Halloween was right around the corner, and Kevin couldn’t contain his excitement. He had already helped his mom with his costume and decorated his house with his dad. But as he walked down his street, he noticed one house stood out among the rest. It was Mrs. Kimbly’s house, and it had no decorations at all.
Kevin couldn’t understand why someone wouldn’t celebrate Halloween, so he decided that maybe Mrs. Kimbly needed some help. Determined to bring Halloween spirit to her house, he gathered all the decorations he could find and went over to Mrs. Kimbly’s house.
When Mrs. Kimbly answered the door, she seemed annoyed by Kevin’s presence. But he offered his help in putting up decorations anyway. Mrs. Kimbly declined sharply and closed the door.
Kevin was taken aback by Mrs. Kimbly’s reaction, but he didn’t give up. He knew that her house might become a target for pranks if it remained undecorated, so he made a plan. He told his mom, Sarah, about what happened, and although she suggested leaving Mrs. Kimbly alone, Kevin felt that she just seemed lonely.
With his bucket of decorations, including his favorite pumpkin, Kevin returned to Mrs. Kimbly’s house. He carefully hung lights and placed pumpkins on her porch. But when Mrs. Kimbly saw what he had done, she became furious and smashed Kevin’s carved pumpkin on the ground. Kevin was hurt, but he whispered, “I just wanted to help,” before running home.
That night, Kevin put on his vampire costume, but he couldn’t enjoy Halloween. He was worried about Mrs. Kimbly’s house being pranked, so he decided to sit on her porch and hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, explaining that Mrs. Kimbly wasn’t home.
As Kevin sat alone, Mrs. Kimbly came out of her house. This time, her expression was softer. She asked him why he was there, and Kevin explained that he didn’t want anyone to mess with her house. He just wanted to help.
Mrs. Kimbly sighed and sat beside him. She admitted that Halloween was hard for her because it reminded her of how alone she was. Kevin finally understood. He told her that she didn’t have to be alone and that she could celebrate with the rest of them.
Mrs. Kimbly smiled sadly and thanked Kevin for his kindness. She even apologized for smashing his pumpkin. Kevin promised to bring another one so they could carve it together.
For the first time in years, Mrs. Kimbly felt the warmth of Halloween again, all thanks to the caring heart of one determined boy.