“Can we go, now?” Alexa asks.
“After dinner,” Mom says, straightening Alexa’s witch hat.
Shadows lengthen, almost trick-or-treat time. Dad’s still at the office. Mom, at her laptop, hasn’t even started dinner.
So Alexa cooks.
Candy Corn Soup:
1 Jack-o’-lantern cauldron
2 cups cider
1/2 can pumpkin puree
1 bag chocolate chips
1 bag candy corn
gummy worms to taste
Surround cauldron with thirteen flickering LCD candles. Stir with long wooden spoon. Serve in upside down skulls.
Bang! Frankenstein’s monster slams through the door, holding a pizza box. It’s Dad!
“Trick-or-treat,” he says.