Autumn leaves were falling- slowly. A young woman stood as they fluttered by, a conspiracy of burnt orange and crinkling brown, with the occasional flash of cardinal red. She was before a modest house with a baby blue door, under the maple that supplied said leaves. She was waiting. What for? Well...

The door creaked open and the woman started. A thin man was silhouetted against the doorway, hair a cowlicked blue-black, shirt untucked.

"Hey Cassie."

The woman moved closer.

"It's been a bit."

She smiled, lips twisting wryly.

"I still wake up thinking I hear you snoring."

The man's mouth twitched up too, but his glassy eyes stayed down.

"I thought it would be easier, after all this time, but the ache's still there. I miss you."

Cassie flitted over and grasped the man's hand.

"I missed you too," she whispered into his ear, breath lightly feathered...

He shuddered, drawing his hand back.

"Whoof, I guess the autumn breeze is starting to chill."

He gave one last glance at the tree, then turned back to the house, closing the door as Cassie slipped in behind.

"Daddy! Daddy! Are you ready?"

A smaller boy with the same messy ink-black hair as his father bounced down the stairs.

"Yeah," he murmured, quickly wiping behind his glasses before bringing himself to his son's level.

"Yeah! Do you have your bucket?"

"Yes! Petals attached to head?" he asked, tweaking the boy's cheek, who giggled out a "Yep!"

"All right then, let's go!"

The father grabbed his pointed hat, and the pair headed out, the odd couple of a wizard and his sunflower. They went from house to house, the decades-old chant of "trick or treat!" ringing in their ears and mouths—door after door opening, then closing, then opening once more, and still—still Cassie followed, her amber-flecked eyes fixed on only them. She passed through the crowds like a shadow, keeping up without struggle though the objects of her attention had to tightly clasp hands to not be swept up in the human waves...

By the time they finished their rounds, the sky, before filled with the cascading light of golden hour was now the purple ombre of dusk, spiced with stars, just as the air of the house was spiced with cinnamon and the tartness of granny smiths when they entered.

The man swung his son down from his shoulders, and the boy paused to hug his father. He looked up with amber-flecked eyes.

"Thank you, Dad."

The man's eyes crinkled.

"I just wish Mama were here too..."

He sighed, ruffling his hair to reveal grey roots.

"Me too, kid, me too."

They held each other in silence, father and son entwined in their longing, until...

A clattering was heard from the kitchen. A woman emerged.

"Mom!" the boy shouted, leaping into her open arms.

"Zoe! When did you get here?"

The amusement was evident in the woman's amber-flecked eyes.

"My flight flew in early! And," she reached behind to grab a gleaming circular object, "I made pie!"

The trio laughed in perfect harmony, while Cassie stood slightly off to the side, not quite on the same frequency. Her gaze was full of yearning—for the sour sweetness of that pie for them...

As the laughter trickled down, the woman continued more solemnly,

"After all, you know what today is. I didn't want to miss it."

She picked up a picture sitting on the mantel. It displayed a young girl with amber-flecked eyes, dark hair, and caramel skin. It was Cassie.

She waited in front of them now, older, as they formed a circle, placing candles on the pie.

The man lit them slowly, flames bathing the room in a soft light not dissimilar to the sunset beams seen earlier.

"Happy 18th birthday Cassie," he said quietly as she kneeled before the pie.

The flames disappeared suddenly, smoking.

He blinked.

"That's odd."

He lit them once more, and this time, the entire family leaned down together to blow out the lights. The smoke curled away from the candles, burning their throats and eyes, salty tears streaming down.

They embraced amongst that smoke, a family of four, as it rose up, up into the heavens, transcending time and space—for a moment, a time, a life.

Cassie stepped back.

"Goodbye," she mouthed.

Then she was gone.

THE END