Mated to a Human

☽ 22 ☾

I head down the stairs as Mom is waving goodbye to a group of kids at the door. She holds the candy bowl against her stomach, and once the door latches closed, she picks out a small chocolate for herself.

"Oh, Mia," she says, placing the bowl on the small table next to the door, one she carried in from the living room. "Want a candy? I've already lost count of how many I've had. Oh well."

She rips open the wrapping and eats the chocolate whole.

I ask, "Where's Dad?"

"He just left to take Perry to Erin's house. They're coming back here after trick-or-treating to dump out their candy and watch movies. He said you and Harper showed him Halloween, and now he wants Erin to watch it, but Erin might be a little delicate for that, so I'm thinking I'll put on something else." She pauses. "Something up? You need a painkiller?"

"No, I just... Harvey is coming over."

"Harvey? When? Now?"

I nod.

"Oh. Well, okay. Does this mean something or...?"

I hang onto the railing post. "We're hanging out."

"Are you dating?"

My face starts to heat. "Sort of, I guess."

She smiles. "Great. Harvey's welcomes here any time, just no funny business, and I told the same to Harper."

"Mom, no. That's not why he's coming. But I'll leave my door open."

She peers back at the candy bowl and swipes another. "I'll break the news to your dad and talk him down." She fiddles with the candy. "You know I like Harvey."

"I know."

"Wow, both you and Harper. Next thing I know, Perry's going to be saying he's got a little girlfriend."

"I think he's too busy playing Nintendo and ghost hunting."

Mom shrugs.

The doorbell rings, and I leap to open it, thinking it's Harvey. My gaze quickly drops when I find three elementary schoolers on the doorstep instead: a pirate, Spider-Man, and an inflatable dinosaur. I reach for the candy and smile, filling each of their bags.

"Happy Halloween," I call as they race across our lawn to the next house.

Harvey turns the corner from the driveway, watching the kids and then grinning at me. I squeeze the candy bowl. "Hi."

His grin falters when he sees my bandage, and he closes the door behind us as we step inside. "How did—"

"Harvey, happy Halloween," my mom says while leaning against the hallway wall into the living room. "It's good to see you."

"Nadine, happy Halloween," he greets.

"I'm sure you saw the cut on her face — poor thing. For the life of us, we can't figure out what did that. Her dad thinks it was a bird."

He looks at me. "A bird?"

"It all happened really fast. Anyway, I was going to take Harvey upstairs."

She waves us off. "Go on. I'll be passing out candy if you need anything. Are you sure you don't want a Tylenol?"

I take Harvey's hand and pull him up the first steps. "I'm sure."

Once we're in the upper hallway, Harvey asks me, "Where were you when you were cut?"

"I went past the gate out back; it was open, so I thought maybe you were shifted and coming by like you talked about doing before. I didn't go that far — I never do."