When I Look At You

“What are you doing for Halloween?” Danielle asked Faith as they walked next to each other through the supermarket. Faith reached to her right and grabbed a bundle of fresh Romaine lettuce.

“Well at school everyone is going to dress up so I have to come up with a costume in two days basically.”

“Faith, you mean to tell me you waited until today, the 28th, to start thinking of a costume?”

“Yeah, it’s not really a big deal,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Sure it is. Especially since Kevin and I are having a party and want you and Nick to come,” Danielle said, grabbing a few tomatoes.

“Dani, you mean to tell me you waited until today, the 28th, to tell me you are having a Halloween party?” Faith asked with a smirk as she mocked Danielle.

“Sorry about that I’ve been busy making my costume.”

“What did you come up with?”

“Wilma Flintstone,” she said with a smile.

“Very nice.”

“So will you come?”

“Well, yeah, of course. I just have to run it past Nick… see if he’ll make it.”

“Oh, I’m sure he will,” she said, smirking at Faith who furrowed her eyebrows together.

****

After dinner that night Nick headed upstairs to his office while Faith cleaned up. As she washed the dishes she wondered how she would approach Nick about the party. Things had been a little rocky since Frankie’s birthday incident but she tried to make things better because he was her husband and she loved him. Once all of the dishes were washed, dried, and put away, Faith slipped her rings back onto her finger, took a deep breath, and headed for the stairs.

The door to Nick’s office was cracked open a bit letting the light flood out into the hallway. Faith could hear the music stop and start as Nick worked on editing it. She quietly pushed open the door and watched her husband for a moment.

“Nick, I have to ask you something,” she said. He paused the track he was on and turned to her with a smile.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“So, you know Kevin and Danielle,” she started and Nick nodded his head, a confused look on his face. “Well today Danielle invited us to their house for a Halloween party.”

“I know,” he said.

“What? You know? How do you know?” she asked, sitting on the futon across from him.

“Kevin is my brother,” he said with a laugh.

“Right…” she said. “So, will you go?”

“Of course. I already have our costumes.”

“You do?”

“Yup,” he said, turning back to face his computer. It was silent for a minute as she stared at him.

“So?”

“So what?” he asked and she could see the beginning of a smirk forming on his face.

“Are you going to tell me what our costumes are?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Because they’re going to be a surprise!” he said with a laugh, turning to look at the pout on her face.

“Well, what am I supposed to wear to school on Monday?”

“I think you should just tie your hair in braids and wear your Dorothy costume from last year. You still have those red shoes right?”

“I guess I could do that,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “You really got costumes?”

“Yes, I really got costumes,” he said causing her to smile.

“Well okay then,” she said, standing up and walking over to him. “I have to prepare some things for the kids for Monday and I’ll probably get to bed early.”

“Alright, goodnight,” he said, giving her a kiss.

“I love you,” she said as she stood in the doorway, her hand hovering over the doorknob.

“Ditto,” he said. She stood there for a moment in shock before slowly pulling the door closed. Not once had he ever responded to I love you like that. He had always said it in return. Now Faith was wondering if Nick had possibly fallen out of love with her.

****

“Your costume is very adorable Faith,” April said as Faith put her things in the teacher’s lounge.

“Thank you. So is yours,” Faith said, taking notice of April’s Alice in Wonderland costume.

“Are you excited to see the kids in their costumes?”

“Oh, yes, very. I’m sure I’m going to have a smile on my face all day,” she said, already smiling as some kids started arriving.

“Miss Faith!” a little girl named Jenny cried as she ran to the door of the classroom. “We match!”

“Yes we do!” Faith said, smiling at Jenny’s little Dorothy costume.

“We’re both Dorothy and Lisa is the good witch,” Jenny said, pointing over to Lisa.

“And we all look very pretty,” Faith said, smoothing down Jenny’s hair. “Why don’t you go play?”

“Okay!” Jenny said, running towards her friends, laughing all the way. Faith smiled once again and looked up at the clock. Nick had said he would be at home waiting for her when she got out of work so they could get ready for Kevin and Danielle’s party. She wished with all her might that he was telling the truth.

****

Faith let out a sigh of relief as she pulled into the driveway and saw Nick’s car there. She climbed out of the car with a smile of her face and headed inside. Standing on the staircase with a huge smile on his face was her husband.

“What’s going on?” she asked curiously, giving Nick a worried look.

“It’s costume time,” he said. She set her stuff down next to the door and followed him upstairs. “Close your eyes.”

Faith did as she was told and felt some sort of cloth over her eyes. She rolled her eyes over the fact that Nick was blindfolding her just for Halloween costumes. She felt his hands on hers, leading her into their bedroom. After some shuffling around she felt his fingers on the back of her head untying the blindfold.

“Open them,” he whispered. Faith’s eyelids fluttered open and she gasped at the sight of the costumes laid out on the bed before her.

“Nick, this dress is beautiful,” she whispered, fingering the smooth fabric of the yellow dress. “Why did you choose these?”

“Well, to be honest, I thought they were fitting,” he said, shrugging his shoulders and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“How so?”

“I’ve realized that I’ve been such a beast to you. Pun intended, hence the Beauty and the Beast costumes. I figured it could be a little joke between us because in the story Belle was able to see past the Beast’s attitude and they fell in love.”

“Nicholas Jerry Jonas that is probably the most romantic explanation I’ve ever heard to the picking out of Halloween costumes,” Faith said, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his torso.

“I’m glad you like them,” he said with a laugh, kissing the top of her head. “Come on, we should get ready.”

Once their costumes were on Faith and Nick headed over to Kevin and Danielle’s house. Nick rang the doorbell and answering the door was Kevin dressed as Fred Flintstone. Behind him Faith could see Joe with his hair in a ridiculous gelled back part and some blonde next to him.

“Hey guys, come on in,” Kevin said, holding the door open. “Nice costumes.”

“Thanks bro,” Nick said. “I’m going to bring these drinks into the kitchen.”

“Hey Kevin,” Faith whispered, standing close to him. “Who’s Joe with and what are they supposed to be?”

“That’s Charlotte, remember her?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Faith said, feeling like her stomach dropped all the way to the floor.

“She convinced him to dress up as Ken and she’s supposed to be Barbie,” he said, letting out a slight laugh. “I’m surprised he agreed to it but this is a couple’s only celebration.”

“Yeah, I’m surprised too,” she said, watching as the two talked to Frankie and Becca. She felt a twinge of jealousy when she saw Charlotte throw her head back in laughter and put her hand on Joe’s arm.

“Having fun,” Nick asked behind her causing her to jump slightly.

“Not yet,” she said truthfully. “We did just get here.”

“Good point. Did you see Dani with her red Wilma wig on yet?”

“Nope, haven’t seen her,” Faith said, her eyes still on Joe and Charlotte.

“Come on, she’s in the kitchen with Mom and Dad,” he said, taking her hand. Before she turned away Joe caught her eye and smiled. Faith drew her lips into a thin line and turned away from Joe who stood there feeling confused.