A Very Merry Merrick Halloween [Entry]
A Very Merry Merrick Halloween
Halloween. The holiday that kids look forward to every year as a reason to dress up and ask for candy from neighbors. My daughter was no different from other kids, except for the fact that she was a Merrick.
Lily loved to go out for the holiday, always seeing it as a way to have fun with me. This year Lily was going out as Tinkerbelle. Also, this year it wasn’t just her and I going out, Alex, Jack, and Rian were tagging along with their kids.
“Daddy can I put on my costume,” my six year old asked as I made her lunch. She was a kindergartener, but she only had school in the morning and the rest of the day she was mine.
“It’s too early Lily,” I told her, “You can put on your costume after dinner.”
“But I want to show Uncle Alex my costume now,” I chuckled at my silly daughter.
“I can wait to see it, Lily,” Alex had let himself in and surprised my daughter.
“Uncle Alex,” Lily screamed as she ran to Alex and he caught her and hugged her.
“You are early,” I gave him a look that screamed ‘You’re wrecking my parenting.’
Why is it that I never mention Lily’s mom? Well that’s because she was taken from me in a car accident. Lily’s mom, my fiancée Megan, was killed by a driver texting and driving. The worst part was that I nearly lost Lily since Megan was still pregnant when she was killed in the accident. Megan died in the hospital after they got Lily out of her, resulting in Lily being born 8 weeks premature. Since then it was just me and Lily against the world. I owe it to Alex, Jack, Rian, and the entire All Time Low family for the support I got with raising my daughter on my own.
“Uncle Alex, where’s Tommy,” Lily asked.
“He’s still in school. He’s in first grade and has to stay at school for the whole day,” Alex explained why her best friend wasn’t with Alex.
“Poor Tommy,” Lily frowned a little.
“Soon you’ll be in his spot, Lily,” he told her.
“Never,” she squealed and wrapped her little arms around my bulky leg, “I want to come home early to Daddy all the time.”
“Lily, I went through school just like Tom is. You will too,” I told her, “But I will still be here when you get out of school.”
“Good,” Lily huffed as I picked her up.
“How about you go play in your room while Alex and I hang out and practice our music,” I kissed my little girl’s cheek and let her go run off to her room.
Finally Jack and Rian came over, bringing their kids little Jack and Ashley, with them along with Tom. The kids went upstairs to Lily’s room to get their costumes on with Lily while the four of us hung out in the kitchen.
“Ash would not stop gushing over how much fun she was going to have with her friends trick-or-treating tonight,” Rian said as we chilled.
“Jack was jumping around all this morning. He was beyond excited to spend the night out with his friends to get free candy,” Jack bragged about his little guy.
“Well let’s get ourselves ready to take them out,” I told the guys. I went up to my room and got dressed into warmer clothes.
“Daddy, help me put my wings on,” Lily asked as she came into my room with her wings in her little hands.
“Of course sweetheart,” I smiled and kneeled down to put her wings on.
“Now I need my hair tied up in a bun Daddy,” she looked up at me.
“I’ll try my best, Lily,” I told her as I took her into the bathroom and pulled her hair up for her.
Once all the kids were ready, we headed out. The kids had pillow cases with them and hit the doors that had their porch lights on. House by house, the kids began to fill their pillowcases. Soon Lily couldn’t carry hers anymore. I told her she was done now and we’d keep walking with the others until they filled their pillowcases with the sweet treats.
Once the kids were done, we all went back to my house. Lily, Jack, Ashley, and Tom watched Halloween movies on the Disney channel, while us guys watched scary movies while enjoying a couple beers as we sorted through our kids’ goodies to make sure everything was safe for them.
“Daddy,” Lily had come downstairs after her friends had left.
“Yeah Lily,” I asked her as she came over to sit with me.
“What would Mommy be like if she went out with us tonight,” she asked.
“She would have dressed up as Wendy,” I told her, “Peter Pan was her favorite movie when she was your age.”
“I miss Mommy,” she whispered.
“I miss her too. But a mean man took Mommy away when you were born,” I told her, “But she’s watching over us, Lily.”
“Happy Halloween, Mommy,” Lily looked up at the ceiling.
“I bet she just wished you a happy Halloween too,” I told her.
“I love you Daddy,” Lily hugged my arm as best as her little arms could.
“I love you too, Lily,” I kissed her hair.
“Dad,” I heard my teenage daughter call as she bounded down the stairs.
“Yeah, Lil,” I asked her as she waltzed into the kitchen in her witch costume; Lily’s fourteen now.
“I’m ready to head out to the Gaskarths’ to meet up with Tom to trick-or-treat,” she replied.
“Alright,” I told her, “Don’t be out late on the streets with him and have Alex bring you home before 11.”
“I will, Dad,” Lily replied, “I love you, Dad.”
“I love you too, Lily,” I kissed her forehead before I hugged her warmly. Lily soon walked over to the door to head out to my car. I followed behind her and took her to her best friend’s house to head out for the night with her friends.
“Happy Halloween, Dad,” Lily said as she climbed out of the car.
“Happy Halloween, Lily,” I replied, “Be safe.”
“She’s in good hands, Mr. Merrick,” Tom told me as he came over to the car to greet Lily.
I pulled out of the drive, knowing that my little girl was going to have a great night out with her friends. I get to spend my night handing out candy as I watch a scary movie and enjoy a beer or two.
Lily loved to go out for the holiday, always seeing it as a way to have fun with me. This year Lily was going out as Tinkerbelle. Also, this year it wasn’t just her and I going out, Alex, Jack, and Rian were tagging along with their kids.
“Daddy can I put on my costume,” my six year old asked as I made her lunch. She was a kindergartener, but she only had school in the morning and the rest of the day she was mine.
“It’s too early Lily,” I told her, “You can put on your costume after dinner.”
“But I want to show Uncle Alex my costume now,” I chuckled at my silly daughter.
“I can wait to see it, Lily,” Alex had let himself in and surprised my daughter.
“Uncle Alex,” Lily screamed as she ran to Alex and he caught her and hugged her.
“You are early,” I gave him a look that screamed ‘You’re wrecking my parenting.’
Why is it that I never mention Lily’s mom? Well that’s because she was taken from me in a car accident. Lily’s mom, my fiancée Megan, was killed by a driver texting and driving. The worst part was that I nearly lost Lily since Megan was still pregnant when she was killed in the accident. Megan died in the hospital after they got Lily out of her, resulting in Lily being born 8 weeks premature. Since then it was just me and Lily against the world. I owe it to Alex, Jack, Rian, and the entire All Time Low family for the support I got with raising my daughter on my own.
“Uncle Alex, where’s Tommy,” Lily asked.
“He’s still in school. He’s in first grade and has to stay at school for the whole day,” Alex explained why her best friend wasn’t with Alex.
“Poor Tommy,” Lily frowned a little.
“Soon you’ll be in his spot, Lily,” he told her.
“Never,” she squealed and wrapped her little arms around my bulky leg, “I want to come home early to Daddy all the time.”
“Lily, I went through school just like Tom is. You will too,” I told her, “But I will still be here when you get out of school.”
“Good,” Lily huffed as I picked her up.
“How about you go play in your room while Alex and I hang out and practice our music,” I kissed my little girl’s cheek and let her go run off to her room.
Finally Jack and Rian came over, bringing their kids little Jack and Ashley, with them along with Tom. The kids went upstairs to Lily’s room to get their costumes on with Lily while the four of us hung out in the kitchen.
“Ash would not stop gushing over how much fun she was going to have with her friends trick-or-treating tonight,” Rian said as we chilled.
“Jack was jumping around all this morning. He was beyond excited to spend the night out with his friends to get free candy,” Jack bragged about his little guy.
“Well let’s get ourselves ready to take them out,” I told the guys. I went up to my room and got dressed into warmer clothes.
“Daddy, help me put my wings on,” Lily asked as she came into my room with her wings in her little hands.
“Of course sweetheart,” I smiled and kneeled down to put her wings on.
“Now I need my hair tied up in a bun Daddy,” she looked up at me.
“I’ll try my best, Lily,” I told her as I took her into the bathroom and pulled her hair up for her.
Once all the kids were ready, we headed out. The kids had pillow cases with them and hit the doors that had their porch lights on. House by house, the kids began to fill their pillowcases. Soon Lily couldn’t carry hers anymore. I told her she was done now and we’d keep walking with the others until they filled their pillowcases with the sweet treats.
Once the kids were done, we all went back to my house. Lily, Jack, Ashley, and Tom watched Halloween movies on the Disney channel, while us guys watched scary movies while enjoying a couple beers as we sorted through our kids’ goodies to make sure everything was safe for them.
“Daddy,” Lily had come downstairs after her friends had left.
“Yeah Lily,” I asked her as she came over to sit with me.
“What would Mommy be like if she went out with us tonight,” she asked.
“She would have dressed up as Wendy,” I told her, “Peter Pan was her favorite movie when she was your age.”
“I miss Mommy,” she whispered.
“I miss her too. But a mean man took Mommy away when you were born,” I told her, “But she’s watching over us, Lily.”
“Happy Halloween, Mommy,” Lily looked up at the ceiling.
“I bet she just wished you a happy Halloween too,” I told her.
“I love you Daddy,” Lily hugged my arm as best as her little arms could.
“I love you too, Lily,” I kissed her hair.
*8 years later*
“Dad,” I heard my teenage daughter call as she bounded down the stairs.
“Yeah, Lil,” I asked her as she waltzed into the kitchen in her witch costume; Lily’s fourteen now.
“I’m ready to head out to the Gaskarths’ to meet up with Tom to trick-or-treat,” she replied.
“Alright,” I told her, “Don’t be out late on the streets with him and have Alex bring you home before 11.”
“I will, Dad,” Lily replied, “I love you, Dad.”
“I love you too, Lily,” I kissed her forehead before I hugged her warmly. Lily soon walked over to the door to head out to my car. I followed behind her and took her to her best friend’s house to head out for the night with her friends.
“Happy Halloween, Dad,” Lily said as she climbed out of the car.
“Happy Halloween, Lily,” I replied, “Be safe.”
“She’s in good hands, Mr. Merrick,” Tom told me as he came over to the car to greet Lily.
I pulled out of the drive, knowing that my little girl was going to have a great night out with her friends. I get to spend my night handing out candy as I watch a scary movie and enjoy a beer or two.
10/1/13