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Happy Halloween! I’m ignoring today’s prompts and going with something seasonally appropriate. This is probably the most evil thing I’ve ever written.
Using Lauren the Corgi’s Promptober list. (Sort of.)
CWs: The worst person you know being an adorable dad
***
Smiling, Zion holds up the lumpy little turnip with a face carved in it. “In Ireland, this is what they use for Jack o’lanterns.”
All three children stare at it intensely.
Piper is the first to make a face and turn away. “I like pumpkins better.”
Zion nods, and reaches over to heft one by the stem. It’s a beautiful pumpkin, pleasingly round with a smooth, clean skin. “They didn’t have those yet, when the tradition began,” he says, holding it up and contemplating it. “That didn’t come until trade began with the Americas. But they do offer a much larger canvas, don’t they?”
He passes it down into her arms when she reaches for it.
Stephen is holding the turnip up to his nose, squinting at it. “How did they even manage this without breaking it?” he asks, a little wonderingly.
“Determination,” Zion laughs.
With his fingertip, Ira is tracing the imaginary features of a not-yet-o’lanterned jack on the curves of another pumpkin. “I want this one,” he announces.
It’s more lopsided than Piper’s. Zion supposes it’s got character.
Stephen picks up another turnip. “I might give this a shot, actually.”
Zion laughs again. “Well, it’ll let you practice your knife skills.”
He hesitates briefly, and then grabs one more pumpkin, tall and a pale enough orange to almost be yellow. What the hell, he might as well join them.
He follows as the kids run toward the farmer collecting payment, chattering about their prizes.
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