At sixteen, I had better things to do on Halloween than babysit my six-year-old neighbor. But Ellie was determined to wear cartoon costumes, and she kept asking me to visit one street. I thought she had a surprise planned…
“Ellie, they’re not giving out candy. Let’s go.”
The six-year-old beside me wouldn’t move.
We’d spent nearly an hour trick-or-treating, and I was sweating inside a ridiculous Chase costume.
Ellie stared at the dark house.
“Ellie, they’re not giving out candy.”
Then she grabbed my hand.
“This is why I asked you to wear it.”
I looked down at her pink Skye costume.
“What are you talking about?”
Before she could answer, the porch light came on.
She grabbed my hand.
The front door opened.
A man appeared, holding a plate of cupcakes.
Behind him, people were laughing.
Then a little girl in a princess costume ran toward him.
Behind him, people were laughing.
“Can I have another one?”
He smiled at her.
Then he saw Ellie.
His smile disappeared.
“Daddy?” Ellie whispered.
“Can I have another one?”
I looked between them, and suddenly, I understood why she’d been checking house numbers all evening.
***
Two weeks earlier, Ellie and her mom, Laura, had moved in next door.
I’m Max, sixteen, and I’d planned to spend Halloween with my best friend, Jackson.
Instead, I’d somehow become a six-year-old’s favorite neighbor.
I understood why she’d been checking.
Ellie showed up on our porch most afternoons, usually when I was playing games.
“Max, do you know Skye?”
“Personally? No.”
“She’s from Paw Patrol!”
“Right. Obviously.”
“Max, do you know Skye?”
What happened next changed everything… FULL STORY on the next page.
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