There was one paintbrush left beside the Halloween pumpkin. The children in robot and witch costumes had already started painting stars across it, but a girl dressed as a friendly monster kept that brush clean. She had seen a boy watching from the gate of the house next door.

His family had only recently moved in. From the gate, he could see the paper bats above the craft table and the other children laughing under the orange lanterns. He wanted to join them, but stepping into a group that already knew one another felt harder than any costume game. The girl held out the brush and asked if he would paint the next star.

He came through the gate. A boy in a cardboard robot suit made room at the table; the witch slid the pumpkin closer. The new kid chose neon green. By the time they finished, their pumpkin looked like a friendly creature none of them could have made alone.

Inside, they washed the craft paint from their hands before heading back to see their work under the porch light. The new kid was the first to spot how brightly his green star shone. Nobody called him new when they carried the pumpkin outside. They just asked if he would help choose where it belonged, and he took the front corner as if he had been there from the start.

Who made room for you when you were the new one? Bring Zombie Infusion into your water-based liquid hand soap, mixed according to its directions, for the wash-up after a happy mess together. Keep a brush ready for whoever comes through the gate next.

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