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A seven-year-old Cassie skips into the kitchen to Molly who grins at her as she scoops her up and sets her on the counter.
"Are you excited for Halloween, sweetie?"
"Yes", she grins, watching Molly cut the tops off of the four pumpkins on the counter.
"You always get so much candy trick-or-treating, it's insane", she chuckles at her daughter, her mind sharp and Sherlock's and features as warm as her own, still in disbelief that she's theirs even after a year and a half.
Molly hugs her close and kisses her head. "I love you. I'm so glad you're ours, Cas. Every single day. I'm glad we found you."
Cassie blushes and cuddles Molly, burying her face in her shoulder. "Me too, Mum."
She grins and pokes her nose then takes out a couple of large spoons and a large baking tray. "Now, ready to scoop out some pumpkin seeds so we can bake them all yummy?"
Cas nods eagerly. "I want-"
"-cinnamon on yours", Molly finishes. "I know", she laughs softly.
"Yesss", she giggles and begins scooping the inside of her pumpkin out and Molly does her own. Just then Sherlock saunters into the kitchen with a squirmy one-and-a-half-year-old Abby, who is dressed in her costume- a little bumblebee, complete with round holographic wings. Sherlock is dressed in a beekeeper's uniform and grins proudly.
Molly gasps and beams. "Ohhh my goodness! That's adorable!", she exclaims happily, going over and peppering Abby in kisses. "You are quite the little busy bee, aren't you Abby?"
Sherlock smirks. "I thought it was appropriate. Plus, I know quite a bit on the subject of beekeeping."
"Of course you do", Molly chuckles and presses a soft kiss to his lips. "Mmm", she grins. "Feel like making pumpkin seeds with us? Did you forget?"
"How could I forget a tradition near and dear to you? I know it's a small thing to honor your dad, so of course I didn't forget. I just thought I'd surprise you with our Halloween costumes first. I got you a zookeeper outfit since Cas is a tiger."
"You're the best", she grins.
"I'm glad you realize", he winks.
Cas giggles as Abby tries to squirm out of Sherlock's arms. He sets her down and she runs to her big sister, waddling a bit as she is still a bit unsteady on her feet, her wings wobbling behind her.
Hopping down from the counter with Molly's help, Cassie leans down and hugs her. "Abby, are you excited!?"
"Yeahhh!", she squeals loudly. "Cah-dee!", she babbles, pointing to the lime-colored candy bowl on the other side of the kitchen.
"We can have candy later, when we go trick-or-treating, okay?", Cas says softly, taking her hand and walking her back over to Sherlock. "You have to get your costume off now until later, so you don't get it messy during supper."
Sherlock and Molly exchange glances, loving how gentle she is with her. Sherlock smiles and scoops her back up. "Come on buzzing little bee, let's get you changed hm?"
They go back upstairs, and Molly helps Cas back up onto the counter and they resume scooping and placing the seeds on the baking sheet. Sherlock comes back moments later and places Abby in her highchair, giving her some Goldfish to occupy her as he joins his other girls scooping the pumpkins so they can bake the seeds.
Once they are all on the baking sheet, Molly melts the butter and gets out the cinnamon sugar, letting Cassie put what she likes on hers, and she puts some salt on hers. Sherlock does a bit of everything for his own. She then puts them in the oven to bake.
While the pumpkin seeds are baking, they carve their pumpkins. Sherlock helps Cassie carve hers into a ghost shape. Sherlock carves his into a classic jack o'lantern, but with a deerstalker. Molly giggles and carves hers into a bat shape.
When they're finished, Sherlock puts LED tea lights in the pumpkin and puts them on the front stairs. When he comes back, Molly has taken the pumpkin seeds out of the oven, and they are ready for snacking. It's one of the small, but meaningful traditions that she has to do every Halloween that makes her just a bit happier, plus they're delicious.
Once they are all finished snacking on the seeds and eating a quick dinner, Sherlock and Molly help the girls get their costumes on and get ready to go trick or treating. Molly grins and kisses the girls goodbye and good luck, as it's her year to stay behind and pass out the candy as Sherlock takes them.
"Be careful, you three."
"Always", Sherlock replies, pecking her lips and heading out with the girls. As Molly looks after them, she simply can't believe how incredibly amazing her life has turned out so far.