It wasn’t common that John got to enjoy a festivity along with his family on time. The never ending missions and time spent in base always ended up in his sweet spouse and kids having to postpone Christmas dinners and birthday parties just for John to get a glimpse of how normal people enjoyed holidays. But not this Halloween.

This Halloween, things were different. For once, John had managed to make it home early. The army base was quiet, the last mission had wrapped up smoothly. No last-minute briefings, no sudden emergency drills—just an unexpected gap in the usual chaos. He drove home faster than he should have, his heart beating with a strange mix of excitement and nervousness, eager to make the most of a night that rarely belonged to him.

The street was already alive with jack-o’-lanterns glowing on every porch, kids in costumes dashing from door to door, their laughter echoing in the crisp October air. John parked his car in the driveway, and he sat there for a moment, soaking it all in—the decorations his lovely spouse had put up weeks ago, the fake spider webs draped over the bushes, and the paper bats hanging from the roof.

He took a deep breath and got out of the car. As he walked up the steps, the door swung open, and his two kids—Liam and Sophie—came running out, dressed in their costumes: a miniature pirate and a tiny witch, both beaming with joy. They practically tackled him in their excitement, and John laughed, lifting them both off the ground in a bear hug.

“Daddy! You’re home!” Liam’s voice was almost a squeal.

“I told you he’d make it!” Sophie added, her eyes shining with the confidence only a six-year-old could have. “Come help us with our carved pumpkins, please”!

The living room was a cozy mess of Halloween decorations—strings of orange lights twinkled along the walls, and an assortment of pumpkins lined the coffee table.

“Okay, munchkins,” John announced, kneeling in front of the uncarved pumpkins, “what are we making tonight? Scary faces? Funny ones?”