Halloween, Birthdays, and Obligations

“Faith.” Maggie said stiffly when she answered the door.

“Maggie, it’s great to see you.” I said cordially.

“No need to lie.” She tittered.

Her tone was a joking tone but her eyes told me she meant it. Mike laughed and I joined in half-heartedly as we walked over the threshold to Mike’s dad’s house.

Maggie had decided to move here after Frank’s death and, in fact, moved into her deceased parents’ old house. She had cited wanting to be close to “the last pieces of” her family as the reason. I had no idea the Halloween party Mike had invited me to weeks ago was going to be at her house or that she was going to even be there or else I never would have agreed to go. Seeing me in a somewhat sexy fireman costume was not the way I had wanted her to meet me again. Mike had told me whose party we were going to on the way there.

I swallowed my annoyance about him not telling me and kept quiet for the rest of the ride to Maggie’s house. I wasn’t convinced that Mike’s omission of her connection to the party was innocent but I decided to get over it and salvage the rest of the night. Mike was wearing a red M&M costume and I was wearing a fireman costume complete with suspenders and hot pants. I thought it would be a fun in-joke with Mike and he certainly enjoyed it when he saw me in it but I definitely would’ve rethought my choice of costume if I’d known his judgmental older sister was going to be at the party, let alone hosting it. I steeled myself as we walked up the stone pathway I’d become so familiar with the last time Mike and I had dated.

“Did Jamie take the kids out trick-or-treating?” Mike asked.

“No. I’ve stuck the kids upstairs with some movies and snacks. I didn’t want to have to worry about them with the party and everything.”

“No trick-or-treating?” Mike asked with sadness.

“They’ll get over it.” Maggie shrugged and headed toward the kitchen.

“But they’re the perfect age for it…” Mike said after her.

They entered the kitchen bickering while I surveyed the room. I knew no one at this party but from what I could tell it seemed like friends of Maggie’s and her husband and maybe a family friend or two I vaguely remembered from Betty’s funeral. According to Mike, Sarah wasn’t even going to be there. I sighed and found an open seat on the couch. Jamie came by and handed me a drink.

“Hi Faith. I hope you’re enjoying the party.”

“It’s great.” I said trying to sound enthusiastic.

“You don’t have to pretend,” He plopped down next to me, “this is the lamest party and we all know it. Even the kids don’t get to have a fun night.”

“Do they even have costumes?” I asked.

“Yes, they’re wearing them upstairs. It broke my heart to tell them we weren’t trick-or-treating this year but Maggie was insistent that I be around to help her all night and they’re too young to go alone.”

“Why don’t Mike and I take them?” I suggested.

“That’s…we wouldn’t want to burden you guys.”

“It wouldn’t be a burden. I’m sure Mike would be much happier knowing the kids got to go out tonight, too. He’s arguing with Maggie about it right now.”

I smiled and Jamie nodded. We got up and headed to the kitchen.

“Oh, come on, Maggie! Kids this age are so fun to take out on Halloween. They only have a few Halloweens before they’ll be too old for it.”

“It’s just one year, Mike. They’ll get over it.”

“You know Faith just suggested that she and Mike could take them trick-or-treating.” Jamie interrupted.

Maggie’s eyes shot daggers at me and I secretly hated Jamie for brining me up at all.

“They don’t need to go.” Maggie said with finality.

“Maggie, they’re sitting upstairs in their costumes absolutely devastated. We should let them go with their uncle. You won’t have to worry about a thing and everyone wins. The kids get to go trick-or-treating and you and I get to stay here and make a great party for our friends.”

Maggie knew she was being unreasonable and didn’t want to concede but she also knew how cruel it would look if she didn’t. So she sighed and nodded. Mike jumped with excitement, grabbed my hand, and dragged me up the stairs to get the kids. We found them watching a Harry Potter movie in their costumes. Annabelle was dressed as a clown fish and Grant was dressed as Captain America.

“Uncle Mike?” Grant said.

“Ready to go trick-or-treating little buddy?”

“But mommy said no.” Annabelle said sadly.

“She changed her mind. Get your shoes on, sweetheart.” Mike said.

The kids looked at each other before breaking out into huge smiles and running to get their shoes. I turned off the movie and smiled at Mike.

“Maggie’s pissed.” I whispered teasingly.

“She’ll get over it.” He said pulling me to him.

He kissed me and moved his hands up and down my back.

“The kids…” I whispered between kisses.

“We’ve got time.”

“AHEM.” A loud voice came from the doorway.

It was Maggie. Mike and I broke apart as if we were caught teenagers.

“I brought their candy buckets and coats,” she said handing them to Mike, “I want them home before nine.”

“Will do.” Mike said cheerily.

Maggie smiled icily at him and then gave me a dirty look. This was not the first time she had caught Mike and I being…affectionate in this house. I nearly burst out laughing when I realized it was the same exact room, too.

We took the kids out and had a wonderful time, it was honestly a relief to get out of Maggie’s lame party. As Annabelle and Grant ran up the walk to a house, Mike and I stood on the sidewalk watching. We were holding hands and I was wearing a jacket Jamie had given me.

“You’ve been really quiet tonight.” Mike said.

I shrugged. Mike’s stare wavered.

“I…Look, I know you and Maggie don’t get along but you really shouldn’t let her get to you. It’s nothing personal…the way she acts…she’s like that with everyone. It’s just…how she is, Faith.”

I nodded because I didn’t want to get into it with Mike in front of his niece and nephew and I also just didn’t know what to say to that. We escorted the kids around the neighborhood and lost track of time. I looked at my watch and was immediately anxious.

“Mike, we should really head back. It’s ten ‘til nine. Maggie wanted them home before nine.”

“Oh, we’re having fun. Just a few more houses.”

I felt uneasy about that but the kids looked so excited and I didn’t want to ruin their fun so we went for a few more. We didn’t get back to Maggie’s until 9:30. When we got back to the house, Jamie and Maggie were cleaning up and all of the guests were gone. To her credit, Maggie put the kids to bed first before she lost it. I was following Jamie with a trash bag as he threw the scattered cups and plates around their living room away.

“Where the HELL were you!?” Maggie said with her hands on her hips as soon as she reached the bottom of the staircase.

Jamie and I both jumped and Mike rounded the corner from the kitchen.

“Maggie, chill. It’s not a big deal. It’s Halloween!”

“Was this YOUR idea?” Maggie asked looking at my acidly.

I was taken aback. Mike grabbed Maggie’s arm and dragged her into the kitchen. Jamie and I looked at each other before he went back to cleaning up I followed his lead. We tried to pretend that we couldn’t hear Mike and Maggie arguing in the kitchen. It was doubly awkward because it was about me…again.

“She’s a terrible influence! On you! On my family! I don’t know what you see in her!”

“She is not, you don’t even know her!”

“I know I don’t want her around my daughter wearing clothes like that!”

“It’s Halloween! She didn’t know we were going to be around kids and her costume is pretty tame and you know it.”

“That costume is what strippers wear when they are working!”

“She’s wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and suspenders.” I heard Mike say.

“I don’t understand. That woman is a whore, Mike! She cheated on you and here you are defending her anyway as if nothing happened.”

“I’ve moved on Maggie, maybe you need to, too!”

Mike stomped into the living room and looked at me.

“We’re leaving.”

I nodded and followed him out while weakly waving good-bye to Jamie.

_______________ 

Mike hadn’t said anything about the fight with Maggie and I didn’t ask. I wasn’t sure if he knew if I’d been able to hear their entire argument or if he just didn’t want to talk about it. We didn’t talk about Maggie at all until my birthday. I hadn’t wanted a big party for my birthday, I just wanted a quiet night in with Mike. We ordered Chinese and rented Pitch Perfect from Netflix. We were cuddled up on the couch when Mike reached behind me and pulled out a small velvet box.

“I know you said you didn’t want a gift, but I got you something.” He said placing it in my lap.

“Oh, Mike…” I opened it to find a sliver chain bracelet with crystals interspersed throughout, “It’s beautiful.”

He helped me put it on and kissed me.

“I love you, Faith.”

I was surprised. I hadn’t expected Mike to say those words and I definitely hadn’t expected myself not to say them back to him.

“What’s wrong? You look like…like you doubt that…”

I looked down at my bracelet and then back up into his eyes.

“I…I am doubting that.” I wasn’t expecting to be so honest.

“Why?” Mike looked hurt.

“Because…” I was realizing the reason as I said it, “if you love someone, you don’t let your sister call them a whore. You don’t let your sister treat someone you love like garbage and then hand-wave away her behavior by saying it’s just how she is.”

“Oh, Faith, come on! I told you that’s how she treats everyone, you can’t take it so personally.”

“But, I do, Mike. I do. And you should, too. I don’t normally let people treat me the way your sister does. I don’t treat people that way and maybe she treats people that way because no one she cares about has ever called her out on it. It’s NOT okay. And if you loved me, I really think you’d get where I’m coming from and stand up for me every time she talks about me like I’m the devil reincarnated.”

“Faith…be reasonable.”

“I am being reasonable. How many times am I going to have to listen to you sister insult me when she talks to you and not hear you say a word about it? How many times am I going to hear her call me a whore and hear nothing but silence come out of your mouth?”

“It’s just because you don’t know her like I do…Maybe if you guys hung out one-on-one you’d see a different side of her…”

“That is an activity I will never be participating in.” I said as soon as Mike finished saying the words.

“Fine, then come to Thanksgiving with me. I’ll be there. The whole family will be there. It’ll be good, I promise. I’ll make sure she’s on her best behavior.”

“Why are you trying to force this?” I asked with exasperation, “I don’t want to be around your sister, Mike.”

“Fine, then we can go to your family’s house for dinner.”

“No.” I said with horror, “I know you’re close with your family but my mother is not like Betty was.”

“So, what? You’re just going to sit in your apartment and pout on Thanksgiving?” Mike said.

I stood up.

“I’m going to go.” I said, “I don’t even know how we got here.”

“Well then let me remind you! I told you that I was in love with you and then you started nagging me about my sister. I can’t control what she says or how she acts, Faith!”

“And I’m not asking you to! I’m asking YOU to react to the way she treats me. If one of my family members insulted you I would stand up for you because I LOVE YOU and would want them to know that you can’t be treated that way. At least not in my presence!”

Mike and I stared at each other angrily. A slow smile spread across Mike’s face after a few moments.

“So…you do love me.”

“That’s not what this is about.” I said tiredly.

“It is what this is about…at least right now. I love you, Faith. And you love me. That’s all that matters. That’s everything. My sister is not a part of this.”

He motioned between us and then pulled me in for a hug. I was still irritated about our conversation and Mike’s unwillingness to acknowledge that Maggie, and his response to her, was a problem but I hugged him back anyway.

______________ 

“We need to figure out what we’re going to do for Thanksgiving.” Mike said while making dinner.

We were in my apartment and I had just gotten home from meeting with Steve, my old assistant, about a possible way to help The Glass Penny get in the black with its profits.

“Maggie invited us to come.”

“She did? She specifically invited me?”

“Well, she invited me and said I could bring a guest but I’m sure she knows I’ll be bringing you.”

“But she didn’t actually invite me.” I said matter-of-factly, “And I’m sure you noticed that. What did you say to her?”

Mike pretended he hadn’t heard me as he strained the pasta.

“Or, we could go to your parents’ house. I’d love to meet them. And I’m great with parents.”

“I don’t really like either of those choices. Why don’t we go to Tony’s?”

“Tony’s got his own family he’s visiting.”

“Then why don’t we just do it together and not go to anyone else’s Thanksgiving?”

“Thanksgiving is supposed to be celebrated with family and friends. Plus which one of us would be able to eat that much turkey?”

And so, my choice was to either start another giant fight about Maggie or choose between her and my mother. I didn’t want Maggie to have the satisfaction of knowing she was getting between Mike and me, but I also didn’t want to go to Thanksgiving and have to sit there while she insulted me and Mike said nothing. So…my parents’ it is.

I booked the tickets yesterday.

This is going to suck.