The knock on the door was intense and extra loud.

I figured it was more 10 to 12 year old boys who had been trick or treating by the droves. The last group of 4 boys had been dressed like zombies and the boy closest to me at the door was in character, acting like he was going to bite my arm. I told him to be careful because the last ghoulish little boy who acted like he was going to bite me was buried in the back yard. The boy was simply amused, but the boy farthest from the door stepped back away from me while pushing his open trick or treat bag up for candy.

I had the candy bowl in hand and hadn’t even taken another step before there was an even louder, more intense series of knocks on the front door.

I swung the front door open ready to scare the bejeebers out of another group of boys, but there was only one girl.

She was a beautiful 12 year old Princess with Down’s Syndrome. She immediately smiled and said, “Happy Hawwoween!!”

She wore a light blue costume dress that glittered, and her hair had been carefully fixed in flowing curls that bounced when she moved. She had a big plastic pumpkin with a meager amount of candy. Somehow she managed to hold onto her blinking magic fairy godmother wand as she held both hands and arms straight out with her pumpkin dangling from her chubby little fingers.

“Uuuuwwweeeee! You know, I’ve seen lots of trick or treaters tonight, but you! You are for sure the prettiest Princess in town!!”

Her whole being seemed to beam spontaneous joy from her round smiling face to her almond shaped eyes that sparkled by porch light.

The more stuff I dumped in her plastic pumpkin, the more and louder she giggled. I fixed her up with every type of candy we had, plus several fruit roll ups for good measure. She told me, “Thank que”, and carefully walked up the long sidewalk to an adult waiting at the end.

It’s an honor to meet true royalty. It’s not every day you can say you’ve met a real, live, honest to goodness Princess of Genovia. I have!

She wouldn’t remember me. I can’t forget her. Long live the Princess!!