Half-Halloween

"No. Not really. We've gotten to know each other after I took care of his kids when he was super sick. And his kids are great."

"What are your plans now?"

"Don't have any. Keep doing what I'm doing, I guess."

"Now that he knows, will you be able to talk with him about it some more?"

"Sure. I just hope he doesn't freak out and shut me down or something."

"From what you've said, I doubt he will. You've described a fairly nice man."

"Yeah. He's very nice."

The counseling session went on for another twenty minutes or so and in the end Sharon was feeling better about having told Red of her history. They agreed to another session in seven days.

-----

Her next contact from him was three days later when he called her with an invite over for dinner. Apparently the kids had been bugging him to invite her and when he mentioned this, she gladly accepted. She was surprisingly comfortable at dinner probably, she thought, due to the kids keeping her mind occupied. Red was pleasant and politely deferential in his conversations with her. After dinner and while the kids were getting ready for bed, she helped him in the kitchen washing a few dishes while he dried and put them up. She read to the kids a cute little story and once they were down, Red invited her to stay for a few minutes.

"Glass of wine?"

"Yeah, thanks. White if you have it."

"Here," he said as he gave her the glass and raised his in a wordless toast. "Uh, Sharon, uh, how have you been?"

"You know, Red, actually pretty good. Yeah, pretty good."

"Glad to hear it. I don't want to appear to be prying but I'll say it once and then I'll change the subject: Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help. Anything."

"Thank you, Red. That means a lot. Really, it does. Right now, I'm OK."

"Good. Say, the kids wanted me to ask you if you'd go with us on a picnic. I know it can still be cool this time of the year but how does a trip to Wilson Meadows sound? I hear the flowers are beautiful this year."

"Yeah, I'd like that? Saturday?"

"Sure. How about we pick you up around ten? We'll bring food and drinks and you bring yourself. OK?"

"Great. Looking forward to it."

"I don't know if you are aware but I'm a bit of a camera nut. I haven't had much time to shoot pics in the past few years but maybe I'll try to get some nice flower shots."

"Do you have any old photos to show me?"

Red pulled out a couple of albums from under the coffee table and sat close to her showing photos he'd taken in the past. She marveled at them and complimented him on his skills. Several pictures of his kids when they were younger were particularly attractive. One of Bree with her blown hair backlit by the sun was stunningly beautiful. Another of Bobby on a swing at maximum height and with a huge grin on his face oozed boyhood joy. After looking at the photos and complimenting him, she encouraged him to bring his equipment and promised to spend time with the kids so he could pursue his hobby.

-----

The Saturday was perfect. There were scattered clouds and a warm breeze, perfect for photography and picnicking. At the meadows the four walked the paths through the fields while the adults made sure the kids didn't trample through the wildflowers. After lunch Sharon took the kids to the playground while Red wandered around working with his camera. On the way home he seemed pleased with his work and promised to show the best to her. While the kids played in their rooms, Red and Sharon sat on the couch while he scrolled through his photos from the day. Because the photos were quite small on the camera screen, they sat close rubbing elbows. She even tipped her head over and let it rest on his arm while realizing it felt so good being close to another person.

Once he ran through all the photos, he laid the camera down and reached his arm around her. They sat there silently enjoying the closeness while listening to the kids giggle and talk in the other room. Sharon sighed softly at one point to which Red murmured, "OK?"

"Yeah. Nice just sitting here."

"Umm-hmm. Agree."

For more than fifteen minutes they sat there silently, all the while with Sharon's mind racing from one thing to the next. Eventually, she began to talk softly. "You know, I never thanked you for your help that night."

"Mmm?"

"When I told you about me. You were so supportive and I really, really appreciated it."

"I didn't do that much, you know..."

"You did, too! You listened, you didn't judge or get angry or do the pity number. And it was nice to have someone listen. And I felt totally comfortable telling you, once I got past the initial shock of you seeing the photo."

"I still feel guilty about picking it up."

"Don't! It's OK. I was shocked but not angry. I was afraid, too, afraid you'd freak out and take off and I'd lose the only friends I have."

"You're not going to get rid of us that easy," he teased. "The kids are crazy about you, you know."

"Yeah, and I have to admit, I'm kinda crazy about them. You've got two good ones, know that?"

"Umm-hmm."

They lapsed into silence a few minutes before Bree and Bobby tore into the living room. The two looked at the adults a few seconds before Bree called out, "Daddy, why do you have your arm around Sharon?"

"Oh, we were looking at pictures and it was easier to see them when we were close. That's all."

"Do you like her, Daddy?"

"Of course, I do."

"Are you going to marry her?"

He gave an exasperated sigh and responded, "Look, we are friends. OK? And friends sometimes hug each other or put their arms around each other. It doesn't mean we're getting married."

"Kids, your dad was just being nice to me. OK?"

"Aw-wright," answered Bobby as the two left the room. A few minutes later, Red chuckled.

"Think about it. If an arm around a shoulder means you're going to get married, think what a kiss would mean."

"Don't go getting your hopes up," she laughed, "I'm not available."

"Oh, I know, I know. I was just talking in general terms."

Later after the kids were asleep, he volunteered to quickly walk her home. At her porch he mentioned he needed to scoot because the kids had been left alone. He went to give her a quick hug but she held onto him, enjoying the closeness for a few seconds longer.

-----

She and Red continued to go out to dinner weekly over the next month. Red remained 'the perfect gentleman' and didn't try to get physical with her besides offering her hugs at the end of their evenings. She was the one who held him tight with his hugs and seemingly not wanting to let him go.

The kids came to visit her several times as well. She was always challenging and teaching them with her routine interactions. She was struck at how bright Bobby was although he still had some issues with a mild speech impediment. Bree was clearly a smart cookie, too. On one visit they invited her over to their place.

"Does your daddy know you're inviting me?"

"No."

"If you're going to invite someone, you should always clear it with your daddy first. Maybe he has plans or maybe he won't be there or something."

"So, if we ask him and he says 'yes,' then we could ask you?" asked Bree.

"Yup."

"Can I call him?"

"Ahh, let's not right now. I know he's working on his photography so you can ask him when you get home."

They did just that. Barely inside the door, Bree ran to her dad and asked if they could invite Sharon over. Red agreed and plans were made for a bar-b-q the following Saturday.

-----

Saturday turned out to be a lovely, warm day. She arrived around five pm to the smells of broiling meat and to the sounds of excited kids. While Red finished the meat, she helped in the kitchen while insisting the kids set the table. Once everyone had eaten, she helped with the clean-up while the kids cleared the table.

"Who wants me to read something from my new book?"

"I do. I do!" they both shouted with glee. It was a surprisingly serious book which told the story about a grandfather dying and how the three little girls in the story came to accept the loss of their grandfather. Although she wasn't a particularly religious woman herself, Sharon went with the idea of the grandfather being in heaven and watching down on the girls, something she hoped would be comforting to all the readers of the story.

Bobby and Bree seemed OK with the idea of the grandfather's death particularly since their own grandfathers were never in their lives, one having died before they were born. As she sat between them, all three talked and chatted about the book. She was pleased with their response and was pleased her private review group liked the story. She planned on submitting it to the publisher soon.

After a pause in the conversation, Bree spoke up. "Sharon?"

"Yeah, Hon."

"On Halloween when we were coming back here to get Daddy, you said something."

"Oh? What was that?"

"You said you were a mommy. If you're a mommy, where are your babies?"

"Well, uh, it's kinda sad."

"Why?"

"Well, you see, I had two babies and they're, uh, they're with that granddaddy in the book. In heaven."

"They're dead?"

"Say, Kids, maybe we should not ask Sharon so many questions," jumped in Red.

"No, it's OK, Red. Honestly. Bobby, Bree, my babies died a long time ago."

"Are you sad?"

"Yes, it still makes me very sad," she answered with a catch in her throat.

"What happened?" "What were their names?" "How old were they?" The questions came flying at her, almost overwhelming her. She took in a deep breath, steadied her voice and responded.

"My boy was called Caleb. He was three. And my little girl was very, very little and I called her Sweetie."

"But what happened to them?" asked an insistent Bree.

"Bree, it still makes me sad to talk about them, so, please, no more questions for now."

"Yeah, you two, enough questions for Sharon. Say, it's getting late and I think bedtime is near. If you get your PJs on, I'll let you have some ice cream. OK?"

Those were the magic words. They jumped up and tore into their rooms and presented less than five minutes later dressed for bed and demanding ice cream. Once they finished eating, Red took Bobby and Sharon took Bree in for tooth brushing.

"Sharon, will you stay with me while I say my prayers?" asked Bree. Once Sharon had turned out the light, Bree knelt next to the bed and whispered, "God, thank you for this good day and please take care of Caleb and Sweetie. Amen"

Sharon sat there stunned, tears in her eyes. Little Bree was so sweet to pray about the two little ones who had been taken from Sharon. She leaned over and gave Bree a warm hug while whispering, "Thank you for thinking about them, Bree. You are a sweetheart. Good night."

As she left the room, she ran into Red who had helped Bobby get into bed. She wiped a tear which had made its way down her cheek.

"You OK?"

"Yeah. Your daughter, your daughter is something special. She prayed for my two, asked God to take care of them. Isn't that sweet?"

"Yeah, good kid. You sure you're OK, though?"

"Uh-huh. I am. Don't get me wrong, I miss my kids, desperately miss them, and I always will. I'm just so touched at Bree's, uh, at what she did."

After they went into the living room, she grabbed Red's hand and pulled him down next to her on the sofa. "Here. I need a cuddle," she whispered as she snuggled up to him. He wrapped his arms around her and they sat there quietly while Sharon's mind raced from topic to topic. Sharon thought about him, his kids and their relationship. Red was a perfectly nice guy and had the circumstances been different, she'd already have gone after him. But as she sat there enjoying his arms, she began to wonder if maybe, just maybe, she could be developing feelings for him. At one point she'd never thought she could be close to another person, particularly another man again, but now...now her mind was wavering. She figured he was probably developing feelings for her and contemplated what a relationship with him might be like. She wondered if she could come to love the kids like she had loved her own. But mostly she wondered if she was truly ready to move on.

-----

It was in late April when Sharon had an idea. The kids, particularly Bobby, missed out on their Halloween and they still talked about it from time to time. She got to wondering if it might be possible to celebrate Halloween half way through the year. The more she thought about it, the more she liked it. She called Red at work and presented him with her idea and he approved. With his blessing, she purchased a couple of bags of wrapped candies and visited most of the houses up and down their block.

On April twenty-ninth, she dropped by and spent some time with the kids. After reading to them yet again about Hector the Hawk's Halloween, she closed the book and asked, "Do you know what tomorrow is?"

"No." "Uh-uh."

"It's Half-Halloween."

"Half-Halloween? What's that?"

"It's the day of the year halfway between the last and the next Halloween."

"So?"

"So, you get to dress up and go door to door and call out 'Treat or Trick'!"

"It's 'Trick or Treat'," insisted Bree.

"Not on Half-Halloween. On Half-Halloween it's 'Treat or Trick.' Since it's in the spring and not in the fall, everything is backwards."

"You're crazy," shouted Bobby.

"You don't believe me? Go and ask your dad. He'll tell you!"

They ran off and when the well-coached father heard their questions, he answered them perfectly. Once they returned, Sharon asked if they wanted to celebrate the 'new' holiday. They were, of course, excited. She was able to get them to wear their same outfits from the previous Halloween and promised to take them around the neighborhood the following night.

On the thirtieth the kids were beyond excited. Once dusk hit, she went to their house and offered to walk them around the neighborhood. She escorted them to each of the houses where she had dropped off candy and the kids rang the bells calling out 'Treat or Trick!' The neighbors played along nicely, oohed and aahed at the costumes and handed out the candy. The kids were on cloud nine and when they returned home, they each had a small pile of candy. They sorted things out, traded a few pieces with each other and had two pieces before bedtime. Once they had brushed their teeth, they came to Sharon and thanked her for letting them celebrate Half-Halloween. Bobby was taken to bed by his father and Bree pulled Sharon into the bedroom.

Before she was tucked in, Bree turned to her and asked, "Sharon, is there really a Half-Halloween?"

With a small smile, Sharon answered, "Of course there is. If there wasn't, why did all those people have candy?"

"I think you made it happen."

"If you believe it, then it's real. I know Bobby believes it and it's real for him. So, upsy-daisy, get in bed. I want you to dream of wonderful Half-Halloween costumes for next year. OK?"

"OK, Sharon. Good night," she giggled.

Back in the living room Red and she sat while talking quietly. "That was a great idea. Thanks. It might help Bobby relax about not having a good Halloween last fall."

"Hey, it was fun. Your kids were so cute. Bree wasn't sure it was real until Mrs. Dobbs handed her a couple of candy bars. After that, I think they were both excited though she did accuse me of making it up just now."

"Well, come October they'll be in the swing of real Halloween and probably will forget by next spring."

"Don't count on it," she chuckled as she sat next to him and reached around for a big hug. The hug felt wonderful. As usual, it was comforting and reassuring but for the first time, the hug stirred something deep in her brain. She felt herself getting a tiny bit warm and aroused. It had been so long since she had any sense of arousal she almost didn't recognize it at first but there it was: a tingling in her breasts and a slight fullness in her pelvis followed by a sensation of moisture. Her mind raced. Could this really be happening? After all this time, could she be ready to put her pain and trauma behind? In order to answer the question, she knew she needed to try something. Turning her head up to Red's, she raised her lips slowly to his.

"You sure?" he whispered.

"Umm-hmm." Their lips slowly approached each other's until they were mere millimeters apart. Red stopped for a few seconds allowing Sharon one last opportunity to stop. Instead, she moved her head the last bit until her lips met his. The first kiss was soft and tentative. On the second one, their lips softened as she slowly explored his before she let her tongue gently come into play. Red let her lead the way and allowed his mouth to open and welcome her tongue, while avoiding thrusting his into her mouth. It felt sooo good to her. She couldn't believe how good it felt to simply kiss another's lips.

After several minutes of slow, gentle kissing she broke away and stared him in the eye. She found herself smiling slightly before she spoke, "Mr. Jones, I do believe your lips are the nicest thing I've tasted in a long, long time."

"My sentiments exactly."

"I honestly never thought I'd find myself in this position again."

"And you're happy with that position?"

"God, yes! How about we try that some more?"

For the next half hour they explored, tasted and teased until she came up for air, clinging to him. "I'm liking this. You?"

"Absolutely. And you're OK with it?"

"Yeah, I am. You know, Red, or maybe you don't, but you're one sexy guy."

"Oh, no I'm not."

"Too! And you can't tell me what sexy is. I know what sexy is and you're sexy. So, get used to it," she giggled.

Her mind was racing a hundred miles an hour after they began to kiss again. She was loving the sensations of warmth, protection, safety along with plain and simple excitement. She had thought she'd never have those feelings again and here she was having them while being held in his arms. At one point she shivered slightly only to hear him ask if she was cold.

"Uh-uh. I sometimes shiver when I'm feeling good."

"Glad you feel that way." He held her quietly for another few minutes until she started to break away.

"Red, I should get going."

"Yeah, I figured as much. Let me run you down there, OK?"

"You don't need to, it's only a short distance."

"Nope, I'll escort the lady to her door, I insist."

At her door they came together again with a warm hug and a long, loving kiss.

"Good night, Red. And thank you."

"For...?"

"Being patient with me."

"Sharon, I've become quite fond of you and I have all the time in the world. But I have to confess, I'd like to do this again soon. I'll call you for a dinner date. OK?"

"Yes. And I accept."

As she got ready for bed, Sharon kept thinking about Red. He was decent looking, kind of shy, extraordinarily polite, devoted to his kids and, as she just found out, a great kisser. Though he could never be a model for a romance book cover, he was attractive, both physically and emotionally. She shed her clothes in the bathroom and as she went to put on her PJs, her image in the mirror caught her eye. She turned to the mirror and looked at herself.

She saw a mature brunette woman of average height. She had a few pounds more than desired but she thought her figure was still good. Her breasts were no longer firm and perky but they still held a reasonably good shape, even when she turned to look at them from the side. Her ass and hips were slightly bigger than she wanted but also still held a decent shape. And there across her low belly was the scar, the visible reminder of her trauma and of Sweetie. It was no longer red and angry and had already started to fade to a paler color. Surprisingly, it didn't cause her sudden heartbreak and tears. She looked at the scar with a sense of pride she was overcoming the trauma, both physically and now emotionally.