. You’re a big boy now. You’ll knock me over.”
I speak before I even realize it. “I’ll carry you. Give Aunt Audrey your helmet and candy to carry.”
He hands over the goodies to Audrey, and I bend down to let him climb on my shoulders.
We walk the rest of the way home, rating the other costumes we see go by.
I ranked a bunch of teenagers dressed as the apostles highest, Audrey rated a little girl dressed like Tour Guide Barbie her highest. Mikey was just looking for other football players to form a team.
We delivered Mikey right to his grandma to get him ready for Sarah to pick him up after her class.
If seeing Mikey in his adorable Halloween costumes for five years hasn’t changed Audrey’s mind on having kids, I’m certain nothing will.
I’m still on the same page: we let it rest for a few years and check in later on.
If we want different things, we move on because that’s what you do when you care about someone.
You want them to have what they want in life, even if it’s not with you.
But I’m damn sure that for me, it’s her.