A/N: To DylanJ10000, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! We won't get back to the Avery storyline until a few more chapters, though.
For some context, this chapter takes place in 1981, so Bill is six years old at this point. I know it's a very short chapter, but I'm making up for that by posting a continuation of this chapter very soon, probably even tomorrow. So stay tuned for that.
Bill picked up one of the jigsaw pieces that laid on the ground and contemplated where its place was in the puzzle. "I c-c-can't find where this one g-goes," he said.
His Grandma Ruthie was sat next to him on the floor of the living room. She scanned the puzzle to see where the piece might fit. "How about here, Billy?" she said, pointing to one of the many empty spots.
Bill put the piece where his grandma directed, and to his joy, it snapped right in. "It fits!" he decreed in victory. "Hey, when are M-M-Mommy and D-Daddy coming home?"
"Soon enough, I'm sure," Ruthie said.
It didn't take too long before Bill completed the puzzle and needed something else to entertain himself until his parents got back. He overheard them saying something about going to the hospital, but he wasn't sure why. Maybe it had something to do with the baby.
Not too long ago, his parents told him that they were going to have another baby, and that Bill would become a big brother. He didn't know how to feel about this. He liked being an only child, because it meant he got full attention from his parents. With another child in the family, what if the new child ended up getting more attention than Bill? But, at the same time, Bill was excited about the idea of having a brother or sister. Sometimes he got a little lonely all by himself. With a little sibling, he would never be lonely. It seemed like there were pros and cons to the situation.
"Do you want to watch TV, Billy? While we wait for Mom and Dad to come home?" Ruthie suggested.
"Okay!" Bill excitedly agreed as he turned on the TV and sat on the couch. Grandma Ruthie joined him, and they began watching a rerun of Scooby-Doo. After a few minutes into the episode, however, the front door opened.
"We're home!" Sharon said.
"Mommy!" Bill shouted as he ran toward his parents.
"Hey, big guy!" his mom greeted. "Guess what? We've got big news for you!"
"Wh-wh-what is it?"
"We found out you're going to have a brother! Isn't that exciting?"
"Oh, congratulations, Sharon!" Ruthie said as she got up from the couch and hugged said woman.
"Thank you, Mom!" Sharon said. "Billy? What d'you think?"
"I don't know…" Bill said solemnly as he sat back down on the couch.
"What's wrong, champ?" Zack said as he sat himself next to Bill. "You don't want a little brother?"
"I w-w-wanna be the only boy. I'm afraid if there's t-t-two boys, you're gonna forget about m-m-me."
"Honey, we'll never forget about you," Sharon assured as she joined Zack and Bill.
"Yeah, there can be two boys in this family, and you'll still get equal attention from us," Zack said.
"Just think about it: you'll have a new playmate who'll always be with you!" Sharon said.
"That's right," Ruthie added. "So, you won't have to keep playing with me anymore." She chuckled.
"But I like p-p-playing with you, Grandma," Bill said.
"You can still play with her, Billy," Sharon said. "But then what about the times when she's not around? Then you'll have your brother!"
"What's his name?" Bill asked.
"We haven't decided yet," Zack answered.
Bill looked over at the TV and was hit with a sudden spark of inspiration. "Name him Shaggy, like from Scooby-Doo. He's my favorite."
All three adults chuckled at the suggestion. "We'll see about that," Sharon said.