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Chapter 3.
Merle had got Hope ready for their shopping trip and as he left the run down house he realised two things, a baby was not going to be able to travel on his bike and he didn't have a baby seat. Merle pursed his lips and looked down at Hope squirming in her bassinet, her little cheeks were turning red from the cold outside and Merle gave a frown. He walked back into the house and picked up a set of keys that were hanging on an old dusty hook, he left the house again.
Merle walked past his bike and stopped by an old run down Dodge Charger. The car was Merle's first ever car. It had clearly seen better days its red body work was now a rusty orange and there was a large dent in the back bumper from the time Merle had given Daryl his first driving lesson and Daryl had reversed into a metal post. Merle placed the bassinet on the floor and wrestled with the passenger door. The door finally gave in and flew open, Merle picked up the bassinet he placed it on the seat and he wrapped the seat belt around it tightly. "Best I can do for now squirt." Merle mumbled. He climbed in the driver's side and placed the key in that ignition. It took a few turns but the car finally spluttered to life, black smoke poured from the exhaust and the car made a heavy rattling sound as he drove off down the old dirt track. Merle knew he could get a good price for scrapping the old car but he couldn't bring himself to part with it. The car was filled with too many memories, teaching Daryl to drive, driving nowhere in particular just to escape his abusive father not to mention the countless amounts of women he'd had in the car. Merle gave a smile and looked at Hope his smile quickly faded, she wouldn't be hanging around in the back of boys cars that was one thing he was sure of.
The supermarket was crowded and Merle knew from the get go this was going to be a pain in his ass. Merle picked up Hope and walked towards the shopping carts, he'd noticed women with children using carts with baby seats built in to them and Merle thought it would be the safest way to move around the store. Merle grabbed a cart and tried to put Hope in the seat, the small girl squirmed she didn't want to go in the cold seat; she wanted to stay in the large warm arms that held her. Hope gave a whine and Merle gave a harassed huff. "Just get in squirt I ain't got all day." Finally Hope gave up and her body slipped into the seat.
Merle pushed the cart into the store and he grumbled. People were wondering around everywhere clucking like chickens getting in Merle's way. It took the grumpy redneck half an hour to find the baby supplies and when he did his problems just grew by tenfold. Merle stood down one end of a large aisle that was filled with baby products. Merle looked down at Hope her large saucer shaped eyes looked back at him, she cooed and gurgled Merle felt his heart rate pick up he was drowning in a sea off baby products.
"Awww how cute." Merle looked in the direction of the voice. A small mouse like woman stood, she had short cropped hair that showed off her tiny face. The woman had a child sitting in her cart. "How old?" The petite woman asked.
Merle scratched his head he was trying to work out the dates in his mind he knew it took nine months to give birth and if Maria was the mom then Hope would be just gone two months. "Bout two months." Merle replied. "Her names Hope." Merle had no idea why he'd added that.
The woman smiled. "Well she's a cutie. You look a bit lost." The woman gave Merle a warm smile. "The furthest end of the aisle is new born to six months." Merle gave the woman a lopsided smile as she walked back to her cart. "I wish my husband would take care of our girl like you. Your wife is lucky." Merle stood silently for the first time in his life Merle Dixon had been left speechless someone thought he was good enough to have a wife.
Merle moved to the end of the aisle and looked through everything. "What the fuck!" Merle looked at the price of diapers. "Squirt we may as well wipe your ass on dollar bills!" Hope squealed and gurgled.
"Excuse me." Merle turned to see a stunning blonde woman with an overfull cart trying to get past him. She looked at Hope and then looked at Merle. "Oh she is cute." The leggy blonde bent over and started fussing Hope; Merle's eyes were drawn to the woman's butt.
Merle smiled. "Yeah honey bunch she takes after her ol' man." Merle was still leering at the woman's body when she stood up.
"I'm Laura." The blonde held out her hand and Merle shook it. "Your wife is a lucky woman; most men don't bother shopping with their kids." Merle was looking down Laura's top but she seemed blind to Merle's roving eyes.
"Names Merle and I ain't got no wife." Merle replied. "Just me and the kid."
Laura gave a smile. "Awwwww that's so cute a single daddy. Well Merle." Laura rummaged through her bag and pulled out a slip of paper and a pen and scribbled something down. "Here's my number just in case you ever need anything." Laura gave a little wink and carried on trying to push her overflowing cart down the aisle.
Merle gave a small husky laugh. "Well squirt you seem to be a pussy magnet. Maybe I should have had a kid sooner." Hope kicked her legs back and forth against the cart and gave a small squeal. "Hey calm down, don't mean your stayin' we find ya ma and you're goin' back." Merle played with a small curl in Hope's soft hair. "Maybe." Merle muttered under his breath.
Daryl sat on the reception desk in the garage eating his sandwich. He'd told Ernie, his boss, all about Hope. Ernie was the only person in town that took a chance on Daryl and gave him a job. Daryl had never let the old man down and he had quickly become Ernie's best mechanic. Lucy the receptionist had been listening to Daryl's story and had been on the phone for the last five minutes. Lucy placed the phone down and smiled at Daryl. "I was just talking to Rob." Rob was Lucy's husband; Daryl would often see him around town followed by their herd of kids. Daryl would often wonder who needs six kids. "We have some old baby stuff from Lily, you know just clothes, a booster seat for the car that sort of stuff. Well he said he'd bring it in when he comes to pick me up tonight."
Daryl gave a grunt. "Thanks you didn't have to." Daryl muttered, he wasn't used to people being kind.
"It's no problem." Lucy grinned. "Babies are expensive things."
Daryl just gave another small grunt and placed his trash in the bin before getting back to work.
A car pulled up and Ernie gave a large grin. "Daryl boy come here!" The elderly man called. Daryl did as he was told and walked over to the car. Grace, Ernie's wife stepped out of the car. Grace was a lovely woman she'd helped the Dixon boys on a number of occasions she'd even lent Daryl bail money for Merle. "Me and Gracie wanted to give you something for Hope. It's not much." Ernie opened the trunk and pulled out a flat pack crib. "You and Merle will be able to put it up."
Daryl bit his nails the attention and kindness was making him uncomfortable. "Thanks." Daryl muttered.
Ernie placed the box in the back of Daryl's truck. "It comes on the condition that we get to see the little girl." Ernie patted Daryl roughly on the back. "I want to see the only girl ever to make the rough, tough Daryl Dixon smile like a love sick school girl."
Daryl returned home that evening and started unloading the boxes of clothes and toys from his truck. Lucy had fitted the baby seat in middle seat of his truck; Daryl had attempted to fit the seat and failed miserably. Lucy had even been kind enough to give Daryl and Merle an old stroller, another thing Daryl felt like he needed a degree to put up. He was starting to dread putting the crib together.
Daryl opened the front door and a smile spread across his face. Merle laid on the sofa one of his legs had flopped off onto the floor, Hope was sprawled on Merle's large chest her little body rose and fell as Merle was breathing. Daryl gave a small chuckle as he looked at his big brothers face Merle had fallen asleep with a pink pacifier in his mouth. Daryl walked into the kitchen and rummaged around in the old draw that contained junk and he pulled out an old Polaroid camera. He walked back in to the living room and slyly took a photo of Merle and Hope. "Always good to have somethin' to blackmail you with brother." Daryl muttered.
Daryl then bent down low to Hope's ear and gently rubbed her soft velvet cheek with his rough hand. "You sure a pretty thing bug." Daryl whispered to the slumbering baby. Hope gave a small whine and took a large breath, she opened her eyes and they met with Daryl's she made a soft babbling noise and Daryl smiled. Hope returned the smile and Daryl felt his stomach flip Daryl was the first person to witness Hope's first ever smile and it was the most perfect smile Daryl had ever seen.