Make Damn Sure
Chapter One
"The itsy bitsy spider climbed out the waterspout…"
She glanced quickly at her boy from the rear view mirror, enjoying the sight of him moving his little fingers and singing along to the nursery rhyme. It was the third time in a row they played the song, but it was his current favorite and she would listen it a dozen more times if it meant he would laugh every time.
"... Out came the sun and dried up all the rain, and the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again."
"Again, Mama! Play it again!" He exclaims just as the opening lyrics of the next song began.
"Of course, baby. You sure do like that song, don't you?" She asked before pressing the back button on the CD player.
"Uh huh. I like spiders a lot. Just like Uncle Shawn."
Her son's hero worship of his uncle was no secret, but it was becoming a nightmare for her ever since Shawn showed him the pet tarantula he recently bought. Now it was all about that particular kind of creepy crawly and how much Abel liked them.
The weekend they had spent at Shawn's home in Lawrenceville had been filled with playing (both with and without the furry spider), and Beth could already see the effects taking a toll on him. The little eye bags he always got when he was tired had started forming, and the way he slightly slurred when he spoke reminded her of a sleepy little drunk.
Abel had just turned three two weeks ago and Uncle Shawn had invited them over in order to finally give the boy his 'big birthday surprise', and boy did Shawn ever deliver. The moment they turned the corner to her brother's block, Abel was practically clawing at his seat belt for freedom. Shawn was just as bad; he had been waiting on the sidewalk and the two boys were inside the house before she could even get out of the driver's seat.
Beth had followed behind them with their overnight bags, but she dropped everything at the front door and ran when she heard her son shrieking.
"Momma LOOK!" Abel screamed, both he and his uncle were standing by the sliding door leading to the backyard, and the toddler was eagerly pointing to the miniature replica baseball diamond now adorning Shawn's back lawn.
Abel's love for the sport was another thing he learned from his beloved uncle, and Beth supposed it was only natural since Shawn did nothing but give him baseball-themed gifts from the moment he found out that she was going to have a boy.
Shawn was the short-stop for the Gwinnett Braves Triple-A minor league team, just one step away from making it to the major league, and he had told her that it was his familial responsibility to teach her son about the great American pastime. Beth rememberedthe many times when she would leave a then-infant Abel with him to babysit during the minor league off-season and they would be planted on his couch watching the playoffs.
"Ya really outdid yourself this time, Shawn." She told her brother as Abel took off and ran around the bases.
"That boy is gonna be a shortstop just like his uncle, Bethy."
The rest of the weekend had been spent watching her son and brother practice with Abel's plastic bat and whiffle ball and trying to sneak in moments to either feed her two athletes or reapply sunblock on the toddler. Her little boy was just as blond and fair skinned as she was, but he had his daddy's eyes and temper.
And as she had feared, it had been an ordeal trying to separate the two of them when Sunday afternoon rolled around and that temper reared its ugly head. It always was tough leaving after a weekend of fun, but it was exponentially harder now that Abel had his own personal baseball field.
"I think you're gonna have to adopt him." Beth said with a huff as she and Shawn watched Abel throw a tantrum right there on the front yard. The toddler was flopping around on the grass, arms and legs thrashing as he screamed how much he didn't want to leave.
"I would if his daddy would let me." Shawn teased. They both knew that her husband would never let another man raise his son.
They let Abel cry for a minute more before Beth reminded him that his daddy was waiting for them, and that he wouldn't be able to watch him finish dressing whatever game he brought home if he finds out he wasn't a good boy.
Beth was glad that even though Abel was quick to anger, he was also quick to reason. His tantrum ended soon enough and they were on the road after a hug and kiss goodbye from Shawn.
Now they were halfway through their drive back home, and Abel was driving her slowly insane with his new favorite nursery song.
"Again, Mama!" The little boy trilled from his car seat and she acquiesced once more.
It was already late in the afternoon and Beth knew that it would be close to sunset by the time they got home. They had been caught in traffic near Snellville and the rest of the drive was filled with more cars than she was used to seeing on a late Sunday afternoon. Beth was positive that her husband would already be home; he always spent his weekends hunting at his usual spot in the Piedmont forest whenever she and their son went to visit her brother.
He probably already finished dressing whatever he brought home. Abel's gonna throw another fit.
She slowed to a stop at the last intersection in downtown McDonough, and like a nightmare come to life, her brother-in-law appears at the corner of the crosswalk.
He looks the same, for the most part. His clothes are wrinkled and he's got a rough looking five o'clock shadow, and the knapsack dangling off of one of his shoulders looks like it's been to hell and back. She's quick to avert her eyes but she knows it's too late. They've made eye contact and his cold blue eyes light up with recognition.
That same wolfish grin she had seen years ago appears on his face as he saunters over to her car, and she has no choice but to roll down her window.
"Well lookie who ole' Merle ran into."
AN: When I said that more would come soon, I didn't expect it to be this soon! I'm hoping to build up the average length of my chapters with each update, and this was supposed to be longer but I really liked where it ended. I don't want to force out more where there's a nice, natural chapter break. Please review!
AN 2: Woo just reworked this chapter and I really like it now. I'm going to spruce up chapter 2 and I'll be posting chapter 3 soon after.