October 14- Australia votes no to an indigenous voice in parliament.
October 31- My four foster children want to go trick or treating.

It’s too hot in Perth already. The 8-year-old has taken off her Wednesday wig because she’s sweating. She is now dressed as “gothic girl”. The 3-year-old in his batman onesie eats every treat as soon as he receives it. It’s the best night of his life. The 7-year-old is Autistic and stops to inspect the Halloween decorations, checks with me what is real and what isn’t, makes sure his brothers and sister take the correct number of lollies. The 13-year-old is too hot to wear a mask, he has ditched the cape too. Now he’s just a teenager wearing black, asking for free food and it dawns on me, that he is an Aboriginal teenager, wearing black, asking for free food and my stomach sinks. I call him back as he runs ahead to the next house, tell him that he can’t get treats if he isn’t in costume, when I really mean, they might not even open the door to you. ‘Do you think you’re getting too old for this?’ I ask him as he gets his treats from the next house, despite wearing no costume and being as tall as me. ‘Never too old for free treats’ he says, and I hug him next to a ‘Vote Yes’ poster discarded on the ground next to us.