Page 47 of Come Back To Me
“I do. I really do. They look like they were all chosen by a perfectionist.”
“You have no idea,” Glen groans, and I have to laugh at that.
“Don’t worry, Glen. I’m sure he’ll make it up to you later.”
“He better.” Glen stands, pulling Leo to him, and kisses him on the cheek.
“Get a room, eesh.”
They both laugh, gathering up the pumpkins, and as they’re checking out, I make a beeline for the pumpkin stuffies. A small object shines between the ones with purple and blue faces. I reach between them, sighing in relief when the keys are in my retracting hand. I laugh to myself, turning my head in every direction. I do this when we’re getting in line for the potato-sack sliding too, then again between eating turkey legs and picking out fudge.
I eat way too many things I have no business eating, and my stomach lets me have it later when it cramps while we’re getting back in the car. I resisted the urge to check underneath before climbing in, shoulders tucked behind me as Glen drives out of the parking lot. I check my phone when Leo plays the first song and look at it again as we’re pulling onto my street. No new messages.
“So, you’re still going to be Art the clown for the Halloween party, right?” Leo flits his gaze back to me.
“Do we really have to go? We barely know the guy,” Glen whines.
“We know him well enough to attend his party and drink all his alcohol,” Leo says, shoving a finger at his fiancé.
I let out a short laugh, resting my hand on the door as we reach the bumpy area of my road. “I know him. The guy’s my boss and I already told him I’d go. He let me take off all the time I needed and even told me not to rush. He’s being very supportive. The least I can do is show up to the party.”
“Yeah, see, and Riley needs us with him for support.”
Glen’s mouth twitches. “Oh yeah, because you’ll be offering lots of that while making him help me carry your drunk ass out after you dance yourself into a coma.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Leo pretends to flip the long hair he doesn’t have while scoffing.
Glen speeds up as he gets closer to my house, slowing down as he’s swerving into the driveway. He and Leo tease each other some more, taking turns tickling the other in the side. “I’m not going to be Ghostface, you hear me?” Glen remarks.
“We’ll see about that,” Leo replies and purses his lips.
“I think I’ll go inside now and let you two figure things out. I no longer think my presence is needed.”
Glen snorts. “Thanks for coming out with us today. Believe it or not, I think it would have taken a lot longer if you weren’t there. He never believes me when I say things are pretty.”
My stomach rumbles with laughter. “Oh, I believe it. You don’t need to convince me.”
Leo sticks his head between us, smacking his lips. “Aren’t you supposed to be getting out?”
More laughter spills from me and I shove the door open. “Yes, yes I am. See you two next weekend, unless Leo wants to show up and pay my way to eat again in effort to cheer me up.”
“Hey, you get the rest of the year to milk this, and that’s all I’m giving you.”
Glen looks between us, resting a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Hey, you didn’t even give me that long when my mom passed.”
“Yeah, well, I’m slowly changing for the better I guess.”
Glen and I both erupt in laughter. I step out of the car and lean down with my hand on the door. “Now that is one thing I don’t believe, but if you want to prove it, you can help me carry my pumpkins to the porch.”
Leo’s eyes roll and he stomps his feet forward. “Yeah, alright.” As he’s climbing out after me with the white pumpkin in hand, he shouts, “Until the end of the year, you hear me.”
“Uh-huh,” I say in a playful tone, and we set the pumpkins down at the same time.
“You going to carve them by yourself?” He steps back, shoving the top half of his fingers in his pocket.
“Yeah. I feel like I need to.” The lies come too easily now. “It might be therapeutic.”
“Okay, but I’m happy to bring over one of my fifty pumpkins if you decide it’s not.”
