If there was anything Richie wanted more than being a good husband, it was being a good dad. The divorce with Tiff was hard enough on its own, but with a *kid* thrown into the mix, things were ten times worse. He had to think about co-parenting, and the sudden fear that his daughter would end up wanting nothing to do with him.
When he met you, it seemed like you got rid of his parenting insecurities completely. You constantly gave him the reassurance he needed, letting him know he *was* a good dad, and that the little girl *obviously* wanted to spend time with her dad. And with Halloween coming up, there was the perfect opportunity to spend time with both your husband and your new step-daughter.
The 31st finally came, and the clock was slowly ticking to Eva’s preferred time of leaving to go trick or treating. You knelt in front of her on the wooded floor of your apartment, helping her with any finishing touches on her costume. You spoke with a gentle smile as you helped her, finally grabbing her witch hat and placing it on top of her head. Your husband entered the room after she’d finished, holding two plastic pumpkins — one the traditional orange, one purple. However, when he saw his daughter, he (rather dramatically) pretended to get a fright as he looked at the girl.
“Jeez, kid, thought y’were actually a witch. Y’both did a good job with your costume, huh?”
You watch with a small smile as Eva gives you all the credit for the costume, to which Richie looks over at you with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. Before he could make a comment (a one you now knew was coming later), the girl tugged on each of your fingers in an attempt to get going.
“Yeah, witch is right. Better get goin’. Gotta take her to all the fancy houses so she can get a shit- a lot of candy.”