Tangled Hearts.

~Chapter 71~

~October 16th 2024~

~Emily~

I woke up to the sound of Aspen's soft cooing through the baby monitor. Colby was already stirring beside me, and we both knew it was time to start the day. Today was special; it was the day we were going to transform our house into the ultimate Halloween haven. I nudged Colby, and he groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"Time to get up," I whispered, smiling.

We both got out of bed and headed to Aspen's nursery. As soon as I picked her up, she gave me the biggest smile, her tiny hands reaching for my face. Colby leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"Good morning, princess," he said softly.

With Apens in my arms, we made our way to Blake's room. He was still fast asleep, his superhero pajamas twisted around him. Colby gently shook him awake.

"Hey, buddy, it's time to get up. We've got a big day ahead of us," Colby said.

Blake's eyes fluttered open, and he grinned. "Are we decorating for Halloween today?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes, we are!" I replied, ruffling his hair. "Let's get some breakfast first and then we'll get started."

After a quick breakfast, we all headed to the garage. The rest of the crew was already there: Sam, Jake, Corey, Katrina, Devyn, Tara, and Isa. Everyone looked eager to dive into the boxes of decorations.

"Alright, let's see what we've got," Colby said, opening the first box. "This is going to be a big job, but I know we can do it."

We spent the next few hours dragging all the Halloween decorations out of the garage. The front yard was our first project. We had a 12-foot skeleton that needed assembling, spiderwebs to stretch across the bushes, and orange, purple, and white lights to wrap around the trees. Sam and Jake took charge of the skeleton, while Corey and Katrina tackled the spiderwebs.

"Careful with those lights," I called out to Devyn and Tara, who were untangling the strings of lights. "We don't want them to get all knotted up."

"Got it, Emily!" Tara replied, giving me a thumbs up.

Blake was busy helping Isa hang spooky eyeball monster sets in the trees. He was having the time of his life, and it was heartwarming to see him so excited.

"Mom, look! This one has glowing eyes!" Blake exclaimed, holding up one of the monster sets.

"That's awesome, Blake! Let's find a good spot for it," I said, helping him secure it to a branch.

As the morning turned into afternoon, we took a break for some Chipotle and Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes. It was the perfect fuel to keep us going. Brynlee was happily munching on some baby snacks, her eyes wide with curiosity as she watched everyone work.

"Alright, let's move inside," Colby said, clapping his hands together. "We've got a lot to do in there too."

The living room was our next project. We filled it with ghost pillows and fluffy pumpkins on the couch, black candelabras, and black trees. The kitchen was decorated with fall leaves, ceramic ghosts, ceramic pumpkins, and black pillows for the barstools. The dining room had a black and white table runner with ghosts, lights, and black candles for the chandelier. The entryway was adorned with a ghost rug, bats on the wall, and a spooky mirror.

"Wow, this looks amazing," Devyn said, stepping back to admire our work in the living room. "I can't believe how much we've done."

"It's all coming together," Colby agreed, wrapping an arm around me. "This Halloween is going to be phenomenal."

By the time evening rolled around, we were all exhausted but incredibly proud of our work. We stood in the entryway, taking in the sight of our beautifully decorated home.

"We did it," I said, smiling at everyone. "This Halloween is going to be phenomenal."

"Absolutely," Sam agreed. "We've outdone ourselves."

That night, we all gathered in the living room, dressed in our fall pajamas. The kids were playing with some of the decorations, and the adults were sipping on hot cocoa, enjoying the cozy atmosphere we had created.

"Here's to a fantastic Halloween," Colby said, raising his mug.

"To Halloween!" we all echoed, clinking our mugs together.

As I looked around at my friends and family, I felt a deep sense of contentment. Decorating the house had been a lot of work, but it was worth it. We had created a magical Halloween wonderland, and I couldn't wait to share it with everyone who visited.

"Next year, we'll have to start even earlier," I said with a laugh.

"Agreed," Corey said, grinning. "But for now, let's just enjoy what we've accomplished."