“Yeah, okay. I’ll be there.”
“Great! I’ll see you next week then.”
“Okay.”
Halloween seems to have crept up on me this year. Usually, the more minor holidays leading up to the bigger ones like Thanksgiving and Christmas are easy to forget, but I didn’t even realize we’ve entered fall. Soon enough, I’ll be sitting around a large dining table waiting for my dad to carve the big juicy turkey. All of it bookended with the shimmery ball drop on New Year’s Eve.
Maybe this year, things could be different. With Andrew in my life, the tree I usually decorate by myself can serve more of a purpose than its usual nonfunctional—yet decorative—one. Me and Andrew and Buster can sit around it while sipping hot cocoa, unwrapping gifts, and taking cheesy holiday pictures. And we can go to our childhood homes, enjoy whatever festivities our respective families engage in. Of course, there’s the matter of telling them about us first. A part of me almost wishes they already knew. Then Andrew could even join me on Halloween. We could wear some tacky couple costumes and watch Jade collect a mountain of candy under the guise of doing it for her baby.
I get through work with the thought of hazelnut waffles on my mind. Once I clock out, I head straight for the elevators. The doors are shutting in front of me when a hand slices through the narrowing opening. The sensors kick in, letting in the last-second passenger, and when the doors slide back open, Noah is standing on the other side.
“Grace.”
“Noah,” I respond. “Heading home?”
He shakes his head. “I have a couple more hours left in my shift. You?”
“Yup,” I answer. My attention shifts to my phone screen lit up in my hand. A message from Jade flashes through, and when I open it, there’s a picture of Avery in her fake bristly mane, the rest of her chubby body in a floral onesie.
“Big plans?” Noah asks.
“Something like that.” The elevator arrives at the parking structure, and I step off. “Have a good night, Noah.”
“You too, Grace.”
I text Andrew to let him know I’m leaving along with the address to where to meet me. I drive straight to Marie’s to pick up the order of waffles I called in, and head to our rendezvous point.
It’s not late enough that the nighttime marine layer is starting to settle in. The sun is starting to angle closer west, making the sky hazy and orange. Shades of purple hide behind the clouds, creating the perfect backdrop for an impromptu date night by the shore.
When I park and exit my car, the ocean waves crashing into the sandy shoreline sound more menacing than they are. From the distance where a large stretch of sand and concrete still sits between myself and any splash of salt water, I’m able to enjoy the beach without getting sand in my shoes.
“Hey,” Andrew calls, meeting me at the curb. He has a large blanket folded and tucked under his arm, and he’s carrying an extra sweatshirt along with the one he’s already wearing.
“Hi.” I walk up to him, smothering the sudden skip in my step, and greet him with a kiss.
“How was your day?”
“Long,” I answer. “Too long. You?”
He shrugs. “Whatever.”
I nod my chin to all the things in his hands, including an extra pair of flip-flops. “You came prepared.”
“I figured you might need a few things to brave the beach weather.” He drops the flip-flops on the ground, the flimsy foam soles hitting the concrete with a loud smack. He offers his hand, and I take it, slipping out of my work shoes and wedging my toes between the separating strap. He bends down and picks up my shoes, plopping them in the back seat of my car, and takes my hand in his. “Shall we?”
I nod, following his lead. He takes a narrow path lined with bushes that turns steep as it guides us to the first patch of dry sand. We stop about half the distance to the water, and Andrew starts to lay out the blanket he brought.
“Thank you,” I say once he’s dusted off a few specks of lingering sand. I plop the waffles in the middle as we both settle in. Though we don’t say much, the fragrant ocean breeze and occasional sounds of nearby chatter and laughter filter our way, filling the quiet with a lulling, comforting soundtrack.
“This is a nice surprise,” Andrew comments as we’re taking the first bites of our dinner.
“Not really a surprise if you came better prepared than I did.” I slip on the sweatshirt he brought for me, one of his hoodies I’ve been wearing with the weather cooling down. He adjusts the hood so that any stray hairs covering my face are tucked inside.
“No, it’s a surprise,” he assures. “You just gave me a head start, that’s all.”
“I just thought…a break might be nice,” I tell him, leaning my cheek against his shoulder. “I know you’ve been really worried about finding work, and I guess I wanted to say thank you.”
“For what?”
