The first knock came at one minute after five, and Gerry was ready for them. He grabbed the plastic bowl off the counter and balanced it in the crook of his arm while he opened the door with his other hand. A princess, a turtle, and a vampire immediately hollered, “Trick or Treat!” and the “Merry Christmas!” that Gerry gleefully offered back was given a round of thrilled laughter.
“It’s not Christmas!” the princess scolded. “It’s Halloween!”
Gerry feigned shock. “Oh, no! Then what will I do with all these presents?”
He’d painstakingly wrapped candy in cheap wrapping paper and topped them all with a bow for the sake of his ruse. He did it every year, though the mistaken holiday always changed; sometimes Easter, sometimes a birthday celebration, or Valentine’s Day. The kids seemed to like
