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Chapter Thirty Three

"Happy Halloween! Come vin, come vin. Vhat can I get you to drink? Some blood, perhaps?"

The eleven of us were standing at Nick's front door. He was dressed like a vampire, complete with dripping fangs. He was playing the whole thing up like he was on Broadway or something.

The outside of the house was decorated like a giant graveyard. The decorations continued on the inside. If there was one holiday the Carters loved, it was Halloween.

"Good to see you Nick," Kevin said with a laugh. They hugged and Nick smiled.

"It's Count Nick-ula tonight," he said happily. He turned around. "Vhere is my bride?"

Liv came down the hallway. Her cape was hung over her shoulder. She was cradling a teeny baby in her arms.

"Hey, you're not dressed?" Nick said in his normal voice. Liv looked at him like he was nuts.

"Are you serious? Brooke and Kay wanted me to help them get their makeup on. Peyton was stuck in her tights. And Noah...I have no idea where he is. Then Landon started screaming and I had to feed him and--"

She looked around as if just realizing we were all there. She broke into a smile.

"Hey guys!"

"Number four?" Kevin asked, nodded towards the dark haired, red-faced baby in Liv's arms. Nick's smile widened; it stretched out the fake blood on his chin and made it almost look like spaghetti sauce instead.

"Yup, number four."

"And the last," Liv said. "I got tired of Nick whining about the lack of little feet in the house."

Nick laughed.

During the course of this conversation, Mason inched his way towards me. He took my hand and gave it a squeeze. I looked at him and he smiled.

"Help yourself to some munchies guys," Liv said. The table was loaded with trail mix, punch, and other various junk foods.

Joe, Dan, Brayden and Tristan didn't need to be told twice. Ally stuck by my other side. She had been acting like a mother hen to me ever since she had learned about the baby.

Nick turned back to Kev.

"How's it going?"

The question hung in the air heavily. Nick's eyes landed on me and Mason. He looked at our hands.

"Aw, are you two finally going out?" He jabbed Kevin in the side. "What did I say? I called this forever ago."

Liv came up. Addy leaned over to see the baby. Mom wasn't far behind.

"I still remember that blog he wrote about the red-headed grandchildren," Liv said with a laugh. "Remember that Kev?"

"I remember," he said quietly.

"We'll have to see about that," dad said. "Hair color is going to be a crap shoot."

"What?" Nick asked in surprise.

Kevin glanced back at us. I had a feeling he wasn't going to blurt it out like dad would.

"We're going to have a baby in May," I said. My voice sounded like Minnie Mouse's. It was that squeaky. The words so didn't sound right in my ears.

"Oh honey," Liv said sadly. Nick looked speechless. Which was unusual. I had never known Mr. Bob to be quiet. And yes, I still called him that to his face.

It was our little inside joke.

I smelled a pity party coming. I so didn't want a pity party. Mason cleared his throat.

"Hey Dan, let's get your costume on!" he called out. Joe and Dan followed Mason down the hall. Mom took Ally and the twins to get changed.

"Mom, Kay wants more lipstick!"

I hadn't seen Brooke for about a year. I was surprised at how tall she had gotten. She was dressed as a flapper; I couldn't help but notice how long her legs were. And her hair.

Brooke had been kidnapped when she was seven. Her hair had been hacked off. She hadn't let anyone cut it since. It was almost to her waist. Long, blonde and straight.

Perfect hair.

"I got the tube!"

A girl wearing a huge feather boa around her neck walked down the hall holding a tube of lipstick. I hadn't seen Kayleigh for years, but I knew that's who the girl had to be.

Like Brooke, she was blonde but her hair fell in long soft curls. Her facial feature were tiny but perfect. She flashed a bright smile up at Liv.

"I need more," she said, holding up the tube. Liv rolled up the stick and Kayleigh puckered.

As Liv was applying the lipstick, the boys trooped out of the bathroom. Joe was dressed as a corpse. Dan looked like a zombie, but he was wearing a hockey mask.

Mason had donned a cowboy hat. That was it. A cowboy hat.

I personally thought it was a great costume.

Liv rolled up the tube. She turned.

"Nick, can you hold Landon? I want to see where Noah ran off to."

"Sure thing."

The little wiggling baby was passed into Nick-ula's arms and Liv took off down the hallway. What I can only describe as a little version of Liv ran past her in the hall.

"DADDY, LOOK!"

Peyton was dressed as a fairy. And not just one of those weird looking fairies. She had light up wings and a dress with layers of mesh. Nick smiled at her adoringly.

"Absolutely beautiful."

Peyton beamed. Brooke walked up to Nick and wrapped her arms around his waist. She looked up at him.

"I haven't forgotten my flapper," Nick said softly. He ran a hand down her hair. "You look beautiful too."

She smiled and twirled in place.

Ally, the twins, and mom came back into the room. Ally had decided she wanted to be Snow White. With her long black hair, it was the perfect choice. Brayden and Tristan were dressed as robots.

The room was crowded and the kids were getting noisy. Liv finally came back downstairs. I swear to god that a minature Nick was following her.

Noah looked identical to his dad. He was even wearing a smaller version of the vampire get-up.

"Where were you?" Nick asked Noah. Noah smiled.

"I was hanging upside down in the attic," he said.

"No he wasn't. He was trying to find your, er, magazines," Liv said.

Dad started to laugh.

"Do you still have the first one I bought you?" Kevin asked.

"I think we should head out!" Nick declared. He handed Landon back to Liv. Liv just looked and him and shook her head.

"I'm going to stay here and help Liv get the rest of the food ready," Addy said.

"Shel, do you want to stay here?" mom asked.

I hadn't missed the trick-or-treat walk. I had always gone. But I just didn't feel up to it this year. I nodded.

"I'll stay here too," Mason said. "I'll hand out candy at the door." He shared a look with Kevin. Kevin nodded.

Mom, dad, Nick, Kevin and the whole slew of kids took off outside. I could hear the twins beeping and booping halfway down the block. Not long after kids started to come up to the door and Mason got busy handling the candy.

"What can I do to help?" Addy asked.

"I need some vegetables cut up," Liv said. "And I've got to get the lasagna layered. Ugh."

Liv glanced over at me.

"Hey Shel, can you sit with Landon?"

I looked at her in surprise.

"What? Oh...sure."

I held out my arms and Liv handed him over gently. I stared down into his tiny face. He was asleep. I slowly sank down on the couch.

"How old is he?" I asked.

"Tomorrow he'll be two weeks old," Liv said. She headed into the kitchen.

I looked down at him. He smelled really good. His mouth opened and I braced myself for a cry, but he just turned his head and let out a sigh. I relaxed a little bit and looked up.

Mason was watching me from the open front door. Our eyes met. I saw Mason take a deep breath.

I had a feeling we were both thinking the same thing.

Seven months from now I'd be holding our own child.

I felt myself tense up. The familiar feeling of panic whenever I really thought about it hit me full force again.

And Landon began to cry.