Chapter 42
Jack
Six Months
"Jack?" Abby calls from the nursery. "Could you come here, please?"
"Just a sec," I holler over my shoulder, opening the front door and setting a large bowl of candy on the folding chair I moved to the porch earlier today. After fastening a sign that reads "Please Take Two" to the back, I follow the sound of giggling down the hallway.
"Alright, what's up?" I ask before Abby's hand slams violently over my eyes, blocking my view. "Ow, what in the hell are you—"
"Don't open your eyes until I say!" The giddy tone in her voice brings a smile to my face, and I stand diligently with my hands over my eyes, awaiting further instruction.
"Okaaaay," she drawls. "Open!"
I open my eyes, still mildly off-kilter from Abby's assault, and try to make sense of what's in front of me.
Abby's hair is pulled into a bun on top of her head, held back by a black headband with floppy rabbit ears attached to the top.
She's in a simple white tee, with a butter yellow cardigan draped over her shoulders, and a matching pair of linen pants.
In her arms, Erin kicks her fabric-covered feet gleefully, looking just as excited as her mom.
She's a fuzzy ball of dandelion yellow, in a onesie complete with a hood topped with bear ears and a red t-shirt that reads "Pooh" across the front.
"Oh my God."
"Isn't it perfect?"
"How did you get even cuter, pretty girl?" I gasp playfully, lifting Erin into the air. I'm rewarded with instant giggles, both from mom and baby.
"Isn't she darling?" Abby coos, tickling Erin's belly and turning her giggles into absolute shrieks of laughter.
"You both look amazing," I say, looking Abby up and down again. "I'm really digging the ears. It's a good look, you should consider keeping them."
"Keep that up," she says, her baby voice now laced with a sinister undertone, "And I'll change my mind about your gift."
"Gift?" I ask. "You got me a gift?"
"Well, I was considering it," she says, looking at me sternly. "But now I'm not sure you deserve it."
"I'm sorry, I take it back," I quip, bringing my hands together and pleading with her.
"Hmm," she hums, eyes narrowing. "You're lucky I'm so nice."
"The nicest, truly," I agree, schooling my expression into something solemn and contrite.
"Alright, let's show Jacky boy his costume," she says to Erin, scooping her out of my arms and making her way to the bedroom.
"Oh, God," I groan, shuffling in behind them. "Didn't the Minions costumes earn me at least one year off?"
"Actually they did," she sniffs indignantly, holding up a hanger. On it hangs a yellow short-sleeved polo with a pair of blue chino shorts draped over the shoulder.
"This is my costume?" I ask, not daring to believe my own eyes. "But it's just shorts and a shirt."
"Again I say, you're lucky I'm so nice," she says, pointing a finger in my face. "Ellie is Piglet, since she looks way better in pink than I do. Griffin is Tigger, and—"
"I thought David would be Tigger," I blurt. "Since he's so obnoxious."
"Don't be mean to Tigger, he's been through a lot," she scolds. "David is Eeyore. Because he's an ass."
I throw my head back in laughter, clapping my hands at her pure genius.
I can't wait to see his fucking face.
"And that makes you," she continues, shoving the hanger into my chest. "Christopher Robin. Just a regular boy, no elaborate costume for you this year. Happy Halloween."
"I love you," I sigh, taking the 'costume' in my hands. We both freeze, her gaze snapping to mine, wide-eyed. "For this," I stammer. "I love you for not making me wear overalls again. Thank you."
"Oh," she breathes, looking flustered. "Duh. Um, well, you're welcome, Jack Robbit."
For a moment, something I can't quite read flashes across her face. She almost looked…disappointed.
Wishful thinking. Knock it off.
"Let me throw this on real quick and then we can meet the others," I say hurriedly, darting into the hallway bathroom to change.
I hide in the bathroom (like a coward) until the ring of the doorbell announces the arrival of the rest of the Hundred Acre Wood.
The sight that greets me when I join the group in the entryway is so comical it's almost disorienting.
Ellie is in a pink horizontal-striped dress, wearing a pig snout made of construction paper that Erin is already grabbing for.
Griffin dons a violently orange jumpsuit covered in tiger stripes, with a striped tail that doesn't quite reach the ground hanging behind him.
"David, I like the commitment to the character," I say, clapping him on the shoulder as he files in behind Griffin. "The frown really sells it."
"I wanted to be Tigger," he grumbles, arms crossed in front of his chest.
"Aw, c'mon man, don't be a downer," I say. "Your tail is way better than Tigger's. And no one's better at being an ass than you."
"If my new best friend wasn't right there," he growls in a low voice, nodding his head in Erin's direction, "I'd show you exactly where you can shove this tail."
"No threats on baby's first Halloween, please," Abby says in a sing-song voice, tossing me the house keys and grabbing a candy bucket that she's crafted into a honeypot. "Let's go!"
"Where are we even going?" David whines. "She can't have candy yet." He pauses for a moment. "Can she?"
"No, my six month old cannot have candy," Abby says patiently, the way you'd explain to a small child that two and two makes four. "But her mom can, and her mom will."
“Geez, Jacky boy,” she whispers, hanging back while Griffin and David argue down the driveway before climbing into my jeep. “I didn’t know anyone could make a Christopher Robin costume look hot, but damn you’re wearing the hell out of that polo.”
My ears burn, and I’m grateful for the cover of dusk hiding how bright red I must be right now. I don’t know what the hell possessed her to say that, but I do know that I make it through the entire Rangers roster in my mind before calming down enough to move my hands from my lap.
Our first stop is the Wheeler house, where Abby's dad and brother are sat in matching rocking chairs dressed as Marty McFly and Doc Brown.
"Nate, I'm surprised you're not out with your friends," Abby says, face twisted in confusion. "Why are you here?"
"God forbid an uncle might want to see his baby niece on her first Halloween," he huffs, kissing both Erin and Abby on the cheek. "Besides, Halloween parties don't start at five thirty, old lady."
"This old lady could still snap you like a twig," she retorts, punching him in the shoulder. They begin talking over each other, bickering in the same way David does with his sisters before Mr. Wheeler cuts them off.
"Enough, you two," he says, stepping between them and hoisting Erin into his arms. "And how are you, little Pooh bear?"
At the Thompson house, Ellie, Andrea, and Abby huddle together around Erin, trying to get the perfect photo of her next to a jack-o'-lantern on the front steps.
Griffin and David wildly flail their arms, trying to get Erin to both smile and look at the camera.
I stand watching from a distance when Alan steps up beside me.
"How are you, Jack?" he asks, his voice low.
"I'm doing fine," I say with a shrug. "How are you and Andrea? How's the washer holding up?"
"Good, no problems since you came over to fix it," he says. "Thanks again for doing that."
"No trouble at all," I say, my eyes fixed on where Abby now poses with Erin, rubbing their noses together with a wide smile on her face.
"It's nice to see her so happy," he muses. "Are you still staying with them?"
An uncomfortable knot forms in my stomach. Is it weird that I am? Do they think I'm trying to take Aaron's place?
"Yeah, at least for now," I say, shifting my feet awkwardly.
"Good," he says, sounding relieved. "I'm glad someone is taking care of them. I know Aaron would be, too."
"I wish he were here, man," I admit, voice choking at the unexpected flood of emotion. "I love being there for them, but I just wish I didn't have to be, you know?"
"I know," he says, nodding slowly. "You and me both, kid. But they're lucky to have you. We all are."
I'm spared from having to figure out a way to respond to that when Abby calls me over for a group photo.
The four of us gather around Abby and Erin, squeezing in tight and smiling at the camera. Never in my life did I think I'd be huddled around a baby girl, one who's completely stolen my heart, with a group of thirty year olds dressed as Winnie the Pooh characters, but goddamn I'm grateful for it.
"Okay, I want one of just Jack and Erin," Abby says, shooing everyone off the porch and handing her over to me.
"Really?" I ask, "Why?"
"I need to document my Pooh bear and her Christopher Robin," she says exasperatedly, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "We need to remember this forever, I want to keep a whole Halloween scrapbook with our friends and our Jacky boy as she grows up."
"Don't talk about her growing up," Ellie says, voice breaking. "She's going to be our tiny ginger angel forever."
"Shut up before I cry," Abby counters, waving her away. "Okay, look over here baby girl! Can you smile for me?"
I give her a playful little jostle, and the sound of her little laughs fill the air like the sweetest song I've ever heard.
"I sure do love you, pretty girl," I murmur against her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You and your mama. And I always will."
"Oh, if that's not the sweetest thing I've ever seen in my life," Andrea gasps, looking over Abby's shoulder at the phone screen.
I hop off the porch, moving behind her so I can see for myself, and it nearly knocks me off my feet.
I didn't even notice it happening, but somewhere in the moment, Erin was locked in on my face, smiling up at me like I'm her favorite person in the world.
That's going to be my favorite picture of all time.
"Okay, you're not allowed to hold my baby anymore," Abby teases. "She's going to start liking you more than me."
"Never," I say, handing Erin back to Abby and tugging on one of her rabbit ears. "There's no competition there, trust me."
"Let's get one of the three of us," she says, pulling up the selfie camera and squishing Erin's face between ours as I lean down into frame.
She takes several in rapid succession, swiping through them to make sure there's one where we're all smiling with our eyes open.
She hits the favorite button on one that looks absolutely perfect, and my heart lurches at how much we look like a family—at how much we feel like a family.
Never mind. That's going to be my favorite picture. Forever.
After a few more stops, including Granny's, where she prepared an enormous Easter-style Halloween basket full of toys and books for Erin, we finally call it a night and head home.
Abby changes a drowsy Erin from her costume into pajamas covered with tiny pumpkins, and I give her a bottle while Abby gets ready for bed.
I rock her gently, entirely mesmerized by her sweet face, and her long eyelashes as they flutter shut. By the end of the night, she was completely tuckered out, dozing in the car on the way home.
"She looks so peaceful," Abby whispers from the doorway, the rabbit costume replaced by an oversized crewneck and boxer shorts. I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed at how beautiful she looks in absolutely everything she puts on.
"These are some of my favorite moments with her," she adds. "Just knowing that she feels safe and loved makes me feel like I could fly to the moon and back."
"She really is the most perfect girl there ever was," I agree, setting her gently in her crib and turning off the lamp, following Abby into the living room after closing the door gently behind me. "Although her mom can give her a run for her money."
She looks at me pensively, almost like I'm something she's studying.
"You've been doing that a lot lately," I say, unbuttoning the top button of my polo and kicking my shoes off before sitting on the couch.
"Doing what?" she asks, eyes still searching my face.
"Looking at me like you're trying to solve a puzzle," I say, folding my hands behind my head. "What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"
"Hmm," she hums absentmindedly. "I don't know yet. I think that's what I'm trying to figure out."
"There's not much to figure out here," I laugh. "I'm a simple man. An open book. Especially for you."
A small crease forms between her eyebrows, still looking at me without looking at me.
"Things like that," she mutters under her breath.
"What are you talking about?" I ask, growing more bewildered by the second.
"Oh never mind," she sighs. "It'll come to me eventually."
"Okay, weirdo," I scoff. "Tonight was fun," I add quietly. "Thanks for letting me be a normal boy. And for, you know, including me."
"In what world would we do Halloween without you?" she muses.
We.
"Don't get used to it," she adds with a smirk, sliding the rabbit ears off her head and shaking her curls loose. "This," she says, waving a hand at my outfit, "was a one time deal, Jack Robbit."
"Oh great," I mutter sarcastically. "And don't call me that."
She places her hands on my shoulders, stooping down to kiss me on the forehead before leaving the room.
"Not a chance," she calls from down the hall.
After changing into a t-shirt and flannel pants, I flop on the couch bed, staring up at the ceiling.
What in the hell was all of that about?
I don't know what she could possibly need to figure out when it comes to me. But I hope I don't have to wonder for too long.