Grandma Ruth had spent three evenings making her Halloween witch’s cape, and twelve-year-old Theo had personally tested its scare factor on Dad. Dad had dropped a dish towel. That counted. Now she stood beneath the community hall’s paper bats while a judge handed her a pink ribbon marked Cutest Costume. Theo stared at it. “She’s a witch.” “A lovely witch,” the judge said. Grandma looked down at the ribbon, then up at her grandson. “I believe we’ve been robbed.”

Theo marched her back toward the judging table, her crooked hat bobbing above him. “We’d like a recount.” The judge tried not to smile. “What would you prefer?” “Terrifying. At minimum.” Grandma leaned on her broom. “I’ve been rehearsing a cackle since Tuesday.” “Let’s hear it.” She drew herself up, spread the cape Theo had helped stitch, and delivered a laugh so wicked that a little boy dressed as a dinosaur backed straight into his father. Theo pointed at him. “Evidence.” Then Grandma’s hat slid over her eyes, and the cackle dissolved into her own helpless laughter. Theo rescued the hat, but he was laughing too hard to finish his case.

The judge turned the ribbon over and wrote Terrifying, pending appeal on the back. Grandma inspected it. “That’ll do.” She pinned it inside her cape, with the new wording facing out, and offered Theo her elbow. On their way to the cider table, he asked whether she was disappointed. “Disappointed? I got to scare a dinosaur.” She lowered her voice. “Next year, you’re coming as my solicitor.” Theo considered that. “Can I carry a skull?” “Naturally. We’re professionals.”

Who would you go into a Halloween argument for? Give the hands behind those homemade costumes a little care with Regenerate RX, an all-natural balm for damaged skin when costume-making leaves a scrape or a small skin break. There’s another cape to make next year, and Theo already has ideas.

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