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I grinned, still watching as another group of kids ran up to the porch. Alicia complimented every last one of them on their outfits, taking the time to notice the little details and joking around with them as she dropped some candy into hats, baskets, and bags.

God, she really is such a natural. She’s going to be the best mother in the whole damn world.

In my chest, some kind of heat flared until it was an inferno that tasted like satisfaction on the back of my tongue. I honestly couldn’t believe this was how good it felt to be happily married, with a baby on the way, and a competitive neighbor to beat at every major holiday.

I was brimming with it until the street finally went quiet and the fire had burned down to glowing coals. Once the final group of teenagers had left, Alicia and I packed up our goodies and she leaned against the door after shutting it behind us.

“Gosh, that was exhausting, but our planning was perfect. I just dished out the last of the candy to those kids.”

“Damn it. I was hoping we had some left for the movie.” I set down our chairs in the foyer and carried the containers that had held the candy to the kitchen. “Are you sure there’s nothing?”

“You already ate three full-sized chocolate bars.”

“Yeah, but Batman needs fuel. How else am I going to keep Gotham safe?”

She rolled her eyes. “Try eating a few carrots.”

I scoffed. “Carrots are not an acceptable food for a superhero.”

“And chocolate is?”

“Yep.” I finally pulled the cape off and laid it over the back of the couch. “Although I think I’m done being Batman.”

“Good,” Tasha called from the armchair she was already occupying. “You look ridiculous.”

Alicia smiled coyly as she pushed away from the door. “She’s not completely wrong. I was joking when I asked if you wanted to dress up as Batman for Halloween.”

“I think I killed it.”

Wyatt looked up from where he was stretched out on the other couch in sweatpants and a hoodie, his feet propped up next to the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. “I think what you mean is that one of us will probably kill you if you ever try wearing that thing again.”

“Why?” I glanced down at the costume. “I think I look hot.”

“You think wrong,” he said.

“Now that, I don’t agree with.” Alicia came up next to me, her fingers brushing mine before she collapsed onto the couch they’d left open for us. “He does look hot.”

“Thank you.”

“That being said, you should go change before the movie starts.”

“Why? It’s not that uncomfortable.”

Her cheeks flushed as she looked up at me, and instantly, I knew where her mind had gone. A smirk tugged at the corners of my lips, but Wyatt shut me down before I could proposition her. “For God’s sake, just go change. I have a reputation to maintain and it doesn’t include watching scary movies with a wannabe Batman, continuously trying to chat up his own wife.”

“This is our house,” I protested, smacking his feet off the coffee table before sinking down next to her still in my costume. “If you don’t like it, you’re free to leave.”

“No, thanks. Someone might see me with Batman when I open the door to go.”

I flipped him off and he laughed, putting his feet right back up on the coffee table and relaxing into the couch. Tasha glanced between us like she was waiting for a fight to start, but Wyatt and I generally communicated in insults because it was easier than being sentimental.

When we’d been kids, he used to follow me around until I got so annoyed that I’d snap at him before telling him to just join me with whatever I’d been doing. When he’d broken something in the house, I’d helped him fix it and vice versa. As teenagers, we used to sneak beer into the house together. After Court’s arrest, he’d been the person I’d been most worried about.

While none of us had been able to fix what was happening, I’d made sure that he ate and I’d gotten him out of the house when the reporters were bad. I’d taught him how to drive and then he’d stolen my car.

Twice.

“Have you picked a movie yet?” I asked, sliding an arm around Alicia’s shoulders and pulling her into me. “We’re going for scary in honor of Halloween, right?”