The ride home
The car was packed with bones, boxes, and pieces piled wherever they would fit, including right on top of Amanda.
Where the Memory Began
Some houses become part of your childhood.
There was a Christmas home I looked forward to seeing in Dryden, Virginia. It was never simply about the decorations. It was the anticipation, the ritual of returning, and the feeling that someone had created something special for everyone who passed by. The owner dressed as Santa Claus and handed candy canes to children in the driveway, giving the visit some of the same warmth and excitement as trick-or-treating—only in December.
That memory stayed with me. Years later, it became one part of a much larger story shaped by our love of Halloween, our home, and the traditions we began creating together.
