This is something I wrote based on one of my favorite autumn evenings. Enjoy!

Tessa Bennett looked around and smiled. It was a gorgeous beach day in mid July. A row of beach chairs were set up near the water in the wet sand. In front of the chairs sand toys were strewn around. Little sand hands dug in the sand as bronzed children giggled. Abbie and Chloe were busy burying Maya but the wet sand kept rolling off. Eliza joined in, but she just hit Maya with the shovel. Abbie coaxed her into burying a toy truck with JP instead.

The two youngest sat in a shallow pool at their mother's feet. Tessa had to keep Leo from plopping over. Noah could crawl out when he wasn't busy eating sand.

Jen wrinkled her nose. "I hope he waits until Alex is home before he shits that out."

All the women laughed. Kids raised on The Point ate dirt. Megan laughed. "He's nothing like his mother. I remember you when you hated to get your hands dirty."

Jen pouted. "I was four or five."

"Or eight or nine."

"Well I grew out of it."

"Alex must be glad you like to get dirty," Kristi said.

All the women laughed. Tessa loved her friends, Megan, Jen, Maddie, and Kristi. Sometimes others joined them. Maddie's sister-in-law Lana, but she had her own group of friends. They were seated behind them on the drier sand.

"We need to make plans for a night out. The men play poker and we take care of the kids." Kristi announced.

Megan laughed. "Kristi, your kids don't need to be taken care of and you always drink on poker night."

Maddie said, "I saw something on Facebook but it isn't until October."

Kristi complained, "October is months away."

Maddie nodded. "I know but the pumpkin farm is having a night in the corn maze."

"The corn maze is for kids. We get lost every year. You would think a PhD could find his way out." Megan teased.

"It's for adults. There are stations inside the maze with wine and chocolate."

Kristi said, "Wine!"

Tessa licked her lips. "Chocolate!"

Maddie smiled. "Should I buy tickets?"

Megan said, "I'm in."

"You know I am, Tessa?" Kristi asked.

"I'll talk with Patrick."

"Newlywed," Jen teased.

"Your husband will be glad for you to go have fun."

Tessa stopped herself from saying the girls were hers, because Patrick didn't think that way.

Megan said, "Leo will be nine months. He'll sleep the whole time."

Leo hated the bottle. He definitely took after his father the way he loved her breast. A flutter ran through her. Maybe when Patrick came back from poker, but a house full of teens and a baby made it hard to be alone.

Megan said, "I think it will be fun, but don't count on me to lead us through."

"Who will drive?" Kristi didn't volunteer.

"I will. I don't drink." Tessa said.

"You need to," Kristi said.

"Who can we invite who doesn't drink?" Jen said.

"Who is pregnant?" Megan asked.

A chorus of not me made them laugh. Maddie said, "Lana is next."

"Is she?"

"Not yet, but Ryan asked Jack about making a girl."

The women giggled. Jen said, "I would think Ryan would want another boy."

"But Lana wants a girl and Ryan would give her the moon if he could." Tessa could say the same about Patrick. Maddie stood. "I have to pack up, but I'm ordering tickets. My friend from work said the event sells out."

As summer ended and made its way into a busy September with the start of school, the women smiled because they had a date on the calendar for some fun. The men would stay home for once while they went out. Some of the couples went out because their kids were older or when they hired a babysitter. Tessa and Patrick liked going to the coffee house, but they preferred to stay home with the girls and Leo, their perfect little second chance. They could sit for hours and watch him as he reached milestones. He had started to crawl, but his biggest skill was working an audience which he had a large one. For all the concern over the big kids and her pregnancy, they all loved him. Even Kevin held him and played with him.

Tessa checked the weather on her phone and she confirmed she'd be warm enough with a sweatshirt. "You sure you don't mind?"

"Tess, it's fine. The girls are easy, and it's almost Leo's bedtime."

Patrick held their son in his arms. The man was so sexy. Tessa would stay home if they could have an evening to themselves. He leaned in. "Have fun and I'll be waiting up." Tingles made their way to her core as he whispered in her ear. "And Tessa, you can have a drink."

"Maybe." She kissed Leo's cheek and breathed in his sweet baby smell before kissing Patrick on the lips.

The girls were in their bedroom and when she entered to say goodbye they waved. Frowning, she chose to be pleased that they felt comfortable with the changes in their lives to not miss her. The downstairs was empty as she made her way to the door. Kevin was at Kristi's as always, and Gabby had gone to the Hughes house. She and Anna had become closer while Anna's boyfriend was at the University of Maine. Tessa worried because Anna had graduated and followed her boyfriend north to Orono. Although Gabby had friends in her own grade, her Point friends were her closest and they were all in college. She had one more year and would have to be making her own decisions soon. Patrick had taken her to visit schools, but she hoped to stay in Maine with Bowdoin on the top of her list. Her biggest problem was not knowing what she wanted to study. Tessa thought she should work with children. Patrick was encouraging her to study biology and decide later. She was also interested in St. Joseph's College. Gabby had talked to Lily Taylor about their nursing program. Her family had a cottage on Maddie's street which was the direction Tessa walked.

In the end, Maddie had offered to drive because she had to perform at story time in the morning and a hangover with twenty screaming kids was pure hell according to the librarian. Her sister-in-law was pregnant, but she lived in Virginia in the winter so that left her out as designated driver. There was an extra joining them. Although she was a Point resident, Tessa didn't know her. Her son and Maddie's stepdaughter were dating. They were Gabby's friends but didn't come by her house. Alison Keller was divorced, and her new husband's first wife died of cancer like Erica had. Tessa had been familiar with who Alison was even before meeting Patrick, because she took the soccer and dance pictures in town. Maybe Tessa would ask her about taking some portraits of Leo for his first birthday. A family photograph would be nice too, but she wasn't sure the big kids would be keen.

They were meeting at Maddie's house for a drink before they left for the pumpkin farm. When Maddie let Tessa in the back door, everyone was already gathered around the kitchen island. JP sat on his mother's hip, but the others had a glass in their hands.

Megan exclaimed, "Tessa's here. The party can start."

Maddie laughed. "Do you know Alison?"

Tessa smiled. "My girls dance and play soccer. Gabby is my stepdaughter."

"We love Gabby at my house. She's a sweet kid."

Megan said, "Everyone loves Gabby. Hannah is a tougher cookie."

"Hannah has come a long way from her attempts to break us up."

Alison said, "My son almost succeeded with me and Bryan. He has come around, and he and Sam are best friends now."

Maddie's husband stepped into the kitchen barefooted wearing shorts. He took the boy from his wife. "Bath time buddy. Ladies, your husbands texted me to tell you to enjoy yourself with the wine."

Maddie slapped his arm. "I'm the DD." He winked at her and Kristi whooped.

"Bryan's at the station all night."

"Poor Bryan." More than one said.

Kristi shook her head. "Poor Alison."

The conversation moved from sex to kids. Mothers could always talk about their children.

Megan finished her wine. "We should hit the road."

"Not so fast." All eyes turned to Kristi. "I made these." Kristi took out tee shirts.

Everyone laughed. Jen laughed. "Oh my God."

The shirt had words. 'I'm lost but I have my friends.' Kristi turned the shirt around. 'And wine and chocolate.'

"Put them on ladies."

No one complained, but Tessa hoped she would be warm enough with it slipped over a long sleeve shirt.

Megan said, "You should have made sweatshirts. It's October."

Alison said, "Channel the teenage boys. They wear shorts in the snow."

"And no coats," Tessa added.

Inside Maddie's car was immaculate with the carseat removed. Jen commented.

"Jack cleaned it for me today."

"He's a prince." Kristi sighed.

Tessa laughed. Why had she ever felt threatened by her friend?

The drive was long but Tessa didn't mind. Rows of cars filled the grass parking lot. Their group made their way to the entrance. Outside the maze was a gathering area with tables and booths selling beer, wine and pizza.

"Do we want another drink before we get lost?" Megan asked.

"We need pictures first. Over there." Kristi pointed to the maze entrance. As the grouped together, Kristi said, "Hold on. We need a selfie."

Megan groaned as Kristi pulled out her selfie stick. Groups of women walked by and commented on their shirts. Tessa had never been in the cool crowd growing up. She anticipated a lot of laughing, especially when Kristi pointed to a large platform which looked like a chair. "Up there next."

Getting up and down was awkward especially laughing. Megan said, "We are never going to make it. If we can't get down how will we get through the maze?"

As they were about to enter the maze, a voice yelled. "Brenner."

A group walked towards them with a dark haired woman cackling. "I love your shirts. Let me guess?" She scanned the crowd. "Kristi!" They all nodded and laughed. "We'll see you in there. We need a drink first."

As they entered the maze, Megan mumbled, "We'll still be lost when you come through."

Tessa agreed because every turn ended in a dead end.

To be continued...