Desperate

By the time Halloween rolls around, I'm desperate for a distraction. Avrielle is home for the weekend, her excitement infectious as she drags me into our parents' makeshift costume party preparations. It's the first of its kind for the Lee family, and the effort they've put in is impressive. The living room is decked out in orange and black streamers, fake cobwebs stretch across every corner, and a table groans under the weight of snacks and candy. 

"Can you believe this?" Avrielle says, grinning as she adjusts her cat ears. "Mom and Dad throwing a costume party. Who are they?" 

I laugh, but it's somewhat forced. "It's nice, though. Something different." I did appreciate the effort our parents are making. I think me being home every weekend and constantly 'nagging them'- my dad's words not mine- had also in some way, altered them as well. In the past my father would have had nothing to do with these sorts of holidays.