“So very you, though. You always kept me on my toes.” Kacey grew the slightest bit more serious, but one side of her lips remained curved into a half-smile. “That was one of the best nights of my life.”
“Glad to see all it takes is a little hand action under a blanket to make you so happy.”
“Although that was great, it wasn’t because of that. Maybe it’s because it was one of the last nights we spent together, but I’ve always remembered it as one of the last times I felt light and free.”
I understood that feeling completely. Ever since losing Kacey, it felt like the weight of the world somehow became heavier, like we were two people splitting the load, and once she was gone, I had to learn how to do it alone. It seemed I still hadn’t mastered that one. Before I could respond, the Ferris wheel came to a stop and the man working it let us off. Bo and Bailey were waiting by the exit, taking the last few bites of their cotton candy.
A small smirk played on Bo’s lips as he looked between Kacey and me. “What’s with the blush? Do I want to know what happened on the Ferris wheel?”
I put an arm around his shoulder and pulled him tight, acting like I was about to whisper into his ear. When he giggled like a middle school girl about to hear about her friend’s first kiss, I playfully pushed him away. “What happens on the Ferris wheel stays on the Ferris wheel, dude.”
Kacey and I burst into a fit of laughter just as we had ten years earlier. Bo and Bailey exchanged a look, then Bailey rolled her eyes at us. “You two are incorrigible.”
“Another word of the day?” I asked as I continued to laugh.
Bailey shook her head. “Nope. Bo taught me it. He was right, though. You really are.”
***
After the carnival, things became easier with Kacey. It felt the way it did at the beginning of our freshman year when I was just getting to know her. Only this time, Kacey wasn’t holding back and showing me just the pieces she thought I would want to see. I was slowly learning about every part of her, even the past she wanted to leave behind. Granted, we didn’t have nearly as much time as adults as we did as college students so most of our conversations took place over text message or in the driveway when we happened to be coming or going at the same time.
The text messages were becoming more consistent. Kacey would talk about some geeky technical thing that I didn’t understand and send me pictures of Bailey. I talked about my clients and the latest ridiculous thing Bo did.
On the morning of Halloween, I walked out of my front door at the same time Bailey and Kacey emerged from theirs. Bailey skipped over to me, her ever-present smile plastered to her face. “Kari! It’s Halloween!” She struck a pose in the Batwoman costume she was wearing. “Like my costume?”
“I love it! It’s a nice change from all of the princesses I’m sure I’ll see parading the neighborhood tonight.”
Bailey scrunched up her nose like she was disgusted. “I don’t dress up as princesses. I don’t need someone to save me. I do the saving.”
I pointed toward Bailey as I smiled over at Kacey. “Very smart little girl you have here.”
The smile on Kacey’s face warmed me from the inside out. “What can I say? She takes after her mom.”
I found myself lost in Kacey’s eyes that were staring right back into mine. The darkness in them seemed to shimmer against the morning sunlight. The moment was interrupted when I felt a tug on my coat. “Do you want to go trick or treating with us tonight?” Bailey asked.
“That depends if it’s okay with your mom.” I looked back at Kacey who nodded her head, but gave me a look that said I didn’t have to if I had something better to do. “I can’t turn down Batwoman. I’m in.”
Bailey did a little hop and threw her fist in the air. When she landed, her face became serious again. “Meet us out here at five o’clock sharp. That’s when trick or treating starts, and I want to get the best candy. If you have any type of superhero outfit, wear it.” She looked down at the watch she was wearing on her wrist. “Well, we have to go. Can’t be late on Parade Day. See you at five.”
Before I could respond, she was skipping back to the car. Once she was inside, Kacey turned to me. “You really don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”
I gave her a reassuring smile. “I haven’t been trick or treating in years. It sounds fun.”
“All right, then I’ll see you at five sharp.” Kacey pointed a finger at me in mock lecture.
I watched as she climbed into the car and backed out of the driveway. Once I was inside my car, I smiled at myself in the rearview mirror and sighed contently. I felt happy in a way I hadn’t felt in a very long time.
***
Just before five o’clock, I headed outside wearing a rainbow cape I had worn to a Pride parade a few years earlier. When Bailey saw me, her eyes went wide. “You wore a cape! That’s so much cooler than my mom’s costume.”
I let my eyes linger over Kacey’s outfit. She was wearing black skinny jeans that hugged her body perfectly and a Wonder Woman sweatshirt. When our eyes met, her lips curled into a smile, and I allowed myself a moment to soak it in. “Your mom looks great.” The words slipped from my tongue before I could overthink them, but I wouldn’t have taken them back if I could. Kacey really did look great. She always did, but there was something about her relaxed demeanor that made her look even better.
“Can you guys stop staring at each other so we can trick or treat?”
I forced my eyes away from Kacey and glanced down at the ground before looking back at Bailey. “You’re right. Let’s do this. Time to save the world one candy bar at a time.”
Bailey quickly made her way from house to house, joining in with some other kids when we were about halfway through the neighborhood. I watched as she pretended to fly and laughed along with her friends and felt a strange sense of pride even though she wasn’t mine. I always thought I would have kids at this point in my life, and being around Bailey gave me a sense of longing to be a mom.
Kacey bumped her shoulder up against mine. “You’ve been awfully quiet tonight. Are you okay?”
Her sincere concern and acute sense of awareness brought a smile to my face. “I’m fine. I’m great actually. This, is really nice.” Our arms bumped as we walked close beside each other and the sameness in that simple touch made me feel right at home.
Kacey looked up at the night sky, a wide grin adorning her face. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as if she were taking it all in. “It is. I wasn’t sure how it would be for Bailey. You know, uprooting life as she knows it and moving her to an unfamiliar area, but she’s doing great. She’s always been happy, but this is the happiest I’ve ever seen her. I think this is the fresh start we both needed.”
“You don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to, but what made you decide to move here?”
Kacey stopped walking and turned to face me completely, her expression becoming more serious. “You can ask me anything, Kari. I want us to get to know each other the right way this time. I don’t want to hold anything back.” She moved a strand of hair behind her ear before letting her hand drop back down to her side. “My grandma died in January, so there wasn’t really anything keeping us there anymore.”