“Aww, she’d be so cute in that,” I tell her.
“I know, but it’s always cold as hell on Halloween. I think I need to find something warmer.”
“Good point,” Corie says.
“Of course, Tennessee weather… it could be warm or cold, who knows?” Rowan shrugs.
“Right? I guess I need something that I can layer. Regardless, it’s going to be later in the day, so warm, and if snow is falling, we’ll just have to bundle her up and hide the costume.” We never know what kind of weather we’re going to get this time of year.
“This is it.” Corie grins as she lifts a cow costume. It looks like a Sherpa snowsuit. It’s white with different shades of brown spots.
“That’s… perfect!” Bellamy laughs. “My little cow. It’s roomy so she won’t feel all constricted, and warm. Yep. This is the one. She needs twelve months,” she tells Corie. Corie places it back on the rack and sifts through each one until she finds the right size, handing it to Bellamy. “I love this so much.” She smiles, holding up the costume one more time, before placing it in her cart.
“All right, now we need one for Camden. What are you thinking?” Rowan asks me.
“Something warm, as well. I kind of think it would be cute for him to be a referee. Then I can have Baker be himself, and I can be a cheerleader,” I tell them.
“Wait. The entire family is going to dress up?” Corie asks. “Oh, hell yes, I’m so on board for this. We all need costumes.”
“Well, I guess Reid and I can both be cows, too.” Bellamy giggles. “Our little cow family.”
“Right? I’m sure you can find those online, if not here. This place is massive,” I say, glancing around the Halloween store we’re in. It’s a temporary thing that pops up every year around this time, and they have so many options to choose from.
“I love the football idea. Do you have a cheerleader costume?” she asks.
“No, but if I could find something close, I could put Rampage on them with Mom’s embroidery machine, and if any of you need me to do that for you, let me know.”
“I’ve got this little one to work around,” Corie says, rubbing her pregnant belly. She’s just over the halfway mark by a few weeks, and she’s glowing. She looks like she swallowed a basketball; otherwise, there’s no signs of pregnancy.
“Let’s look around,” Amanda suggests.
“What about you and Ethan?” Bellamy asks her.
“Yeah, I’m not going to be able to convince him to dress up.” She bites down on her bottom lip before saying, “We met with an adoption agency last week.”
“What?” Bellamy asks, and we all stop looking at the racks to face her.
“Yeah. We’ve been struggling, and so many kids need a family, so we’re going to adopt. We’re open to any age, but a teenage mom chose us. She wants a closed adoption. We’re meeting with the agency again next week to discuss. The baby is due in a few months.
“I’m so happy for you,” Bellamy says, with tears in her eyes. She moves to hug her friend, and well, we all take a turn because that’s our girl squad, and we cry, laugh, and celebrate together. That’s who we are, and that will never change.
“I’m excited,” Amanda says, blinking back tears. “Ethan is close to making partner, and he’ll be home more, and it’s just the right time for us. It feels right,” she says.
“Let us know what we can do for you,” Rowan tells her.
“What she said,” Corie and I say at the same time, making everyone laugh. I guess that’s what years of friendship will do for you.
“Okay, back to Camden,” Amanda says, waving her hand in the air.
“Right, so… a referee.”
“On it,” Rowan says, stepping out of the aisle and going in search of what we’ll need.
It’s not two minutes later, and Bellamy is calling my name. “Sloane, this is perfect.”
I rush over to where she is, and sure enough, it’s a ref costume. She’s right; it’s perfect. “It’s thin, but I could get him some thermals to put underneath, and if it’s really cold, use black sweats instead of these pants. He needs some new lounge clothes anyway because the kid is growing so fast. I’ll grab a pair of those and some thermals today just in case.”
We spend the majority of the day laughing, shopping, eating an incredible lunch, and spending way more money than any of us intended. By the time I pull into the garage, I’m wearing a tired smile, and I can’t wait to show Baker and Camden everything I bought today.
