"What if we were Peter Pan and Wendy? Since we're going trick or treating with the kids, they would love it," Erica suggested while she sat next to Chris on her back deck while he threw a ball for Jacky and Dodger to chase as the sun set.
"I am not wearing tights, I've already had to do that for Cap and I ain't doing it again," Chris chuckled, his muscles flexing while throwing the ball that Jacky brought him.
Erica tapped her chin while asking, "How about Belle and Gaston, that would be cute."
"That would be adorable, you would be a perfect Belle, but I still would have to pretty much wear tights so let's keep going," Chris rested his elbows on his knees and though aloud, "What about if we did Baywatch?"
Erica rolled her eyes, slipping her hands into the pocket of the big sweatshirt that was Chris' at one point, but now had migrated to her closet, "Oh yeah, I'm going to walk around in a high cut red bathing suit on halloween."
Chris just smirked while chuckling and gave her a nudge, "I wouldn't be complaining."
"Well I would," She laughed, giving him a playful shove. "Next!"
"Okay uh...." He tried to think, grabbing the ball Dodger had in his mouth and throwing it again. "I mean, we can always do Cap and Peggy. I have the shield."
"That's too predictable," Erica was being honest. "How about we do the Spice Girls! Shanna and Carly could do it with us!"
Chris looked at her like she was crazy and laughed hysterically, "Oh HELL no! I ain't wearing any leopard print body suit! I've had to dress up as a girl a few times and it was horrible, I veto that idea."
"Okay so first we're definitely going to come back around to the story about you dressing up as a girl and why I don't know about this," She got that playful twinkle in her eyes before adding, "And second, we should totally be the Foo Fighters! I really want to be Dave Grohl, I could get a fake beard and you can be Taylor Hawkins!"
"I had to dress up for a girl a few times for roles, and babe, I hate to burst your bubble but nobody is going to know who we are if we do Dave and Taylor," He chuckled, scratching at his beard.
Erica knew he was right so she thought for a long moment before snapping her fingers and saying, "I got it! Let's be Wayne and Garth from Wayne's World!"
He slapped his hand to his toned chest, tipping back as he laughed and told her, "That's perfect! Let's do that!"
The couple laughed before they started planning out their costumes for next week as they sat out under the evening sky. Once they had figured out what wigs and clothing they needed, it had grown dark out so they took the dogs inside and plopped down in the living room.
Chris sat his hunky frame down while propping his feet up on Erica's coffee table. She let out a yawn before laying down and resting her head in his lap so that she was looking up at him. The pair had been dating for almost two months and they had been so happy every since. Both of them were very joyful energetic people but when they were together there was an extra sparkle, more smiles and more spring in their steps.
"Hey Evans," Erica smiled up at him. "Did I ever tell you that I love you?"
He looked down at her beautiful face in his lap and ran a hand through her curls before giving her a sideways smile. "Mhmm, I think you've mentioned that before."
"Good," She grinned. "You're pretty cute too."
"So are you," Chris cupped her cheek with his big hand while looking down at her from under his thick eyelashes. "God, I'm going to miss you when I have to leave next week."
"I'm going to miss you too," Erica was honest. "I'm glad it's only a few weeks though and that you get to be here for Halloween and will be back before Thanksgiving."
"Me too, I would have cried if I missed my Ma's stuffing on Thanksgiving, it literally is to die for," He said with wide eyes.
She laughed at his enthusiasm before telling him, "Well I'll have to make sure to have some then. But hey, I figured out a project for me to do while you're gone to keep me busy."
Chris kept running his hand through her hair while asking, "What's that?"
"I've been thinking about it a lot and well... I think I'm going to take your advice and quit my job to do my furniture business," She said in one big breath.
He sat there, completely speechless for a moment before beaming at her and leaning down to kiss her deeply. When he finally pulled away from air, Chris pressed little kisses all over her face, making her giggle from his beard scratching her until he sat back up and told her, "Erica, I am so damn proud of you! You are going to amazing and you know anything you need, you can come to me."
"I know sweetheart," She reached up and stroked his cheek with her hand. "What I need from you more than anything is just your support. You always believe in me and that's the only reason I think I can actually do this. But while you're gone, I'm going to work on figuring this all out and I think I'll be done at my job in December so that will give me some time."
"Babe, I'm so insanely excited, for you. You're going to do amazing, I know it," He told her.
Erica let out a sigh, nervous for her new venture and bit at her lower lip, "I hope so."
"Hey, do you trust me?" Chris asked and she nodded. "This is going to be a huge success. Don't even worry about that."
She felt relief just from his words and his confidence in her. Chris always made her feel better and the two talked all about the types of things she was going to refurbish to get going but after a while, Erica found herself so comfortable and warm laying snuggled up to Chris that she fell asleep. Chris didn't mind one bit, and quite enjoyed his sweet Erica sleeping with her head in his lap. He sat on the couch, scrolling on his phone for a while until he heard the squeak of Erica's front door opening. Chris was confused, unsure of who would be here at this time of the evening. He gingerly slipped out from under Erica, holding her head while he did so and then laid it back down before heading toward the door.
"Erica?" He heard a familiar voice call followed by the sound of the door closing and locking.
"Dave," Chris softly said while rounding the corner to see his girlfriend's uncle. "Hey Erica's asleep on the couch."
"Oh well I'm just here to swap our keys. I finally got that spark plug on her car fixed so I brought it back and I'll take my truck that she was borrowing," Dave explained. "Do you know where her keys are? Are they on the side table in the hallway like usual?"
"I think they're actually in her purse. I'm pretty sure she left it in the kitchen," He answered in a soft tone, as not to disturb Erica before walking through the house and back into the kitchen.
Dave followed him into the small room and closed the door behind him while Chris looked in her purse until he found the keys. As Chris was handing them over, he asked if he had a few minutes and after he nodded, the two men sat down at the table.
Chris knew what a special relationship that Erica had with Dave and over the past few months, they had spent a lot of time with him but Chris hadn't ever really had a chance to have a one on one conversation with him and he decided to seize the opportunity.
"Is everything alright, Chris?" Dave wondered, looking across the table at the hunky man.
He nodded, scratching at his full beard before looking into Dave's dark eyes that were just like Erica's before saying, "I just wanted to have a chance to talk with you and tell you that Erica has told me everything you've done for her and how you raised her. She is always telling me about these great memories she has from her childhood and Erica truly just thinks the world of you. I see how much you both love one another and I just want to tell you how much I admire everything you've done."
Dave just sat there, looking at Chris for a long time. He reached up and ran a hand through his short salt and pepper colored hair before telling him, "Well I certainly feel like I've screwed up a lot, but I do love Erica, more than anything in this world."
"I was in a movie called Gifted where I played a guy in an extremely similar situation, and when we watched it, that actually was when Erica first told me about her childhood, but just playing that character I felt the weight of that responsibility that the character felt and I can only imagine what that was like for you," Chris wrinkled his eyebrows up with sympathy.
Dave stared down at the table before bringing his slightly watery eyes up to his and revealed, "Erica told me about that movie you were in and when I watched it, I'm not going to lie, I cried like a baby. You really hit the nail on the head with that character Chris because everything he felt were things that I felt. I felt guilty that I wasn't there for my sister the way I should have been because I was always busy with my band or with girls. I felt angry that sometimes I just wanted my own life. I felt completely lost and alone. I felt heartbroken that my niece now had no parents and was stuck with me."
Chris just intently listened while Dave told him, "I was a 26 year old who was traveling the country playing with my band in dive bars to being a dad of a five year old. I was so terrified and a lot of times I would go to bed and I would cry myself to sleep because I was afraid that I was screwing her life up. I had no idea what I was doing."
"But you loved her and that is the most important thing," He said.
Dave nodded but then chuckled, "Love is the most important thing but there is so much to parenting and I was so unequipped in every way. I remember I'd take her to birthday parties with all these other kids, she'd be the crazy little tomboy climbing some tree with her scraped up knees. While the other girls were getting her hair done and buying dresses for their prom, her and I were going to beastie boys concerts and doing karaoke at my friend's bar. I didn't know what I was doing at all, but in spite of me, she grew up to be an amazing, compassionate and wonderful person."
"Because of you she grew up to be the person she is," Chris confidently said to him. "Dave, I know I'm not a parent, but I have known a lot of people in my life and Erica is the most amazing woman I have ever met so that says you did something right."
He chuckled while smiling and told Chris, "Well, I can say one thing, I sure do love her. There is nothing on this earth more precious to me than her."
"She adores you Dave, and I see why," Chris rested his forearms on the table.
Dave got a smile on his face before turning the conversation around and asking, "It's pretty good to be on the receiving end of Erica's love isn't it?"
Now it was Chris' turn to beam, "You know Dave, I've dated a fair amount of women and it is so easy for me to say that I have never felt more loved by a woman than I do by her. I can't even describe it. Erica is my best friend and I don't know yet what my future holds, but I know I want Erica in it."
Dave softly smiled and was honest when he said "Coming from someone who ended up spending his life with Erica, trust me when I say it's the most wonderful thing that could ever happen to you."