p>Brad was unsurprising.

He would jump at the chance to shine above the neighborhood.

I listed a few brands that I had researched. They were all awful devices with one-star ratings and a reputation for malfunctioning and exhibiting odd flaws. Yet, he didn’t have to know that.

“Do you agree?” he asked, currently intellectually planning his Halloween magnum opus.

Absolutely, yes.

The neighborhood would talk about you.

I was happy when I left that way.

I simply had to wait now.

Brad’s house looked like something out of a horror movie when Halloween night arrived. As was to be expected, he had done everything.

There was a horde of children and guardians assembled on the walkway wondering about the mist carrying out across his yard.

Brad took in their admiration as he stood in the middle of it all.

I watched from my yard with Lily and Lucas packaged in my lap, feeling a piece like a bad guy in some low-financial plan show. I needed to concede his arrangement looked great — until it didn’t.

The haze machine faltered right on prompt and on second thought of creating that shocking, environmental fog, it began showering water like a nursery hose.

Brad panicked as the crowd gasped and the kids giggled.

He rushed over to the machine and tried to stop it by fiddling with the buttons.

Be that as it may, it wasn’t finished.

His prized centerpiece, the ghost projector, flickered on and off, casting a cartoonish, jittery ghost that looked more like a deranged blob than a ghost. Both the children and their parents cracked a chuckle at this point.

The final blow arrived next. The deflated head of one of his inflatables, a giant Frankenstein, rolled comically across the yard as it slowly collapsed.

With Halloween mischief in the air, some teenage boys thought it was funny, so they grabbed a carton of eggs and hurled them with gleeful precision at Brad’s house.

Brad was losing it, so he was running back and forth to try to keep his dignity, but it was too late.

There was no going back from the transformation of his horror haunted house into a comedy haunted house.

When I was feeding Lucas the next morning, there was a knock at the door.

When I opened it, Brad looked… deflated. Similar as his Frankenstein.

I almost felt bad because he wasn’t his usual arrogant self.

He murmured, not quite looking me in the eye, “I, uh, wanted to apologize.” for crashing your vehicle. I overreacted.

Before speaking, I took my time and crossed my arms.

You did, yes.”

“I just… I didn’t understand how hard it should be, you know, with the twins what not.” Evidently ill, he rubbed the back of his neck.

I apologize.”

As I watched him tremble, I allowed the silence to continue for a while longer. Brad, thank you for your apologies. It won’t happen again, I’m sure.”

In an effort to get out of the awkwardness, he quickly nodded.

No, it will not.”

I couldn’t help but add, “Funny how things have a way of balancing out, huh?” as he turned to leave.

Brad was silent for the first time as he glanced back.