October to October

{Chapter Six}

    "Why do we have so much candy?" Lauren asked as she came downstairs in her flapper outfit on Halloween. There were four big bowls of candy by the front door, and her mother was wearing an angel costume as she did every year.

  "We get a lot of trick-or-treats in this neighborhood," her mother said as she stood and unwrapped a Reese's cup.

  "Mhmm," Lauren said knowingly as she grabbed a large handful of candy to put in her purse. "Well, we'll be well-stocked in chocolate until April."

  Ruth came in the front door in her red pea coat and breathing heavily from running from her car. She had been at the church all morning getting ready for the 'God Night' celebration she and Alex were throwing for kids whose parents didn't believe in trick-or-treating. "Mom, do we have some extra white Christmas lights? We're doing up the mess room in lights to make it kind of spooky, and we ran out. I don't want to drive all the way to Walmart if I don't have to."

  "You look cute," Ruth commented as their mother went to rummage around the attic for extra lights. "Take some pictures so I can see all you guys in your costumes."

  "I'm sure Hope and Wren will take a ton," Lauren promised as she fixed her wig in the entryway mirror. "Speaking of which they should be here by now..."

   She heard Hope honking her car horn and Lauren grabbed for her purse that was now filled with candy and lip gloss. Ruth was picking at the candy, and Lauren could tell she was dying to say something.

  "Yes?" Lauren asked as her sister looked at her expectantly.

  "Well, Jake is kind of... upset that you're not coming to the church party," Ruth shrugged; sounding as if Lauren had to drag the admission out of her. "I know it isn't my place, but you're my sister, and he is going to be my brother-in-law after all so I thought I should say something."

  "I know," Lauren said; trying to keep her temper. "We had a conversation about it, and we agreed that I already had plans with Wren and Hope. Plus I like Halloween, and it isn't going to kill us to spend one evening apart."

  "I just wanted to make sure you knew," Ruth said with a superior tone to her voice that had never failed to make her sister furious when they were younger. "He is your boyfriend after all. Sometimes you have to make compromises in your relationships."

  "You sound like Alex," Lauren said scornfully. "He said almost the same thing to me a couple weeks ago. Did he ask you to talk to me or something?"

  "No!" Ruth sounded offended, but Lauren knew her sister was lying.

  "You know, it seems to me that it's usually the women who make compromises in relationships around here."

  "What's that supposed to mean?" Ruth demanded; looking genuinely angry.

  "Nothing." Lauren hated to fight with her sister. Ruth fought dirty, and she wasn't above taking it to their parents as if they were ten instead of nineteen and twenty-two. "It's just a stupid Halloween party is all, and Jake isn't mad. I wasn't saying anything about your relationship."

  "You better not," Ruth said as she stared her sister down.

   "I wasn't," Lauren lied, but Ruth didn't seem convinced.

  "Lauren... I realize you secretly think that Alex bosses me around all the time. I see you roll your eyes when he asks me to do something, but it isn't like that with us," Ruth said, and she looked sincerely angry now. "I'm happy to help him, and to be there for him during important events."