Carving pumpkins on the kitchen floor, then bringing them in the red wagon to light the drive. Take-out-Thai for dinner and then a flurry of costume snaps. A baby skunk, fur fluffy on his belly, and turquoise Crocs to walk the dirt road stretching between our house and the neighbor's. We held his hands, one in each of ours, as we followed the bobbing light of the flashlight up to each door. Then watched him murmer the words, shyly at first. "Trick-or-treat," and then "Thank you," his small fist clutching each new candy bar with amazement.
Above us the stars twirled. We went to a half-dozen houses, and then down to the end of our road to look upon five hundred jack-o-lanterns, all glowing. His eyes wide in the dark, his face smudged with chocolate and wonder.