Chapter 12 #2
Was I prepared for this? Not a snowball’s chance in hell, but for my boy, I’d manage.
“Alright, let Daddy take a couple of pictures first then we can leave.” I’d never seen Sage strike a pose so fast in my life.
First with his basket, then with his nunchucks, doing his best to appear formidable.
Didn’t have the heart to tell him he was the cutest damn turtle. “Let’s go, Mikey, time to fight crime!”
“Argh!” He swung his nunchucks and leapt out the open door.
Boy, you’d have thought Sage inhaled a vat of sugar with as crazed as he was. A group of equally hyper Littles awaited us at the entrance to the event. A lion, Dempsey’s fairy self, a train conductor, a traditional witch, and so many more. The beekeeper was an adorable surprise, so creative.
While the Bigs stayed behind, the group loaded onto the trailer for the hayride, returning to us just as wound up as they’d left.
Next they decided to try their hands at carving.
We huddled behind the costumed troop, keeping a safe distance yet still in reach for any potential mishaps.
Hay bales surrounded a table to park their tushes on while they carved or painted their own pumpkins.
“Daddy, I’m gonna paint mine instead,” Dempsey told Burke.
Thankfully the coordinators had the forethought to include aprons for each participant. Otherwise, their costumes would be a mess. Tears weren’t on tonight’s bingo card for this Daddy.
“Alright, carvers, are you ready to begin?”
“Yes!” the team replied in stereo.
“Ready, set, go!”
At the coordinators’ words, they each began.
Knowing Sage hadn’t ever carved a pumpkin before, I stood nearby for any questions he may have and to provide guidance if need be.
I wouldn’t step in unless he asked, or there was a chance he’d cut himself, though the most he’d get with the carving tools they’d given them would only be a small nick.
The Bigs snapped away, capturing the moment in photos and video.
I know I had a ton already and this was only their first task.
Our home was in dire need of personalization, and I couldn’t think of a better way than with framed pictures of Sage.
Friends, family and everything we enjoyed would soon brighten our walls.
I wasn’t seeing the turtle Sage was going for, but he was having a great time carving whatever it turned out to be. His tongue poked out as he worked, concentrating with all his might. I’d be sure to send these photos and videos to my parents and Devon. They would get a kick out of this.
“Look, Daddy,” Sage said, “my first pumpkin carving.”
“I’m so proud of you. It looks wonderful.
Smile at Daddy so I can get a picture of you beside it.
” He crouched low so his head was level with his art.
“Perfect.” I didn’t dare ask what it was meant to be, and as I glanced around, most were indecipherable, but all were having the best time and that’s what mattered most.
“Alright, put your name on the paper beneath your pumpkin.” Georgie took in the mess before her.
“If you can and collect them later. Bigs, if you can help them out of the aprons and wipe your Littles down. Just leave the aprons on the hay bales, please. Thinking back, we probably should’ve started with the costume parade. ”
Hindsight and all of that. Right now, I was a proud Daddy of a boy who only required a hand washing at the portable station they’d set up nearby. Now that was pure genius, though a couple of the Littles were due for a bath.
“Line up.” Whoever was manning the Bluetooth queued up the Monster Mash. “Littles, follow me.” Around the main building they marched, waving to those watching. What a happy group they were, proudly showing off their costumes. This video would be fun for Sage to watch later.
“Littles, this way.” Down the hall they followed her into the basement. Spooky toons piped through the halls and into the event room.
“Whoa,” several of them uttered.
The planners did a fantastic job with decorating.
There were tables of treats and juice boxes, an area for bobbing for apples and a few other games I wasn’t familiar with.
Streamers hung from the ceilings with fake spiders and witches.
The prizes were Halloween themed, everything from plastic spider rings to miniature spooky stuffies.
The candy though…
Fear and the sudden urge to order one of those human harnesses with a leash hit me as I watched Sage fill his trick-or-treat bucket to the rim. In fact, they all were, and the Bigs faces showed they shared my same concern.
Sage unwrapped one, stuck it in his mouth, then skipped toward me. “Daddy, can you hold my bucket please. I don’t want to eat too much and get a tummy ache.”
“Little butterfly, you have no idea how happy you just made your Daddy.” He tilted his head like a pup and the vision of him in a boxer mask, chasing a ball, hit me full on. Maybe my hybrid Little-Middle had a bit of a pup in him too. How fun would that be?
“Kisses, Daddy,” he puckered up and I happily obliged.
“Sage?” Dempsey hollered. “Hurry up, the game is ready.” With a quick wave, my boy rejoined his friends.
“They’re really coming into their own, aren’t they?” Burke said, taking the seat beside me. “I’m so happy that Dempsey has settled in at the Ranch as well as he has.”
“Same. It’s a joy to watch them.” I was near tears, as filled with happiness as I was. All smiles, Sage hadn’t frowned in forever.
Forever.
Whenever I saw Sage, I saw my forever.
What a fool I’d been to think for even a second I could’ve fought the attraction. And if I was being honest, that fight lasted a fraction of that.
“Daddy, look at the mummy stuffie I won. I got the apple on the first try.”
“That explains the area of your face that’s no longer green.” His eyes widened and I hoped like hell that didn’t trigger tears.
He hummed and shrugged. “Oh well, I’m gonna try and win a scary vampire. Ooooooo!”
I think that was meant to sound like a ghost, not quite sure, but either way it was cute. Spirit fingers wiggled in the air as he danced away.
A quick glance down the line of Bigs verified we were all in the same predicament—arms laden with prizes and candy-filled buckets.
Had a feeling that the infirmary was gonna be a busy place tomorrow.
Thankfully, we had the day off with no plans.
Soup and grilled cheese followed by a midday nap would be about it for us.
Yup, lazy pajama day for this Daddy and his boy.
Finally, the planners called it a night. The Littles were barely hanging on, half asleep as they said goodbye and thanked the team for a wonderful night. It was a challenge keeping Sage awake enough to shower and get all the green off him.
“I love you, sweet boy,” I whispered.
“Love, Daddy,” my half-asleep boy mumbled.