Page 67 of Batter Up!

“Why?” I asked as I pulled out my wallet.

“Penelope said I have to pay if I want a cookie.”

“Are you kidding me? She always gives you free shit,” Tyler said through the phone.

I shook my head but wasn’t going to get in the middle of it. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a cookie for Cooper and one for Ivan from the storage bin. “No need to pay. Here ya go. Just please leave my friend alone.”

“What did I do?” Cooper asked.

I just shook my head because I honestly didn’t know. I just knew that Penelope had recently stopped giving him free cookies, and she no longer saved his favorite treats. Anytime I asked her about it, she would change the subject.

“Dixon!” Ivan exclaimed suddenly and pointed to his watch. “Practice. Let go!”

I thanked Cooper and Ivan for coming over and helping me.

“We got practice too, love,” Tyler said. “We’ll chat soon.”

“Bye, Molls!” Hunter said while sitting beside Ty and wiping off his sweat with his t-shirt.

“Love you, Ty! Nice meeting you, Hunter.

To some people, introducing their partner to their parents is no big deal. On the other hand, some people don't feel comfortable introducing partners to their loved ones until they are sure that their relationship is more serious.

I was a nervous wreck but so excited as our bus pulled up to Porter Park, where I grew up watching baseball as a kid. I can still remember the first game our parents took us to when we were in kindergarten. It had been a celebration game after our first season of playing t-ball. Landon and I couldn’t get enough of the game, players, and everything going on. Carter wanted to know how the score board worked and then wanted to eat tons of ballpark food. Julia was eight and was more worried when the little boy in front of us fell and skinned his knee than she was about the game going on in front of us.

“Do your parents know she’s gonna have your baby?” Montgomery asked me as he looked over the back of his bus seat.

“No,” I said with a sigh. “I didn’t know how to tell them. I’m a chicken shit.”

“Well, I could tell she was pregnant just from the video calls, so they will figure it out soon.”

“I know. I’m hoping the fact that she’s the girl from the Little League World Series will be exciting enough to balance each other out.”

“Good luck,” he said as Coach Henderson stood up to say a few things before we got off the bus. He was a good coach but not as inspiring as Mack had been.

I looked out the window and then got the biggest smile on my face. Molly was walking up to the bus and wearing one of my away game jerseys. The jersey covered the shorts she was wearing but was open to show off a tank top under the Lightning Jersey. It looked like it couldn’t be buttoned over her baby bump anymore. I hadn’t seen her in person in almost a month, and I couldn’t believe how big her belly had gotten.

“I don’t know much about pregnancy and shit, but how far along is she?” Hunter whispered as he looked down at her. “She’s huge!”

“I should know, but I don’t. I think she mentioned she’s halfway there, so I guess around twenty weeks.”

“Dude. She’s gigantic,” another player said. Montogomery hit him in the back of the head. "Hey! You said she was huge. Why can't I say she's gigantic?"

"Because Stone is my guy." Hunter replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

I shrugged too but wasn't paying attention to them. I hurried to get off the bus to greet my girl.

“Strawberry Shortcake!” I yelled as I got off the bus.

“Tyler!” She squealed and ran over to me. I grabbed her in a huge hug and brought my lips down to hers. She immediately wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back.

The cat calls around us caused me to pull back, but I still was grinning. “Look at you!”

“I know! I’m huge!” Molly said with a groan. “And I’m only halfway there. I don’t know how I can grow even bigger.”

“I think it’s twins.”

That was when I noticed Meadow, Molly’s best friend, standing next to her. I hadn’t met her in person yet, but we had talked on the phone before.

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