Work Text:
October 31, 1982
Dear Diary,
Tonight, Little Red Riding Hood saved me from bullies. Those kids took all my candies away! They’ve been calling me names and I don’t have friends to save me. Until I heard “Leave her alone!” Little Red Riding Hood, pushing those bullies away. “Give her candies back!” She’s little but she’s bossy. “Or else what?” The big fat kid argued back, he’s the leader of them bullies who took away the other kids’ candies. “You’ll never step a foot on this place again.” Well she’s not only bossy, she made that kid pee his pants, then all of them started running away.
I haven’t gotten my candies back tho, because they ran away with it, they’re too scared to Little Red Riding Hood. “Here…” she offered me her basket full of colourful candies. “You can get some.” And we sat down the grassy ground in front of someone’s house with over the top halloween decoration. I said “Thank you.” And only took one piece of candy, yet she gave me more. “You’re welcome.” She smiled cheekily. “Im sorry, I wasn’t able to get your candies back. I should’ve chased them.” I just nodded at her because I didn’t know what to answer her. So we just sat there in complete silence, until someone called “Red.” A boy, older than us. “You done? Let’s go.” Wearing a pirate costume.
“Time to go. Goodbye, doctor.” She waved her hand at me and the boy said the same. “Should I carry you on my back again?” The two might be siblings. “Aye! Aye! Captain!” I watched them settle until they’re out of my sight.
“Meredith?” And that was my cue to go back inside our murder house too.
“Kids, let’s go.” And the Grey-Montgomery train marched down the stairs followed by their two British Shorthair cats—Luna, the greyish hair cat and Lucy, the ebony red hair cat. Meredith and Addison looked at each other when they saw their cats wearing masks the kids made for them. “It’s trick or treat. Lucy and Luna could join us.” Bailey commented, as he ran around the house, wearing his anime costume—Howl. “But we can’t take them to the hospital.” Addison leaned down on Ellis’ level to fix her headdress. She’s wearing a very cute unicorn costume. “You look magical, baby.”
“Moooom! Can you also please fix my mask?” It was Henry, struggling to put his No Face mask on. “Okay, don’t need to get loud Hen.” It was Meredith’s turn to pay attention to the little guy. Zola on the other hand, being the big sister, was already packing their lunches. “Thanks for the hand sweetie. You look adorable.” She’s dressed as Nezuko. The kids were so fond of anime lately and they wanted to dress like them, except for Ellis tho, her taste still fixed on her magical imagination. “You guys wait for us in the car and no fighting.”
The kids answered “Okay.” In chorus before running out of the house. “They’re growing up so fast.” Meredith sighed, leaning her weight on Addison’s front. The redhead comforted her by rubbing her arm, hugging her tight and kissing the top of her head. “Next time, they’re already leaving for college and there’s no more noisy kids running around the house…”
Addison giggled. “Babe. You’re brain is melting.” Meredith nudged her wife’s side. “I’m serious, Addie.”
“I know. That’s why we are gonna enjoy them before life takes their sanity away, just like what it did to you.” She received another nudge. “I’m kidding.” She continued to laugh tho. “Stop worrying about the future, Meredith. Let’s cherish the present.” The blonde finally faced Addison, wrapping her arms around her waist. “You’re on point. And I’m pinning you tonight.” Meredith smiled, leaning in to kiss Addison on the lips. “Only if the kids sleep early. Tonight’s gonna be out spooky time.”
“Oh right! Tomorrow night then.”
“Tomorrow night. Come on now.”
It was the hospital’s trick or treat event and the kids were so excited to get and share candies with other kids. “I’ll go with uncle Alex!” Bailey dashed towards Alex. “Me too!” Followed by Henry. “Alright little men, let’s get going.” Alex ran with them. “How about you Zo?”
“Can Ellis and I go trick or treat alone?” She looked at her moms with puppy eyes, she knew both Meredith and Addison couldn’t say no to. They were aware that the kids already familiarised the hospitals spaces, and they were close with the people working so it’s safe. “That means none of our kids wants to go with us huh?” Meredith commented as they watched their daughters walk away without them. “What’s with you today Mer? You’re emotional.” Addison captured her wife’s chin, making her look at her in the eyes. She could see the worry, and the best thing she thought to push the worry away was to kiss Meredith’s lips, soft and slow. “Go busy yourself by saving lives. Our kids are safe.”
“You never fail to amaze me, Red.” A wide smile appeared on Addison’s face. Meredith only calls her by that name when it’s Halloween. “I’ll make sure to be on your service everyday.”
“Thank you, Addie. I’ll see you later.”
“Laters, baby.”
~
Later that night, the Grey-Montgomery family were gathered inside the tent built in their backyard. They were ghost hunting for half an hour, until Ellis started crying when Henry scared her. So, they started their annual tradition to share Addison and Meredith’s childhood Halloween story.
“You scared the bullies?” Wide-eye Bailey asked Addison with amusement on his face, as if it was the first time hearing the story. “I did. Because they took mommy’s candies.” Addison laughed, it’s funny how she could still remember every detail of that night. “And then mommy Addie shared her candies with me.” Meredith tried not to laugh saying that statement because her mind processed something different. Addison noticed, shaking her head and keeping herself from laughing also. “So you ate each other’s candies?” When Henry asked that, Addison and Meredith couldn’t hold their laughter anymore. Lover’s minds really think alike. “Why are you laughing?”
Meredith was the first one to stop laughing. “Oh nothing sweetie.” Before Addison. “It’s really just a funny story.”
“And you didn’t know you’re gonna marry each other after that?” That was Zola. “Well, we haven’t asked each other’s name that night.”
“And my family had to go back to Connecticut, so we really didn’t have the chance to get to know each other.” Addison reached for Meredith’s hand and intertwined her fingers with the blonde. “Not until we started working together at the hospital.”
“I remember, you were so shocked when I showed you my picture in that doctor costume.”
“Yeah. And I was like…she looks so familiar…” the kids were just staring at their moms, telling them a story about how they first met. “Until I finally figured it all out. She was the kid doctor in Boston!”
Meredith continued. “And I was also like…you’re little red riding hood who saved me from the bullies who stole my candies?!”
“Moms, your story is fun!”
“You are…” the kids looked at each other with wide smile on their faces. And then they screamed “soulmates!” in chorus.
Meredith and Addison smiled at each other. They didn’t say a word, they didn’t have to. The supposedly spooky night turned into a magical soulmate lane.