Halloween Treats

by Sandra R Neeley

  “Exactly my thoughts. If there is no other option, then we’ll take her, and love her well. She’ll be just the same as Barron in our hearts. But…” she said pausing.

  “But…” he encouraged, waiting for her to finish.

  “There is another option,” Delilah said. “It will give this baby a loving family, and this family another baby, and I will be fulfilling Angelle’s wish, and still be able to know the child as she grows up.”

  Kaid’s brows came down over his eyes as he thought about her words, then he realized what she meant. “Avaleigh and Daniel,” he said with a sudden smile.

  “Exactly. Do you think they’d be interested in another child?” Delilah asked.

  “Only one way to know,” Kaid said.

  “Call Daniel, get him to come home,” Delilah said.

  Twenty minutes later Daniel was bringing his bike to a stop in front of the house. He walked up onto the porch and straight into the house. “Kaid?!” he called out.

  “In here,” Kaid answered.

  Daniel walked into the kitchen to find Kaid and Delilah both grinning at him. “What? You swore nothing’s wrong, and from those grins I believe you. So why’d you want me to come home?”

  “Wait just one minute,” Delilah said, putting her phone to her ear. She waited while the phone rang, then spoke. “Avaleigh? Can you come over for a few minutes? Thank you,” she said, ending the call and laying her phone on the table.

  Avaleigh jogged across the distance between her home and Kaid’s. She went up on the back porch and opened the door, then opened the back kitchen door to the right, rather than the door to the left which led to Jobe’s bedroom. She walked into the kitchen and smiled. “I thought that was your bike I heard. What’s going on?” she asked, moving to stand beside Daniel and look questioningly at Kaid and Delilah.

  “Please sit with us. I have a proposal for you,” Delilah said.

  “Okaaay,” Avaleigh said, looking at Daniel and sharing a what-is-going-on look before they took a seat beside each other a few seats down from Delilah and Kaid.

  “I became friends with a woman in the hospital last week. She passed away very early this morning. She left me a precious gift that I think would better suit you, than me. If you don’t agree, there is no pressure at all, and other arrangements have already been discussed. But, you two came to mind the moment I was over the shock of losing my friend,” Delilah explained, holding out the documents for Daniel to accept.

  “I’m sorry you lost a friend, Delilah,” Avaleigh said, while watching Daniel unfold the papers.

  “Thank you, Avaleigh,” Delilah said.

  Delilah and Kaid watched closely as Daniel and Avaleigh read the words on the pages they held. Their faces went from curious to afraid to hope, and finally joyous as they looked up at each other then at Delilah and Kaid.

  “She’s ours?” Daniel asked, just to be sure.

  “If you want her — yes.”

  “Yes!” they both practically shouted at the same time.

  “We want her,” Daniel said.

  “When can we meet her?” Avaleigh asked, laughing while tears streamed down her face.

  “Tomorrow, or the next day at the latest. The lawyer is finalizing the legal aspects to make me her guardian and give me custody as we speak. I’ve requested that he begin adoption proceedings in your names. We’ll call him and go back to his office now so you can complete any additional forms he needs,” Delilah said, smiling while fighting back tears, and trying to balance the loss of her friend and the tragedy that brought the ultimate happiness she was able to share with her family. “I know the hospital will want to release her in the next twenty-four hours. Even if the process of you adopting her isn’t finished, she will be in my custody, and she’ll be coming here either way. So, maybe tomorrow?” Delilah repeated.

  Avaleigh looked at Daniel, a look of wonder on her face.

  Daniel grinned at her. “We have a daughter,” he said.

  “Yes!” Avaleigh said, as Daniel hugged her to him.

  “Wait, what is her name?” Avaleigh asked.

  “Her mother didn’t name her yet. She said she and her husband were preparing for a son and she wanted to take her time and pick just the right name,” Delilah explained.

  “That’s so sad,” Avaleigh said. “While I’m thrilled that we get to love her and raise her, I’m heartbroken that her mother won’t get to experience that with her.”

  “It is what I struggle with as well,” Delilah said.

  “What was her mother’s name?” Daniel asked.

  “Angelle,” Delilah answered.

  “It’s a beautiful name,” Avaleigh said.

  “It is,” Daniel agreed. “Like Angel but with a flair,” he said.

  “We could name her Angelle, after her mother,” Avaleigh said, looking between Delilah and Daniel.

  “I love it,” Daniel said.

  “So do I,” Delilah agreed.

  “Then it’s settled. Angelle will be coming home to us tomorrow,” Avaleigh said, hugging Daniel then getting up and rushing around the table to hug Delilah, too.

  “We have so much to do!” Avaleigh exclaimed. “We have nothing for a baby!”

  “We shall go shopping today! We’ll go meet with the lawyer, then we’ll go buy everything you need,” Delilah said, standing up from the table.

  “We’ll make a day out of it,” Kaid said.

  “I’ll go get changed and get my purse,” Avaleigh said, stopping to hug Delilah again before shrieking happily and running out of the kitchen and toward her house.

  “I’m going to get cleaned up a bit, too. We’ll be back in just a bit,” Daniel said, hugging Delilah and shaking Kaid’s hand. “We’re going to need to add another bedroom,” he said, as he approached the door with a huge smile still on his face.

  “She is little and can sleep in a bassinet for a while yet in your room. You have time to add a room,” Delilah said.

  “True, true!” Daniel agreed, before flashing them another grin and disappearing through the back door.

  Delilah turned to look at Kaid.

  “How do you feel?” he asked her.

  “Settled. It is the right thing to do. I will be able to watch over her, and she will be raised with more love than most children are. I think that Angelle would have been very happy with my decision.”

  “I think so, too, Monster. She was very blessed to have you in her life at the end,” Kaid said, hugging her to him tightly again. “Everything happens for a reason and every person you meet is placed in your path with precision,” he said.

  “I believe that,” Delilah agreed and allowed Kaid to hold her quietly as her heart tried to heal itself a bit.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  After a visit to the lawyer’s office to have Daniel and Avaleigh sign the necessary papers he’d already had waiting at Delilah’s request from her first visit to him that morning, they had lunch and then hit the stores. Avaleigh and Daniel picked out a bassinet, a changing table, baby bathtub, clothes, diapers, toys, blankets, a stroller, a playpen, everything possible that a baby could need. Once they were done, they headed home to put them all together and find a place for them.

  Daniel and Kaid were outside the house while Avaleigh and Delilah were inside looking through everything they’d bought, when the rest of their family began to come home from work.

  Goldy, Bam, and Bane got out of one of their work trucks and strolled over to Kaid and Daniel where they were obviously surveying Daniel and Avaleigh’s house. “What are ya’ll doing?” Bane called out. “Is there a problem?”

  Daniel looked over at them. “No, just trying to figure out the best way to add on to the house.”

  “You adding on? Why not wait until summer? It’s getting ready to be cold, you’re going to have to hurry up and get it done if you plan to do it now,” Goldy answered.

  “Who’s adding on now? Wrong time of year to start that if ya’ll planning to live in it while you’re work
ing on it,” Maverik said, slamming the passenger side door of the second work truck as he and Jobe got out and started walking toward Avaleigh and Daniel’s house, just as Avaleigh and Delilah walked out on their porch.

  “We are. We need to go ahead and do it now,” Daniel answered.

  “Why not wait until spring at least?” Maverik asked, coming to a stop beside Kaid, Daniel and the rest of the guys.

  “Because the baby will be here tomorrow, and while she’s tiny now, she’s going to need her own room. And as long as we’re adding on, I’m thinking maybe we’ll just enlarge the whole front of the house to not only make room for her room, but to make the living room bigger too, and give us room to add another bathroom in our bedroom.”

  Maverik’s face had gone from casual conversation, to one of complete shock. He didn’t ask any questions, he simply looked directly at Avaleigh who stood on the porch smiling at him.

  He stalked straight for her and wrapped her up in a huge hug. “I’m so damn happy for you, Ave,” he said, with tears in his own eyes. “You have a daughter!” he yelled, letting her go enough to look down at her face.

  “I know! I’m so excited!” she said, laughing when Maverik hugged her to him again.

  Maverik’s screen door opened, then slammed shut twice in rapid succession as Hellen and Havoc ran toward their Daddy at full speed, having heard his voice when he shouted his excitement.

  “You two come back here!” Valerie yelled, running after them.

  “Trouble’s coming,” Maverik joked and pressed a kiss to Avaleigh’s forehead. He squatted down and caught both twins in his arms as they launched themselves at him. “Do ya’ll hear your Mama telling ya’ll to come back?” he asked, kissing and tickling them.

  “Yeah, but you were over here and we wanted to be over here, too!” Hellen said.

  “You still have to listen to your Mama,” Maverik told them.

  “I listened, I heard her,” Havoc said.

  “You didn’t stop when she called,” Maverik said.

  “No, but I heard her,” Havoc said, climbing up Maverik’s body. “Can we go run by the stream?” he asked.

  “Not now, we got work to do, boy,” Maverik answered.

  “What work?” Hellen asked.

  “Did you see them keep going when I called?” Valerie asked, walking up to the group.

  “I did. I’m’a whoop me some baby wolf butt if they don’t listen,” Maverik said.

  Hellen giggled, and Havoc pshawed a laugh, knowing full well their Daddy might get angry, but he’d never whip them. He was all talk when it came to them.

  “Can I tell?” Maverik asked, looking up at Avaleigh.

  “Yes,” Avaleigh said, wearing the smile that had been plastered on her face since Delilah had first told them.

  “Avaleigh and Daniel have a daughter, she’s coming home tomorrow. We gonna start building an addition on the house,” Maverik explained.

  “Oh my gosh!” Valerie screeched and moved to hug Avaleigh, then Daniel. “I’m so excited!”

  Bam moved in for his hug, gently muscling Valerie out of his way. “Ave! A little girl! How old is she?” Bam asked.

  “She’s newborn, just a little over a week,” Avaleigh answered.

  “Emmalyn and your girl can be best friends,” he said.

  “Yes! They’ll be close in age,” Avaleigh answered.

  “What’s her name?” Bam asked.

  “We chose Angelle,” Avaleigh said.

  “That’s pretty. She’ll be your angel,” Bam said.

  “How did this happen? When did you find out?” Valerie asked.

  “Delilah told us, this morning,” Avaleigh said.

  “We have to have a baby shower! There are so many things you’ll need,” Valerie said.

  “We’ve been shopping all afternoon. We had to go ahead and get everything we’d need because we don’t have time to wait. She’ll be here tomorrow!” Avaleigh said.

  “Hmm,” Valerie said, thinking about it. “Well, then, maybe instead of a regular baby shower, we can have an addition to the house party. Everybody pitches in and buys supplies and helps tear down and rebuild the way ya’ll need it.”

  “That would be amazing,” Daniel said.

  “And very appreciated,” Avaleigh added.

  “Then it’s the plan,” Bane said, giving Daniel a buddy hug, and Avaleigh a hug with a quick kiss on the cheek.

  “I’m so happy for ya’ll,” Goldy said, hugging Avaleigh and pounding Daniel on the back.

  “Me, too. I can’t imagine how excited you both must be,” Jobe said.

  Janie’s mini-van pulled into the side yard of the main house. She was the appointed car pool driver for the school age kids this week. Next week would be Avaleigh, and so on as those who didn’t work outside the home took turns. Remi was a young nine years old and in third grade, Daisy was six and in first grade, and Barron was four, but he was so advanced that he’d been enrolled in kindergarten early. They joked that whoever was driving was the school bus driver. As soon as she turned off the engine, the doors started opening. Daisy got out, followed by Remi and Barron.

  Daisy and Remi took their time walking over while Barron charged toward Kaid.

  “We’re home,” Barron shouted, running for everyone standing outside Avaleigh’s house.

  “I see that, bud,” Kaid said, catching him up and throwing him in the air. “How was kindergarten?” he asked.

  “Good. I learned that green eggs and ham ain’t just in a book. Mrs. Mumme cooked it today,” Barron said.

  “She did? Was it good?” Kaid asked.

  “Meh,” he answered. “I wanted pie,” he said.

  “That’s my boy,” Delilah said, grinning at him.

  “Are we doing a thing now, ‘cause if we’re doing a thing, I’m going to call Everly, and have her bring the girls so they can hang out, too,” Bam said.

  “A thing for what?” Janie asked, walking up holding Brandt by the hand.

  “Wait!” Avaleigh said loudly, interrupting anyone who might answer that question. “Why don’t we all meet up in about an hour for whatever thing you want to do. Daniel and I want to talk to Remi first.”

  “About what, Mama?” Remi asked.

  “Come on in, let’s have a snack and talk,” Daniel said. Then he looked at his family standing outside his house. “An hour? Barbecue?” he asked.

  “Yep, over at our place. I’ll fire up my grill,” Maverik said.

  “It’s a date,” Daniel said as everyone moved off toward their homes to get ready for the impromptu cookout in celebration of his and Avaleigh’s new daughter.

  Chapter 8

  “What’s wrong, Mama?” Remi asked, following Avaleigh inside the house, with Daniel bringing up the rear and closing the door behind them.

  “How about a grilled cheese sandwich for a snack?” she asked, heading into the kitchen.

  “Okay, but is something wrong?” he asked.

  “No, nothing is wrong at all,” Avaleigh answered. “We just wanted to talk to you about something that happened while you were at school.”

  “Okay,” he said, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

  Daniel walked in and sat down beside him. “How was your day, man?” he asked.

  “Good. I won the spelling bee in class. It’s just a game we play in our own class, but I won it,” Remi said proudly. “And I got to pick out of the prize bin. I got a big rainbow lolipop. I shared it with everybody in my class — it was huge!”

  “That’s because you’re the smartest boy there,” Daniel said, holding up his hand for a high five.

  “And the kindest,” Avaleigh added.

  Daniel looked over at Avaleigh spreading butter on slices of bread to make a grilled cheese for Remi. “Make me one, too?” he asked.

  “Of course,” Avaleigh answered.

  In the meantime, Remi had been studying all the boxes and packages that were littering the living room. He could see most of it from his seat at t
he table. “Uh, are we having a baby?” he asked, getting to his feet and walking into the living room.

  Daniel looked at Avaleigh. “See? Smartest boy,” he said before he stood up and followed Remi to where he stood looking at all the baby supplies.

  Avaleigh turned off the burner she’d turned on to make the grilled cheese and followed them.

  “Well, that’s kind of what we wanted to talk to you about. We found out today that we have an opportunity to adopt a baby girl. She lost her mommy and she needs a family to love her and keep her safe,” Daniel explained.

  “Did you say yes?!” Remi asked.

  “We wanted to speak to you,” Avaleigh started saying.

  “Say yes! Tell them yes! She needs a home and we need a baby. I’ll have a sister!” Remi said excitedly.

  Daniel and Avaleigh both laughed. “We told them yes,” Daniel confirmed.

  “I’m so glad!” Remi said, hugging Daniel, then Avaleigh.

  “We are, too,” Avaleigh answered.

  “What’s her name?” Remi asked.

  “Angelle. We named her Angelle,” Avaleigh said.

  “That’s French, right?” Remi asked.

  “Yes, I think it is,” Daniel answered.

  “Like my name. We’ll both have French names,” Remi said. “When do I get to meet her?”

  “We’ll meet her tomorrow,” Daniel said.

  Remi just stood there looking at all the baby supplies.

  “I’m glad you’re excited about her, too, Remi,” Avaleigh said.

  “I really am,” he said, looking over at her then glancing away really quickly before she could see him begin to tear up.

  Only she saw him. “Remi?! Honey, what’s wrong? Don’t cry,” Avaleigh said, going to him and kneeling down to hug him to her.

  “Remi? What’s wrong? I thought you just said you were happy,” Daniel said.

  “I am,” Remi answered. “I was just thinking about what could have happened to her if ya’ll hadn’t found her. Some people are bad to kids and somebody could have hurt her since she’s so little,” Remi said.