She sipped her pumpkin-spice latte and hummed in joy. With the blur of colorful leaves outside, Halloween-themed desserts, and a satisfying chill in the air, fall had officially come.
The sound of loud squealing caught her attention.
“Hah!” a little voice giggled. “You got wet!”
Head peering out of the window, she smiled at the young children splashing in the puddles on the sidewalk that glittered with fresh dew. Two boys, one girl. They looked happy doing such a simple thing.
“Race you home! Loser doesn’t get hot chocolate!”
As the ecstatic trio sprinted away, she took a moment to enjoy the light breeze. It howled ever so slightly, smelling of pine and apple pie from the small food-stand across the street. It wasn’t long until her stomach rumbled in response to the delicious scent.
She quickly raided her closet and found her favorite autumn sweater; it was big and cozy with intricate details of leaves swirling around a black cat. After wiggling into it, she galloped down the stairs and into the kitchen, where her mom was filling a bowl with candy.
“Halloween isn’t for another two weeks!” she pointed out, but couldn’t hide her grin.
“You can never be too early with sweets.”
“See you later, Mom.”
She threw open the door and was almost immediately greeted by her two best friends. They pulled her close and started talking about finding the biggest pumpkin at the nearby farm. As they all walked, side-by-side, she couldn’t help but feel lighter.
Every house was decorated with skeletons, jack-o-lanterns, and inflatable monsters. It was nice to see the neighborhood participating in the spooky season!
Finally, she and her friends arrived at the small, family-run farm. A few other people were there, admiring the healthy pumpkins and gawking at the baby goats. Somewhere, there was the distinct smell of apple cider donuts.
It was then when she realized that even though the pumpkins, leaves, deserts, and Halloween were all amazing, it was really sharing the experience with special people that made fall unforgettable.