Our massive neighborhood loves to celebrate Halloween. The loop across from the clubhouse is shut down and security directs traffic around it. If you’re getting home late from work, you may as well bring a pillow and blanket because your wait to just get in the gate is a long one.
The Magnolia Loop hosts all kinds of Halloween antics. There are flash mobs featuring witches, decorated homes that rival Christmas Vacation, and candy for days! Trick-or-treaters wander from house to house, often with mouths agape and bags filled.
Because of all the ruckus, houses like ours, tucked out of the way, rarely—if ever—see any costumed kids. One Halloween, while minding our own business watching TV (probably Below Deck), we heard the familiar ring of the doorbell.
Matty: “Are we expecting visitors?”
Me: “Not at this time of night.”
Matty: “Huh.”
Matty opened the door, and the last words she was expecting to hear were shouted out, “Trick-or-treat!” There stood two kids and their mom. We had left the porch light on, and they followed Halloween etiquette and pulled into our driveway searching for candy.
I’m not sure a ghost could’ve been any paler than we were in that moment. Matty told the kids, “Just one second,” and we both hurried off to the pantry in search of anything to drop in their bags. We collected a few items, handed them off, and, once they had left, we shut the door and turned off the light that signaled we had candy.
Reviewing the Ring camera footage that night, we heard the kids exclaim, “They gave us apples and Pop-Tarts!” They didn’t seem too thrilled. The mom mean-mugged the camera, and I instantly knew we had ruined her Halloween parent tax.
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