An All Hallows’ Evening⎜Richard and Sarah (Long One-Shot)
Sarah turned around quickly when she heard a knock at the door and hurried to answer it. Pulling back the curtain of one of the windows that framed either side of the door, she smiled when she saw Richard and quickly opened the door for him. She couldn’t help it as her eyes widened in surprise when she saw a child no older than eight standing next to him. “Hello, Richard,” she said in greeting, a soft smile on her face. “Care to introduce me to the dashing gentleman next to you?”
Richard inclined his head, a chuckle escaping him as he looked down at Roger as his son looked up at him. “Sarah, this is my son, Roger. Roger, this is Sarah.”
As he turned to look up at Sarah, Roger held out his hand. “Hi, Miss Sarah. It’s nice to meet ya.”
Sarah tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear as she bent down and took his offered hand and shook it. “And it’s very nice to meet you, Roger.” Straightening up, she eyed Richard with an impressed look. “He’s very well behaved.”
“His mother, his step-father, and I have been firm in teaching him manners though most of the credit belongs to Maria.”
“Well, don’t sell yourself short. Come on in, I don’t want the neighbors thinking I’m forcing you to stay outside,” she replied with a laugh as she stepped aside to allow them entrance. She locked the door then motioned with her arm to the living room. “You’re welcome to sit down. Can I get you anything?”
“Water, if you don’t mind,” Richard replied before looking at Roger who had immediately taken up a spot on the couch. “What about you, Roger?”
“Water, please.”
Sarah nodded her head and moved to the kitchen, bringing back two bottles of water with her before handing them out. “There you are.” Her attention was caught when Biff came running down the stairs and heading straight for the new person in the household. Watching closely to pull Biff away if he became too rowdy, she couldn’t help but smile as all Biff did was sniff at the boy before hopping into his lap.
“The animals love him,” Richard stated as he watching Biff and Roger interact with a smile. “Maria and Craig have several dogs that just follow him around. I’ve had to stop him several times from taking a stray home.”
“I’ve had to do the same with Oliver. He’s been insisting we get a cat, but I’m still on the fence about that one.”
Richard nodded his head before looking over at her, his head inclining a bit. “While Roger and Biff are getting acquainted, I do have a favor to ask. Can we talk in the kitchen?”
Nodding her head, Sarah motioned for him to follow her then settled down in one of the kitchen table chairs, looking up at him with a curious expression on her face. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
Taking the seat next to her, he sighed softly. “Are your kids going trick-or-treating tonight?”
“Yeah, they are. Well, I mean, Oliver is, Hunter’s just going as his bodyguard and candy holder. Why?”
“Do you think Hunter would mind taking Roger along with them?”
“Uhm, I can ask him but I don’t think he would mind at all.” She tilted her head. “What’s going on?”
“Maria and Craig aren’t able to take care of him tonight and I said I would take care of him, but I’m not really one..”
“For the Halloween festivities,” Sarah finished with a chuckle. “No, I get it. Here, I’ll go upstairs and ask him. You go spend time with Roger, keep Biff from licking his face off.” She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently before standing up and heading towards the stairs.
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Sarah bounded up the stairs then knocked on Hunter’s door. When she heard confirmation to enter, she turned the knob and walked inside his room. She found him with books and papers of homework surrounding him at his desk and he took his headphones out of his ears to turn and look at her. “Hey, think you can take a break for a minute? There’s something that I need to ask you.”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Richard’s downstairs and he brought his son with him,” she started out as she sat down on the edge of his bed. “And I know that you’re already taking Oliver out tonight, but would you mind if you took Roger with you too?”
“Roger?”
“That’s his son’s name.”
“Oh, gotcha. Uh, yeah, sure.”
“You mean it? You can say no, Richard won’t mind if you do.”
Hunter chuckled before shaking his head. “And disappoint my future step-dad? Yeah, right.”
Sarah blushed deeply before tossing a pillow in his direction. “Hunter, please!”
“Alright, alright, I was joking. Well, maybe only halfway, but I mean it. I don’t mind taking him with me at all. How old is he?”
“He’s eight and he’s well-behaved.”
“I would expect so considering who his dad is.” Turning back to his computer, he quickly saved his files on the computer and his flash drive before stacking all of his papers. “I can put this on pause. I want to go downstairs and say hi to them.”
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As Sarah went upstairs, Richard made his way back to his son and sat down on the couch with him, smiling when Biff made his way over to him and greeted him. “So, what did you think of Sarah?”
“She’s nice. I can see why you like her.” Roger smiled wide when Biff made his way back to him and he curled his arms around the dog and began to scratch the Westie underneath his chin. “Why are we here?”
“Well, I was wanting to ask Sarah a question, see if she agreed.”
“You can’t take me trick-or-treating, can you?”
Richard looked over at his son, eyeing him before shaking his head. He despised disappointing his son, but Halloween was the one night a year that he preferred to remain indoors, away from the hustle and bustle and idiots and other children who were not his own or Sarah’s. “Roger,” he started before trailing off as he took in his son’s expression. “You’re not mad? I thought you would be.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not taking you trick-or-treating?”
“I know you don’t like it and that’s okay. But I still get to go trick-or-treating?”
Richard nodded his head. “Yes, you’ll still get to go. If Hunter can take you, then he’ll take you otherwise I will take you myself, I promise.”
Smiling and nodding his head, Roger returned his attention to Biff, satisfied that no matter what, he was going to get his worth in candy that evening.
Richard looked up when he heard footsteps on the stairs and stood up when he saw it was Sarah and Hunter heading their way. From their expressions, it looked like Hunter had agreed to the plan. “So I take it you’ve agreed?”
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Hunter made his way down the last step and nodded his head. “‘Course. I don’t mind taking Roger along with me at all,” he replied with a smile before shaking Richard’s hand. Turning to Roger, he smiled and waved. “Hey, Roger, I’m Hunter. It’s nice to meet you. I hope that it’s okay I’m taking you trick-or-treating tonight.”
“Yeah, it is!” Roger replied with an enthusiastic wave of his own. “When are we leaving?”
Hunter chuckled at his enthusiasm. “We’re not leaving for a few hours. Do you have a costume?”
Roger shook his head and Hunter eyed him curiously. “Come on upstairs. I’m pretty sure we have some extra supplies to make you something.” Turning to Richard, Hunter tilted his head. “Is that okay with you?” When he received a nod in reply, Hunter motioned with his hand for Roger to follow and the two of them with Biff at their heels hurried up the stairs.
Turning to Richard, Sarah smiled at him. “Told it was nothing to worry about. And they’ll only be out for an hour or two just around the neighborhood and a few streets over,” she said, hoping to keep him from worrying. “And I’ll even tell Maria if that’s what keeps you from getting in trouble.”
Richard laughed before shaking his head. “That won’t be necessary, I promise. Maria trusts me and by extension, you. I told her what I had planned and she agreed, but if you need to call her you’re more than welcome to. I think she would appreciate it.”
“Well, they’re not leaving for a few hours so I’ll wait until then. So, what were you planning to do now that you managed to get out of the Halloween festivities?”
Richard chuckled. “Well, I was hoping that you wouldn’t mind the company tonight.”
“With you? I don’t mind at all.”
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Two hours later after sending the kids off with Hunter promising to text them every so often, Sarah and Richard found themselves each enjoying a small glass of wine out in the gazebo.
“This is a much better way to spend Halloween, don’t you think?”
“Agreed,” Richard replied with a chuckle before taking a sip of his wine. “I wouldn’t be able to stand much of the crowds and with Roger’s ability to read me like a book as most children seem to be able to, I fear that that wouldn’t be conducive to his candy hoard.”
“Well, don’t worry. Hunter will make sure that Roger gets his fair share.”
“I’m glad. I owe Hunter after this one. He’s an amazing kid.”
“He’ll gladly take you up on that offer. Just buy him something of the dessert variety and he’ll consider it even.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Sarah chuckled and took a sip of her wine before placing it down in her lap. She was enjoying this. After James, she had felt that she never would have found anyone to truly care for her and not want anything else in return or only care for her for ulterior motives. Now that she had found something like that with Richard, she was loathe to give that up so soon. “You know what Hunter said tonight?”
“What?”
“When I asked him if it would be okay for Roger to tag along with him, he said that he would take him because he didn’t want to disappoint his future step-dad.”
Richard chuckled, hoping that the shadows from the incoming twilight would help to hide the slight redness of his cheeks. “If that was the reason, then he definitely won brownie points from me. As for the whole step-dad thing, I don’t know if he was overshooting things, but we’ll have to see.”
Sarah chuckled before leaning her head on his shoulder, surprised at her boldness and the fact that he allowed it.
They sat in silence for a while, both lost in their thoughts and it wasn’t until darkness had really settled in and the outside lights came on that they both sort of awakened. Adjusting her head on his shoulder, she sighed softly. “Do you ever think it would happen?”
“What would?” he questioned, his voice soft as to not disturb the night’s peace.
“Us getting married. I mean, if that is in the cards from what we have going on?”
Richard hesitated for a few seconds before looking over at her. He wasn’t sure where the topic had come from, but he would never deny that such a thing had crossed his mind. While they were still on tentative ground what with her case just now over, he could still imagine a future just as he was certain she could. “I could see that happening. Not for a while yet and certainly not if you’re opposed to such a thing.”
“I wouldn’t be opposed,” Sarah replied with a smile. “I think it would be nice.”
“How so?”
Sarah pulled her legs up so that they were to the side, still keeping her head on his shoulder. “I mean, it would be nice to have somebody to come home to, to talk about the day with or when the repairman is coming or if someone has a wedding to go to what we would give them or would we even make it.”
Richard waited silently as he imagined the scenes she was laying out.
“It would just be nice to trust someone and have them trust you and make a life with someone.”
Smiling softly, Richard placed a kiss to her forehead. “I think it would be nice as well.”
“You do?”
“Of course.” Richard could hear the hesitancy in her voice, the disbelief. “I never thought that such a thing was in my cards. That was always my brother and I was envious when he found Julie, wondering what that would be like for myself. I knew Maria and I would never work out and she and Craig are excellent together, but I still wished for such a life. I just hadn’t found the right person yet.”
Sarah looked at him, her head tilted as her eyes narrowed slightly. “Would you be alright if that person was me, later on down the line?”
“Of course, but only if I would be the alright choice for you.”
“You would be,” she replied with a chuckle. Sighing softly, she closed her eyes. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For listening and not thinking I’m insane.”
“Of course, Sarah. I’d never think you were insane.”
Sarah smiled as she lifted her head. “Well, that’s a relief.” The sound of the front door opening caused them both to look over towards the house. “I think the kids are back.”
Nodding his head, Richard stood up. “I think they are,” he said, seeing three shadows in the kitchen milling about. Turning, he offered Sarah his hand. “But I think taking our time up to the house would be okay, considering they’d want their chance at looking at their haul.”
She took the offered hand and picked up her wine glass as she stood up, linking her arm in his as they both made their way back to the house. “I’m going to have to keep an eye on the candy. Hunter has such a bad sweet tooth.”
“Roger does as well. I do let him have a few pieces, but Maria’s a bit more strict but he keeps the candy longer so I’m sure he’s alright with the arrangement.”
Sarah nodded her head as they made their way inside the house, both of them smiling when they saw Hunter holding Oliver and keeping Biff away from the candy haul and Roger picking out his favorites from the haul. “Hey, how did the evening go?”
“It went really well,” Hunter replied at the same time that Roger replied with an enthusiastic “It was awesome!”
Richard walked over to Roger and ruffled his hair. “Picking out your favorites?”
“Yeah, Hunter said it was okay.”
Looking over at Hunter, Richard sent him a grateful smile which Hunter returned with a nod. “That’s nice of him. So, you ready to go? I promised your mom I would have you home by ten.”
Roger nodded his head before picking up his bag of candy and hopping down from his chair. He smiled as he thanked Hunter before giving Sarah a hug which she returned after looking over at Richard, surprise written all over her face. He grabbed his dad’s hand and began tugging him towards the front door. “I think that I’m leaving,” Richard said with a chuckle. “Thank you, Hunter. Alright, bud, slow down!”
Richard paused at the front door, motioning to Sarah, before gently tugging at Roger’s hand. “If you give me a few minutes with Sarah, I’ll let you have an extra piece of candy on the way home.” At his son’s nod, he unlocked the car doors and made sure Roger was safely inside before turning back to Sarah once she sent her kids upstairs.
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
“I just wanted to say thank you and to ask that you thank Hunter again for me. I appreciate what he did tonight and I really did enjoy tonight.”
“I did as well and don’t worry, I’ll make sure he knows.” Sarah eyed his car and laughed when she saw Roger already getting into his stash of candy. “I don’t want to cut you short, but I think your son’s getting into his candy already.”
Richard looked and sure enough, he saw Roger already into his candy stash. “Oh, let him. Maria can’t fault me for one night of the year.” Turning back to Sarah, he shook his head. “But in any case, I need to get going. Thank you again, Sarah.”
As he turned to go, Sarah placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him then gently leaned up to kiss him, pulling away when they both needed to breathe. “Okay, now you can go,” she said with a smile and pushed him softly towards the direction of his car. “I don’t want your son getting into his stash too much. Call me if you have time, but if not, I’ll see you later.”
Richard nodded his head, walking slowly down the stairs. “I’ll make sure to call. Good night, Sarah,” he said with a reply before hurrying to his car as Sarah shut the door behind him.
Sarah locked the door and started the alarm before checking in on the kitchen, seeing that the candy had been moved upstairs. Running upstairs, she made sure Oliver was taken care of and asleep before making her way to Hunter’s room. Knocking on the door, she made her way inside when she was allowed entry. She smiled at him, noticing that he was already in his pajamas. “I won’t keep you up, I know you’re tired.”
“Ah, that’s okay. What’s up?”
She walked over and hugged him tightly. “I’m just proud of you. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yeah, Mom, I know, but I still like hearing it,” he replied with a smile.
“And I mean it,” she pulled back, “and Richard wanted me to tell you thank you again. He really appreciates what you did for him and Roger.”
“And I’d do it again. Roger’s a really great kid.”
Smiling, she began to move towards the door. “Well, thank you. Go ahead and get ready for bed. I have the alarm set and I’ll see you in the morning. Love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
Sarah closed his door and moved to her room, quickly getting ready for bed and falling asleep quickly, a smile on her lips as she fell asleep to the scene in the gazebo replaying in her head.

















