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By the time you had actually managed to convince Joel that halloween decoration were in fact worth the effort, Joel had decided half way through that this entire tradition was absolutely, and completely unnecessary. “You know.” He mumbled, carrying one of the cardboard boxes onto the porch. “Most other people would have just carved a damn pumpkins, and call it there.”
You look up from the piles of decorations that you are sorting, “Well… most people aren’t me Joel.” You pointed out very obviously, “Yeah I know it explains a lot about you.” He grunted. You narrowed your eyes at him, and his mouth twitched.
“Joel you said that you wanted to help me.” You whined, “I do. I just never promised you that I was going to actually enjoy any of it.” You huffed, “I don’t need you to enjoy it, Joel.” He nodded his head in understand and set the box down with a quiet grunt, looking over the contents that were inside.
Inside the box contained a string of orange pumpkin lights, little mini plastic pumpkins, a few wooden ghosts (that Joel surely thought he could have carved better) a shit ton of fake spiderwebs to litter around the bushes and banisters of the house. Some paper bats that had seen better dats, and the rest of your entire collection of decorations that you had collected over the years here in the town of Jackson.
Joel stared at it with a look of indifference. “You sure do have enough decorations in this damn box to decorate the entire town.” Joel mumbled, “Maybe.” You shrugged your shoulder still more concerned about separating out your piles. Joel looked back up at you, “The town is gonna think that we are excepting the entire population on our porch.”
You smiled, “Yeah that would actually be fun.” Joel shook his head, “For you it would be fun, what about me?” You reached into the box ignoring Joels comment. Grabbing a bundle of orange pumpkin lights and handing them to Joel.
“Here start off with these.” You told him, he stared at them for a long while. “Why are they orange?” He asked, “I don’t… because it’s halloween colors.” Joel nodded his head slowly as if he didn’t believe that was the true answer.
“Right… I forgot.” He mumbles, as you giggle at him. Joel ends up giving you a certain look as he starts to walk down the stairs to the porch railings. You watch him for a minute. The way he wraps the railing with the string of lights, and then a few minutes later he’s moving on to the standing ladder you already have set up.
Carefully winding and wrapping the stringed light around the large white wooden posts on the porch. You continue watching Joel work, “You’re doing it wrong.” You squeak. He deadpans in your directions.
Slowly looking down at you. “Excuse me?” He says gruffly. You point towards the light and then look back at Joel, “The light they go in the other direction.” Joel stares at the lights, the railing, then they land on you.
“It’s just lights.” You hum, “Which means they don’t know which direction is the right direction.” You drop your shoulders, “Well it is supposed to look nice.”
Joel rolls his eyes at you. “Darlin they’re gonna light up regardless.” You look at him with one arched brow, “Joel.” Is all you have to say before he’d sighing in defeat.
“God you must have a complicated relationship with Christmas lights too.” Joel mutters dryly. “Joel they are Halloween lights, not christmas lights.” Joel groans, “That’s even better.” Obvious sarcasm in his tone. You laugh, as he continues to wrap them around the posters.
Though as you watch him, you notice that he does adjust them to the way you had asked. When Joel finally steps back, you smile at him. “They look great, Joel.” You say warmly with a small smile on your face. He gives them a quick look over, and pauses. “Yeah, they could have used a few less lights.” You roll your eyes.
“Where should these go then, mister?” You ask him, holding up a few plastic mini pumpkins in your hands. “Somewhere.” Joel grunts, “Oh so very helpful.” He sighs, “I suppose the front steps would seem the most reasonable.” You look down at the bare stairs, and then back at him. “See? I’ve got some decoration talent in me.” He mumbles.
You give him one single, unimpressed look, “I’m starting to come to that realization on why Tommy never lets you decorate.” He chuckles at that, “Tommy doesn’t decorate either.” You nod with high brows. “Exactly my point.” “Smart man.” Joel mutters.
You spent the next few hours working your way around the porch. Joel begrudgingly sets up the wooden ghosts that he stares at as if he has a personal vendetta agasint. He also places all the pumpkins down the flight of front porch stairs.
He even helps you attach those stupid cut out paper bats to the edge of the porches roof. Every single piece of decoration comes with and earns its own bit of commentary.
“This one is missin’ an eye.” He grumbles. “It’s supposed to Joel.” You tell him innocently. “Why?” He asks Joel voices going all deep and rough. “Cause it’s a spooky pumpkin.” You say making a gesture with your hands at Joel.
“I’m not gonna lie, it looks like it needs a doctor.” You giggle. Later on you handed Joel a weathered plastic skeleton. He holds it out by the arm. “Ya know this is gonna scare the shit out the kids.”
“That’s kinda the idea, Joel.” You tell him, “You thinkin’ that’s gonna scare them more than the food they serve in the mess hall.” You snort loudly on the porch.
You notice the ever so little smile on his face, and by the time the sun is setting down on the town the porch has completely been transformed into something else entirely.
There’s the glow of warm light from the railing and posts. There are pumpkins sitting on each step. Ghosts are hung up from the edge of the roof, as they gentle start to sway in the breeze of the evening. even the spiderwebs are stretched over the posts and bushes in the front of the yard.
Joel stood beside you on the sidewalk in front of the house, his hands deep in his pockets. “Well.” You said watching as he looked everything over. You waited for a few beats.
“Looks like Halloween just threw up all over our porch.” He grumbled. You bursted into a laughter that had you doubling over. Joel looked at you from over his shoulder. “What?” His brows pinched together.
“Nothing.” You murmured. “No you’re laughin’ what are you laughin’ at?” He asked. You shook your head as you tried to control your laughter. “You just sound like you hate it Joel.”
“I never said that I hated it.” He huffs and turns back to the porch. “No but you did just stand here for the past four hours and complain highly about every single thing.” His shoulders drop, “That’s very different.” Joel grunts.
“How?”
“Because I was just bein’ observant.” He tells you. That somehow makes you laugh even harder now. Joel from beside you shakes his head, but there’s an obvious smile that is tugging at this lips. Right at the corner of his mouth.
You only notice when you come up for air from simply laughing to much that Joel is staring at you. Not the porch anymore, just you. You look ethereal as the orange string lights cast a glow down the porch stairs, and the evening sun starts to set beautifully behind the mountains. Your laughter is being carried down the mostly empty, quiet street.
Joels face was soft, void of the sadness of the years past. He looked young for a few moments, “What?” You asked quietly, “Nothin’.” He mumbled, “What are you stain’ at?” You asked. “Just lookin’ at you.” He replies quickly. “At me?” You say pointing back into your own chest.
He nods, “Why?” You ask unable to push the smile down. He just shrugs his shoulders at you, “Seemed better then lookin’ at these decorations.” He grunts. His words catch you off your guard.
You go very quiet for a few passed questions. Joel looked quickly back at the porch. Joel, he doesn’t say anything that is equal to anything romantic. “Besides.” He starts, “I did spend all this time putting this shit up. I might as well make sure that it looks good enough.”
You nudge him with your shoulder. “I think that you might be secretly enjoying this.” Joel rolls his eyes, “Don’t even get started.” You crack into a smile, “Oh my god, you totally are.! He huffs, “I only tolerate it.” He tells you.
“Hmm, you put that skeleton on the porch all by yourself.” You say pointing up towards the sitting skeleton. “It was heavy.” Joel declares, which doesn’t really help his case, “You even named him.” You tease the older man.
“I didn’t name him.” He frowns, “You did too, called him Frank and everything.” “That’s only because he looks so much like a Frank.” You giggle, “But it still counts.” Joel gives you a look over his shoulder, “Frank needed a good place on the porch. Leave him alone about it.”
You laugh even more now, leaning into him. Joel removes on of his hands from his jacket pocket and wraps it around your shoulder pulling you even closer. For a few short moment nobody utters a word.
There’s the lights the glow in the street. Somewhere down the road, there are children who are laughing as they run between houses, then there’s the not so far off distant sounds of music that is drifting through the town of Jackson.