Layla said, "Sure, I can send it to you. Why?"
"You'll see."
Layla sent me the picture and I brought the picture up on the AR glasses that I was still wearing.
I then removed the glasses and handed them over to Layla, saying, "Here put these on."
When Layla put them on she exclaimed, "Oh! Wow, these are the… um, um."
"AR Glasses."
"Right AR glasses. These are pretty cool."
"Yeah. Since you needed to transfer the picture to the pumpkin, now you can."
"Right. Yeah, this actually makes it really easy. Oops, um, how do I get the picture to stay still? It keeps moving on me."
"Right, well…" I took a step closer and placed my hand on her lower back and with my other hand gestured in front of her. "If you make this gesture on the image then you can freeze it in place."
"Oh, you're right. Thanks." Layla turned and looked up at me. We made eye contact through the glasses that held a little too long, before she looked away.
I slid my hand off of her back and stepped back before saying, "Well, I guess it's time to start your masterpiece."
"Right! I'm kind of excited now, let's do it."
We started working on the pumpkins. Layla was carving out a witch, while I was carving my two pumpkins into the silhouette of my cats.
…
We carved pumpkins and talked while the sun set and the lights turned on.
Once we finished I said, "Your witch turned out really nice."
"Thanks, I recognize that one. That's Vinnie, I saw the big guy while I was talking with your mom. So I guess the other one is Pipie. They are really well done."
"Thank you. I think we have a few of those small candles if you want to see them lit up."
"Yeah! That would be cool."
"Ok, let me go up and get them."
I went inside and quickly made my way upstairs to where we keep our candles.
While I was digging around my mom said, "Hey, I made dinner, whenever you and Layla are ready to eat you can."
"Huh? Oh ok. What did you make?"
"I just threw in a chicken and rice casserole."
"Ok, that sounds good. Thanks."
"Yep, you're welcome."
I found the little candles in the back of the cabinet, in a large Ziplock bag.
I grabbed a matchbox and hurried back outside.
Layla and I lit our pumpkins and turned the lights off to look at the pumpkins in the dark, fully illuminated.
While we were looking at them I said, "Every witch needs a black cat or two."
Layla smiled and said, "You just can't be a proper witch if you don't."
"Absolutly… Also my mom made dinner, if you want to have any."
"Really? She shouldn't have."
"Made dinner? We have to eat too, you know?"
"You know I didn't mean it like that!" Layla said while smacking my arm.
"I know. And I know that she didn't HAVE to, but it is rude to make food for just yourselves if you have guests over."
"Yeah, you're right. I would have been hurt if she made dinner for just you two and I had to sit there and watch you eat."
"It would have been super awkward too."
"Absolutely it would have been."
"Believe it or not but that has actually happened to me before."
"No. It hasn't."
"Yeah. I was at a friends and they had lunch while I got to sit there and watch them have it. It was really awkward."
"I bet it was. Ugh. That makes me cringe just thinking about it."
"Yep, anyway how do you feel about chicken and rice casserole?"
"It sounds fantastic. You just can't go wrong with chicken and rice."
"You really can't."
We made our way inside to the kitchen to eat. Mom decided to join us, and before I knew it both Layla and mom were locked in conversation again.
Once we finished eating Layla took mom outside to see the pumpkins while I was left inside to clean the kitchen.
I started thinking that this wasn't how this was supposed to go. How did I end up alone, cleaning the kitchen?
I am glad that Layla and mom have had a fast connection and were in favor of each other, but it also made me feel a little lonely.
I was always the one that felt like an outsider, in every friend group I always felt out of place. It just seemed to be repeating itself now with my own family.
Then again, it could also just be my own jealousy that Layla is paying more attention to my mom than me.
That is quite a sad jealousy to have.
After a while they came back inside and Layla said that it was about time she got home.
So she and I went out to the car so I could drive her home.
As I drove her home we talked in the car about a lot of things but towards the end of the ride we started talking about the car business again.
Layla asked, "Are you sure I don't need to get anything else besides my tools?"
"Actually, yeah I do."
"Oh! What?"
"I need you to take the Safety Inspection Course."
"The, what?"
"Safety Inspection Course. You need to take an 8 hour class and pass the test with an 80% or higher. Then you can be certified to do inspections for state safety regulations."
"Ok? But, why do I need to do that?"
"Because then when you make new parts you can determine whether they are road legal and meet all state safety and emissions regulations."
"That makes sense. But, somehow it seems a little underhanded."
"Oh, yeah, it is. But, it is 100% perfectly legal."
"Well, as long as it is legal."
"It is. I would never ask you to do something illegal."
Right about that time I pulled up to her house and said, "I believe you live here?"
"Yes, indeed I do. Thank you for the ride and good bye."
"Yep, have a nice night."
Layla got out of the car and took a few steps before I opened the door and said, "Wait."
She stopped and turned around.
I walked up to her and reached out both hands to either side of her face. Her face seemed to get redder, but it was hard to tell in the dark.
As she was looking up at me, I removed the AR glasses from the top of her head.
I smirked, "Almost forgot these."