Separated From Pregnant Wife By Temporary Quarantine, Logan Square Man Uses Costumes To Show Love From Social Distance
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Grief and happiness were all rolled into one for a Logan Square couple.
Just weeks from welcoming their first child, the couple is social distancing after the husband returned from his father's funeral.
As CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported Tuesday night, distance is truly making the heart grow fonder.
Morgan Haxel talked to us as she was headed out the door on the way to her social distancing date night.
"It's literally been the highlight of my day," Haxel said.
For nearly two weeks, she has made the same walk to meet the same guy.
"They've gotten progressively more interesting and fun," Haxel said.
Her date was also on the way to their designated meeting spot in Logan Square.
Morgan's date is her husband, Dan Haxel.
On Tuesday night, he was dressed as an orange holding what he will admit is a pretty corny handmade sign, reading, "Orange you glad you picked me?"
"It definitely gives me something to look forward to every day," Dan Haxel said.
"We made the really tough decision of quarantining from each other for 14 days," Morgan Haxel said.
Dan's father passed away suddenly. The funeral was out of town, and Morgan didn't travel for it because the couple is expecting a baby boy in August.
"We thought since I'm pregnant, we should isolate from each other.
"I haven't hugged him in 12 days probably," Morgan said. "It's heartbreaking."
The tradition started last week, with a simple "I love you sign" and no costume
"I started crying, and the next day, he had an outfit and a sign," Morgan said.
From then on, the costumes continued. Dan dressed as a cop, an owl with an "Owl Always Love You" sign, a "You set my world on Fireball" whiskey costume, and, a Fourth of July fireworks onesie.
"He's going through such a terrible time and still grieving, and yet is thinking of ways to laugh and joke around just to make me happy," Morgan said. "Means everything to me
"We're people struggling and not being able to converse normally," Dan said. "I think this has been really good for me and for her."
Even in the confusion of this pandemic and the sudden loss of a parent, there is some comfort in a silly costume - albeit from a safe distance a part.
Dan Haxel would not tell De Mar the costumes he has planned for the rest of the week. Morgan is expected to move back in this weekend.
If you're wondering where Dan gets all those great costumes, he says they're dug up from past Halloweens and other events over the years.