Solitude || Evan Buckley [1]

chapter twenty six

halloween spirit

Music played throughout the Grant-Nash residence where Athena sang along to her four-month-old granddaughter lying on the play mat gawking between the squishable animals hovering and her grandmother. She had awakened from her nap to which Athena couldn't be more elated to entertain the baby. Having a baby in the house reminded the little moments she's missed.

Outside at the patio, Sasha and May were decorating for tomorrow night. May asked if she could host a small party for a couple of friends to watch horror movies in the spirit of Halloween. She had outgrown the phase of trick or treating unlike Harry who'll be out with his friends and father chaperoning. With Athena and Bobby working a shift, the idea came to light which spared no guilt for Athena to leave her teenage daughter alone at the house.

The duo had finished pinning up the Halloween banner. Carefully descending the steps of the ladder, Sasha offered a hand for her younger cousin to grasp on the way. "So, the friends that you're inviting tomorrow night. Does one of them happen to be Darius?" She casually teased, moving to the table.

At the mention of the teenage boy, May took a glimpse back to her mother inside too occupied with the baby then reverted to her older cousin. "Maybe..." She trailed off, cheeks turning red. "He wants to take me out on a date soon."

"Does that mean I'll get to meet him soon?" Sasha found it adorable seeing the young girl flustered about a boy. This isn't the first crush she's been confided about yet a potential first boyfriend. Ever since May was born, the two bonded as if they were sisters. May found it easy to confide in Sasha about boys instead of Athena likely do a background check and quite intimidating on the topic.

Placing a gothic candelabra on the table alongside the other decorations, May nodded with a mortified look on her face. "If I have to introduce him to my parents then yes. I need someone on my side and to mediate the conversation. You know how mom can be."

"As long as he doesn't have a record or gets you knock up. I'm sure your mom will like him...on a surface level." Sasha humored, working on the other table.

They returned inside the house tearing the bags of candy to pour in the colored bowls. Meanwhile, Athena swayed around with Monet in her arms to the music. Monet's eyes wandered from the lights to the room with curiosity.

"What are you going to do for Halloween?" May questioned.

"Usually, I go out with Josh and Yas to see how many parties we can attend before midnight. Obviously, things have changed for me since last year." Sasha nodded her head back to Monet being serenaded by her grandmother. She loves Halloween. Getting the opportunity to dress up in costume and venture out into the city with friends. The stories that she and Yasmin have when they were teenagers about sneaking into the biggest parties.

With the addition of Josh and better connections, the trio bounced from party to party throughout the night. Sure, she would miss it, but she couldn't wait to dress up Monet for her first Halloween despite having no memory of it in the future.