A smile tugged at my lips as I walked down the street, enjoying the chilly breeze as it danced around me. The ground was littered with fallen leaves, an ombre of brown and orange against the concrete. Most of the trees were bare already, but there were a few still clinging on, desperate for a bit more time together. 

It seems like a lot of people would choose Christmas as their favorite time of year but, for me, it was definitely the Halloween season.

 There's just something so... magical about Autumn. Halloween is a time of fun, a time to forget about all that's weighing you down and be whoever, or whatever, you want to be for a single night. The candy is a pretty sweet bonus, though us adults don't get any unless we buy it ourselves. It's honestly a shame that people are not allowed to trick or treat after a certain age, though I can understand why.

It makes me wish I could borrow someone's child for the night just to get to experience it once more. Growing up, I really didn't get to celebrate the holiday simply because we didn't have the money to. My grandma would buy me a small bag of candy, but I didn't get to dress up and go trick or treating, nor did I get to hand out candy to kids when I got older. 

I remember vividly all those years sitting alone inside my house, the porch light turned off so kids wouldn't come to the door. I remember the sound of their laughter as they went door to door with their families, their cheery voices screaming, 'trick or treat!' More than anything, I remember the sadness and envy that filled me each year.

Then when I'm finally old enough to afford a costume, there's no point. I can't go trick or treating anymore and I have no friends to visit parties with. It's a painful thing, enjoying a holiday so deeply but being unable to celebrate it the way you want. Well, at least I can put a cute outfit on my cat and hand out candy, though there aren't many kids in my neighborhood. 

I shook my head to clear my mind as I reached Franko Publishing. I took a deep breath to ready myself for the day before pulling open the glass door and entering the building. I was honestly lucky to get this job and, though it can get pretty boring working as a security guard, I'm happy to be here. It pays well and there's not much effort to it.  

All I have to do is keep an eye on the security cameras while occasionally making my rounds around the office to ensure nothing is amiss. In my year or so of working here, I've only had to deal with one incident. Long story short, a man wasn't very happy that his manuscript had been rejected so he decided to get drunk and let everyone know just how unhappy he was. 

He wasn't violent perse, choosing to scream obscenities at the employees and piss on the floor. It took a bit of persuading to finally get him to leave and I was thankful he hadn't resorted to attacking anyone.

The elevator was already on the ground floor so I didn't have to wait for it. As I stepped on, though, I heard a man call out, "Hold the elevator!" 

I put my body between the doors so they wouldn't close. The man in question just so happened to be the CEO of Franko Publishing, Felix Franko. He was a tall, fit man with slicked back black hair and bright green eyes. He dressed the part, too, always wearing a vest over his long sleeved dress shirt. 

I've only spoken to him a couple of times which I'm thankful for because, honestly, he's a pretty intimidating guy. Since he's the boss, all I would have to do is say one wrong thing and I could lose my job. To me, that's a terrifying thought.

"Thank you." He spoke curtly, not sparing me a glance as he adjusted the watch on his wrist. 

"You're welcome." I nervously stepped inside the elevator, pressing the button for the 8th floor. 

He reached over to press the same button, paused for a moment when he realized it had been pressed already, and then glanced over at me. I saw no recognition in his eyes and he made no effort to strike up a conversation. I sure as hell wasn't going to. I'm perfectly fine being invisible to the big man upstairs. 

The ride was tense for me and it felt as if it went on for ages before finally coming to a stop with a high-pitched 'ding.' I waited for him to exit first, which he did so without hesitation, before I stepped off, feeling as if I could finally breathe. It made me thankful that the security office and his office were on opposite ends of the floor. 

━━━━━━༻*༺━━━━━━

The day was coming to an end, most of the employees having gone home already so the usually loud office was quiet and calm. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to leave my post until every employee has left the floor, and Mr. Franko was a bit of a workaholic. I knew it would be well into the night before he finally went home. 

I was just finishing my walk around the floor when the elevator dinged. My brow furrowed in confusion. No one should be coming into work at this hour. Maybe someone just forgot something? I turned to face the elevator as the doors slid open, recognizing the occupant immediately. 

It was Belle, Mr. Franko's ex-wife, and their son, ten-year-old Jacob. She was talking loudly on the phone about a party as she stepped off the elevator. I glanced at the receptionist, waiting for her to do her job. As usual, Nancy's eyes remained glued to the fashion magazine as she fawned over the male celebrities within, taking no notice of the woman passing her desk.

I cleared my throat to get her attention and she finally lifted her head, eyes widening when she realized the woman was making a beeline for Mr. Franko's office. She jumped out of her chair, putting herself in front of the woman. 

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Franko, but your husband is in an important meeting right now and can't be disturbed. If you'd like to leave a message for him, I can -" 

"No need," she replied with an annoyed tone. She pushed her child toward the woman before turning on her heel and heading back toward the elevator. "He's your problem now." 

Before she could protest, the doors slid closed. 

The three of us stood in silence for a moment before she cleared her throat, giving the boy a fake smile. "Why don't you go sit over there until your daddy is done, okay?" She motioned toward the small waiting area that sat to the left of the elevator doors.

Without a word, the curly haired boy nodded and did as he was told. 

She then rushed over to me, red lips forming a pout. "You have to watch him." 

"Huh?" I blinked at her, confused. "Babysitting isn't in my contract." 

"You think it's in mine?" She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Listen, I have a very important date tonight so I can't watch him. I know you have no plans so you can." 

I felt offended. Not only because she assumed I had no plans but also because she was right. 

"Please~? I promise I'll make it up to you! Besides, you have to stay here until the old man leaves anyway. I don't." 

I sighed deeply, knowing she was right. She didn't hesitate to grab her purse and hop into the elevator, disappearing before I could change my mind. I glanced at the young boy with a frown, rubbing the back of my neck. What do I do now? 

I've never been good with kids. I'm barely okay with adults and I honestly have no idea what I'm doing half the time. He looks so sad, though, sitting still in the chair with his head lowered and hands in his lap. I thought about the way his mother had acted and it tugged at my heart. I knew all too well what it felt like to not have loving parents, to feel unwanted by them.

So, I steeled myself and approached him slowly, not wanting to startle him. "Your name is Jacob, right?" 

He slowly lifted his head and nodded. 

I squatted down in front of him, hoping my smile didn't look too awkward. "My name is Nicole and I'll be looking after you until your dad is done with his meeting, okay?" 

His eyes scanned my uniform, head tilting to the side. "Are you a cop?" 

"Not quite. I'm a security guard. My job is to keep everyone on this floor safe." 

"So... you protect my dad?" 

"That's right." 

Jacob finally smiled. "Thank you, Miss Nicole." 

I found myself smiling back automatically. "Of course. Do you and your dad have any plans for tonight?" 

He shook his head, the smile fading from his lips. "Mom was supposed to take me trick or treating, but her boyfriend invited her to a party and papa won't be finished in time." 

"Oh..." I mirrored his frown, recalling my own childhood. I bit my lip, having an internal debate with myself for a moment. "Hey, can you do me a favor?" 

"What is it?" 

I pointed to the door at the end of the hallway. "That's the security office where I work, but I really have to use the bathroom. Can you go watch the cameras for me until I return? It's a very important job so you mustn't leave until I get back, okay?" 

His eyes lit up and he quickly nodded, sliding off the chair. "Leave it to me!" 

I chuckled at his enthusiasm, ruffling his mess of curly locks. "I'll be right back." 

"Okay!"

I waited for him to enter the room before turning and walking toward the back of the room. I felt nervous as hell and I was sure I was going to lose my job for this. Thinking about it, though, it's a pretty good reason to get fired. 

I paused in front of the meeting room door, hand hovering over the doorknob. I could hear the heated debate taking place inside and I reconsidered my decision. Jacob's sad face flashed in my mind and I shook my head, knowing what had to be done. Taking a deep breath, I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob and pushed the door open. 

The room immediately went silent, six pairs of eyes turning to stare at me. 

Mr. Franko had an annoyed look on his face already, but it only got worse when he looked at me. "We're in the middle of an important meeting." 

"Yes, sir, I understand." I hated how timid my voice sounded, even to me. "But I -" 

"Do you enjoy your job?" 

"Uh, yes. Yes, sir, I do." 

"Then get out before you lose it." 

The threat was real, I knew, and it was obvious that he was reaching his limit. On instinct, I turned on my heel and started to leave only to pause when I saw a flash of the boy's face again. I knew I needed to do this for him. I didn't want another child to grow up like I did. This was important to him and to me. 

Fists clenched at my sides, I whipped back around, meeting the man's eyes with a resolve I didn't know I had. "I'm sorry for interrupting, sir, but -"

"Yet you're still here," laughed one of the men, his black hair slicked back with enough grease to fill a lake. "Clearly you aren't too sorry, hm?" 

"Honestly," one of the women shook her head in disappointment, her black hair not moving an inch from its tight top bun. "It's hard to find good employees these days. Most of them are incompetent fools that don't understand the meaning of 'do not disturb.'" 

"Right? Though, she doesn't look like the brightest bulb, we shouldn't be too surprised," smirked a second woman as she flicked her wavy blonde hair away from her face. 

As the room erupted in laughter, I found my resolve wavering, my gaze slipping to the floor. These guys are supposed to be the most important people in the company yet they're acting like teenagers in high school. Worse yet, I'm actually weak enough to be affected by their words. 

"That's enough!" Mr. Franko's raised voice easily cut through their laughter, his green eyes falling on me once again.  

As soon as his lips parted to scold me or perhaps to fire me, I blurted out the words, "It's about your son, sir!" 

His eyes widened, clearly caught off guard by this. Without a moment of hesitation, he rushed over to me, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me from the room. The last thing I saw before the door slammed shut was the judging, curious looks of the board members. 

He led me away from the door so they wouldn't overhear us before he grabbed me by the shoulders, fear in his eyes. "My son. Is he... did something happen?" 

I realized he must be thinking that the boy was in some kind of accident. "Ah, no no, he's perfectly fine, sir!" 

His brow furrowed in confusion, the relief clear in his eyes. 

"He's waiting in my office right now," I added. 

"What? His mother should have him right now." 

I considered mentioning the party but figured it wasn't my place to do so. Once I started speaking, though, the words wouldn't stop coming. "She dropped him off a few minutes ago. Forgive me for interrupting your meeting, I know it was important, but I really think you should take him in her place so he doesn't grow up resenting the fact that he never got to do what the other kids could at Halloween." 

Mr. Franko stared at me for a moment as he processed my words. His body relaxed and I watched him curiously as he returned to the meeting room, stopping in the doorway. "I'm ending the meeting early. You can all go home." 

Before any of them could protest, he shut the door again, turning toward me.  

I took the hint, leading him toward the security office where his son was waiting. Jacob's eyes lit up when he saw his father standing in the doorway. He ran into his father's arms in the blink of an eye, small arms tight around the man's neck.

Mr. Franko hugged him back tightly, a warm smile on his lips. I think it was the first time I've ever seen him smile. It looked good on him. "How are you doing, bub? Where is your mom?"

"I'm okay, papa. Mom got invited to a party and she really wanted to go but she couldn't take me with her..."

Anger flashed through his eyes but it was gone as quickly as it had come. "Give me a few minutes to get my things and we'll go trick or treating, okay?"

Surprisingly, Jacob shook his head no, frowning at his father. "It's okay, papa. I know you have to work. It's an important meeting, right? Miss Nancy said so."

He ran his hand over the boy's hair, giving him a warm smile. "I can easily reschedule. Family comes first, remember?"

The boy's eyes lit up, turning watery as he nodded. It was clear how happy he was that his father was choosing him over his work. Something tells me he doesn't have that happen too often with his mom.

Mr. Franko set the boy on the ground before squatting in front of him. "Stay with Miss Nicole for a moment, okay? I just need to gather my things." He sent me a look, silently asking for confirmation.

I quickly nodded, watching as he left the room. I was honestly surprised that he knew my name, especially since we've spoken only a handful of times. I'm not sure why, but it brought a smile to my lips.

"Miss Nicole?" Jacob reached for my hand, pointing to my desk where a series of TVs had been set up, showing off live feeds from around the 8th floor. "Have you ever captured any ghosts on the security cameras?"

I hummed thoughtfully. "No, I don't think I have."

"Aw, I was hoping I could see one," he pouted, making me ruffle his hair with a chuckle.

"Maybe one day, kiddo."

"Let's get going, bub." Mr. Franko appeared in the doorway with his briefcase in one hand and his jacket slung over his arm. "We still have to stop and pick up your costume."

He nodded happily, running toward his father. He was still holding my hand, though, tugging me along with him. It felt rude to just pull my hand away, but I also knew it would be awkward for me to tag along. What the hell do I do in this situation?

"You have to let go of Nicole, bub."

"Can't she come with us, papa?" pouted Jacob, glancing between the two of us with hopeful eyes.

"I'm sure she has her own plans."

"Do you, Miss Nicole?"

The two of them looked at me expectantly and I was taken off guard for a moment. I doubt Mr. Franko wanted me to tag along especially since he doesn't really know me. At the same time, though... Jacob looks so hopeful and I would love the chance to go trick or treating.

I cleared my throat, choosing my words carefully. "I have no plans for tonight..."

"Then you'll join us?" he asked, hopefully. "Please?"

I glanced at his father, expecting him to look annoyed by the prospect of my intrusion, but he didn't seem the least bit bothered. "Well... as long as your dad is okay with it, sure."

He grinned widely, glancing up at his father. "Please, papa?"

Mr. Franko chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair. "Of course, bud." His green eyes met mine, a smile on his handsome face. "You're welcome to join us, Nicole."

A bright smile lit up my face and I nodded. "Thank you, sir!"

"You can just call me Felix."

"If you're sure... Felix."

Happiness filled me as the three of us left the office, heading out into the cool October night. It was the first Halloween in a long time that I had fun and enjoyed myself. 

It was a night I would never forget.