“Clear your schedule for Friday night. You and I are going trick or treating.”
raised an eyebrow at Niall. “Aren’t we a little bit too old for that?”
He shook his head with a grin, “I’ve signed us up for babysitting Theo so we have the perfect excuse.”
“Halloween is only a couple of days away, though. There’ll be no costumes left.”
“Don’t worry about that, my pretty.” His grin had somewhat of a wicked hint to it. “I’ve already got them covered.”
She felt her shoulders tense up. She had seen some of his past costumes and had questioned why he was ever given that kind of power.
He chuckled at her visibly growing concerned, “Do you trust me?”
“I do trust you but… I don’t.”
His eyes pleaded with her.
“OK, fine. But if it’s something embarrassing or too scary for kids to see then you’ll be the one explaining to Greg and Denise why their child will be having nightmares for the foreseeable future.”
“Yes!” He almost jumped up out of his seat with excitement before trying to play it cool, “Just promise me that you’ll bring your sense of humour…”
gulped. Whatever had possessed her to give him the OK to pick the costumes? Not that she’d really had a choice. Forget Theo having nightmares – she was now preparing for a week of them showcasing cringe-y and just plain horrific costumes thanks to Niall. At least with Theo in tow it was bound to be something that wasn’t inappropriate… Wasn’t it?
Friday night arrived all too suddenly for ’s liking. She had spent the best part of the week trying to find out what their costumes were going to be with no luck. Apparently Niall had had the sense to have someone else look after them for him and it was driving her crazy. The only reassurances she’d received from him was that the costumes were “family-friendly” and that it would be a “bucket of laughs” but even that wasn’t much to go on. As soon as his brother and his wife had been waved off with promises of a fun night at Uncle Niall and ’s, Niall had shot off up the stairs with Theo to retrieve the costumes leaving in a cloud of weariness.
Niall guided Theo into one of the spare rooms and over to a wardrobe. Opening the doors, he kneeled down and pulled up the edge of the carpeted flooring inside. Theo stood in awe beside him, trying to see over his shoulder. Niall ushered him a little closer as though he was about to impart a huge secret with him. Even the now-five year old had been kept in the dark from the costume-making decisions up until now. Niall reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. Under the cupboard carpet was a door set in the flooring. Niall turned the key in the lock and opened the door. It led to a box. How had never realised that the upstairs floors/downstairs ceilings had about a foot between them all the time she had been living with him had baffled him. Theo giggled next to him has he pulled out three rolled up dress bags and set them down beside him before locking the door and returning the carpet to where it had once been. He unrolled the bags and took out the three costumes to show his nephew whose giggling turned into full blown laughter.
“Do you think will like them?”
Downstairs, could hear extensive laughter from the pair echoing throughout the house. Sat on the sofa tugging at loose threads on a cushion, she didn’t know what to do with herself. Just what had she let herself in for? The sounds of rushed footsteps on the stairs caught her attention and she looked up expecting to see them walking through the door. When nothing came into sight, she furrowed her brow. She could hear excited tittering from behind the wall that led out into the hallway. Niall soon appeared, peeking his head around the frame.
“Are you ready?”
“I guess…”
He bobbed back out of sight before entering the room with one of the dress bags: “I present to you… ‘Chicken Little’!”
Theo bounded under the rectangular archway, running towards her to show her his clothing. let out a sigh of relief, chuckling.
“So this is what you were planning.”
Niall nodded as he handed her the bag. A similar outfit to Theo’s could be seen through a clear panel sewn into the front of it. Never in her life had she been so relieved to dress in something silly. She took the bag from him and disappeared into the kitchen to get changed. When she came back out, Niall was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Theo sat alone on the couch watching cartoons.
“Where’s Uncle Niall?”
Taking one look at her, Theo began to giggle. pulled a funny face at him, stepping further into the room to go in search of Niall.
“Niall?”
“Don’t come in!” His voice came from behind the archway that led to the dining room. He sounded slightly… winded, as though he had been laughing the entire time she had been gone.
She sat down next to Theo, feigning an interest in the show he was watching. It was a while before they heard from Niall again.
“OK; close your eyes!”
rolled her eyes but did so anyway.
She heard him walking across the laminated flooring. His footsteps stopped just before her. She could feel Theo’s shoulders shaking from beside her. Oh God. What had he done?
“And… open!”
It took a little while for her eyes to adjust to the light again and when they did, she just stared at him not knowing what to do or say. He wasn’t dressed as a chicken. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
She started to laugh, if pensively.
Theo got up and started copying him. The pair horsed around together as just sat there unable to believe what she was witnessing.“Are you kidding?”
He began striking poses, struggling to keep a straight face. “What?”
“Is that really your costume?” She took him in in his wig, suit and trick or treating “lantern”.
He nodded, “Why? What’s wrong with it?”
“Well, I thought we were going as a family of chickens and yet here you are dressed as Colonel bloody Sanders.”
Niall’s shoulders shook as he let out his signature cackle. He held out his lantern; a custom-made KFC bucket.
“I told you it would be a bucket of laughs.”