...
"Ok, a lot earlier than I thought, but, yes, we're five minutes away from Des Moines", Joey announced with a huge grin on their face, "you're both in charge of cleaning the trailer, I'll be inside spending time with my baby boy".
"I'll let you have that", Greta said back, "but once we've finished we all head to the field, Carson said she could bat, now she has to prove it".
"Well, I-CAN-BAT", Carson said again.
"May has already called the principal of her old high school to let them know we're using the field".
"I love high school fields, they're so welcoming", Carson sounded in love.
"You're a high school creep", Greta teased and tickled her sides.
Carson laughed. But she felt like she could cry as well. High School was the last time she'd felt more like herself in her life, hanging out with her friends, playing ball, and reading under the bleachers while her teammates tossed the ball around just for fun before starting practice. The memory was bittersweet.
...
They had barely parked and Joey was already out of the trailer. A small blonde woman, Maybelle, welcomed them with a kiss and an everlasting hug, a little boy came running through the door, almost tipping himself off the porch, screaming "dada-dada", and Joey left May's arms to greet him with hugs and kisses, while the boy talked about himself in the third person.
"Leo missed dada", he said.
"C'mon, Leo, someone wants to meet you", Joey said and soon introduced Carson to May and their son, Leo.
Carson was startled by how welcoming they all were, even the little boy who probably didn't even understand what was happening. They passed him to her and she found herself suffocated by very tiny arms circling her neck. May set a hand on her shoulder, stroking up and down.
"I'm so glad you're here, quite some time since we last made new road friends. Joey told me we're all going to New York together, this is SO EXCITING".
"I want- New York", the boy made himself heard and they all laughed.
Carson passed her hand through his front, brushing a strand of his hair off his face.
"But somebody has to stay and take care of gran while we're gone", Maybelle explained.
"That-me-me, gran guard", the boy seemed utterly satisfied with his position as his gran's bodyguard.
"Yes, you are", Joey told him, "look who's also here", they pointed ahead.
Greta grinned and approached the boy. She set one hand on the boy's back and the other on Carson's lower back, almost hugging both of them. Carson breathed in to steady her heartbeat.
"Auntie!" The boy extended his arms and Carson gave him to Greta.
Greta held him with one arm, hugging him tight, but her other hand never left Carson's back.
"Hey, baby turtle", Greta kissed his forehead, "how did you find your new auntie Carson, huh?". The boy just nodded. "I promise you she's not this boring, she even told us she can bat, can you imagine that? I say your mamma can pitch for her and you'll be the catcher, and we see if you can kick her butt".
"Mommy, my glove!", the boy asked.
"Soon, Leo", Joey took the boy from Greta's arms, "first your aunties are cleaning the trailer".
"Party Pooper", Greta mumbled to Joey, and Carson chortled.
"Come, the sooner we start, the sooner we finish it", Carson took Greta by the hand and brought her back to the motorhome.
YOU ARE READING
To Do List (gretson)
RomanceCarson was 27 and tired of her life. She needed an outlet. Or maybe to change everything. She wasn't sure about anything except the fact that she needed something else, anything else. She'd heard about a Taylor Swift concert over the weekend, on Oct...
