Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Sweet Child O' Mine

  Steve decided to walk home. Beth and Eddie were getting into her car when they saw him disappear around the corner. "Do you think Nancy's mad about last night?", Beth asked, fixing her mascara in her vanity mirror. "Nancy Wheeler is having an identity crisis. She will come around." Eddie pulled a joint out of his vest pocket.

  "Now, I just want to be clear," Beth spoke. "We cannot smoke around Scotty. So we better enjoy this while we have it. And hopefully his dad doesn't see you because I really don't want to have that argument today. And I haven't even eaten yet I probably should've made everyone breakfast, and—" Eddie placed his hand under her chin, his thumb tracing her bottom lip. "Shh," he whispered, "you are a bad ass and a good mom and the love of my life. Just tell me what to do."

  Beth paused. Her cheeks grew beet red. "Don't be mad, okay?" She started to cry. Eddie continued to hold her face, his thumb now running circles along her trembling chin. "Never," he promised. "Okay, this might be easier if you stay here until I get back."

  Eddie leaned toward her and pressed his forehead against hers. "I love you," he said. He kissed her softly, sliding in just a little tongue. "I love you so much," she responded, sniffling back tears. "How long 'til you're back?", he asked, rubbing her soft hands. "Hour?" Eddie nodded. "I'll be counting the minutes."

  Eddie waved goodbye from the porch as Beth drove away, trying her best to stop crying. He finished the joint, butting it on the window sill of the kitchen window, before walking into the house. It was strange to consider he lived here now. This whole relationship had really changed his life. He was awake and mostly sober at 8:30 AM on a Sunday.

  For the first time, Eddie walked into Scotty's bedroom. There was a small bed, a toy box, and a closet full of clothes. A cheap-looking record player was the only thing sitting atop the dresser next to the bed. Eddie knew Beth kept her records on a bookshelf in her bedroom. She had mentioned that her son always wanted to listen to Bark at the Moon before bed. He placed that record on the player so it would be ready.

  He dumped out the ash trays full of cigarette butts, careful to collect all of the tiny pieces of joints scattered throughout. Eddie swept the floor in the kitchen and ran the vacuum in the living room. Beth did so much for so many, the least he could do was tidy up before she got home.

  His socked feet rested upon the coffee table as he relaxed back in the recliner. Anxiety finally set in; Eddie was meeting Scotty today. Beth had described him as the smallest psychopath you'd ever meet, the world's youngest metal head, and a very heavy sleeper. Eddie had seen plenty of pictures, and he had heard Scotty in the back of a few phone calls. This was on a whole different level now, Eddie was living with them. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about the idea of being a step dad. Children repulsed him, the idea of being responsible for one was even worse.

  As much as his life was different thanks to Beth, he still didn't even want to consider getting a pet, even knowing how much Beth missed the Rottweiler Joe took with him when they split up. "I will kill it. Not sure if it'll be on accident," he had told her.

  His fingernails were gnawed away to almost nothing. He had paced the living room a dozen times, each round making his heart thump faster. A bottle of Jack Daniels stared at him from atop the fridge. "Just to take the edge off," he warned himself.

  There were no shot glasses to be found. Eddie took a few swigs from the bottle, then put it back where he found it. For someone who has spent so much time trying to just be by himself, Eddie sure was uncomfortable being alone anymore. The bathroom was still foggy from their shower. He stared into the darkness of his reflection's eyes.

  Who did he think he was? His own parents couldn't even tolerate him. What made him think it was ok to let Beth settle for him? He grimaced at himself, remembering the things he had done. Robbing women who were too drunk to know the difference, stealing bikes from kids because he needed the money for pills, having sex with anyone who'd let him stay over for dinner.

  As Eddie grabbed the doorknob, preparing to walk out of Beth's house and take his burdens off her shoulders for good, he heard Beth and Scotty walking up to the porch. "His name is Eddie, and he's going to be living here. He's very cool, he loves Ozzy. And he's a rockstar!" His pulse slowed at the sound of her voice. As the door opened, their eyes met. Eddie remembered that night in the cooler. The night at the bar. The day they spent together getting stoned here. The way she looked into his soul that night she lit his cigarette, the night she almost shot him.

  Eddie was a lot of things, but so many of them were not part of him anymore. As the door swung open and Scotty gasped at the sight of Eddie, Eddie's heart burst into a million pieces. It felt like a firework going off in his chest. "Hey Eddie!", Scotty beamed. "Are you willy a wockstah?", he asked. They both took each other in and it was clear they were both smitten.

  "Not really," Eddie said, "I do play guitar and sing in a band." Scotty tugged at Eddie's vest. "That's a wockstah!" Eddie sat down and Scotty climbed up into his lap. There was melted chocolate ice cream all down Scotty's chin. Eddie took the bandana from his pocket and carefully cleaned it off. "Fank you!" Scotty grinned.

  "Well somebody had a pretty quick change of heart," Beth chuckled. She sat down next to Eddie and put her arm around his shoulder. "Can we go pway?", Scotty asked his mom. "Are you up for that?", she whispered behind Scotty's head. "What would you like to play?", he asked. "Uh, I fink I want to be a scawy dwagon and you can be a scawy swamp monster." Eddie jumped to his feet. "Let's go!"