Elaine had stopped by Friday.
“Those won’t survive one rainy night,” she said.
“They only need to last until Halloween,” I replied.
I expected Owen to be upset.
On Saturday, Elaine came over for coffee. Owen and I went to buy candy, and she said she’d wait at the house.
Forty minutes later, we pulled into the driveway. The porch was bare.
The bats, ghosts, pumpkins, even the lights — all gone.
I expected Owen to be upset, but he just stared at the steps, still holding the candy bag. Then he went inside.
“Why would you do that?”
Elaine was in the kitchen.
“Where are his decorations?”
“In the garage. Everything’s in a box.”
“Why would you do that? He worked so hard on them.”
“Ask your son.”
“They’re safe,” she said.
“You should’ve asked us.”
Elaine glanced down the hall, then looked back at me.
