Page 60 of Totally Opposed

“The next game is against Animal Control and the OG’s. Did you want to come with me to cheer on Alan? The OG’s think no one can beat them, but Alan hit off their best pitcher last time they were up against them. Want to come watch him do it again?”

“I’m not sure I can leave Precious,” he says, and the cat picks up her head a little at the sound of her name. Alan stiffens beside me.

“She’d be fine for a short while. The game only goes for two hours.”

“I…”

“It’s fine, Gramps. You don’t have to come,” Alan says, never taking his eyes off the plate in his hands.

“I can watch Precious,” Kelly offers.

“You aren’t going?” Gramps asks, and Kelly shakes her head. “I was going to. I go every time he plays here, but if you want to go watch him, I can sit with Precious so you can go.”

“You would have to watch her at my place. This whole evening out has been so tiring for her. Look at how tired you are, my Precious,” he says, lifting the cat. She looks just as dead as she did the first time he presented her to me across the alleyway, and I try not to laugh.

“So you’ll come then?” I ask, and Don’s attention moves to Alan, but Alan isn’t going to turn around. He’s standing so still waiting for Don’s reply, I think he might have even stopped breathing.

“If Alan would like me to go, I will go,” Gramps finally says, and I grab Alan’s arm.

“He’d love you to. Wouldn’t you, Alan?” I ask.

“Ummm, yeah. That would be great. Umm, I’d love you to come,” Alan says, and Gramps nods, then lowers Precious to the ground.

“Well, young Mr. Tanner, best we be off, don’t you think?”

“Ahhh, they drove us,” I reply, and Kelly laughs.

“I’ll get my keys.”

“I’ll take them,” Alan says, pulling the plug in the sink and reaching for the cloth to dry his hands. His face is flushed like he’s just run a marathon.

“I’ll gather her things and meet you downstairs then,” Gramps offers and heads to the back.

“I can’t believe you did that,” Alan says when we reach the car.

“Did what?”

“Got Gramps to agree to come watch me. I mean, he will probably cancel, but he actually agreed.”

“To be honest, I think he thought you didn’t want him there.”

Alan’s mouth opens in awe, and he scrunches up his forehead.

“I told you I asked him a billion times.”

“You said a hundred, but judging by how easy that was, now I’m starting to wonder if you asked him at all.”

“Seriously, he hates Banana Ball.”

“He might. But he loves you.”

That softens his fire, and he leans back against the car. I step forward, closing the distance between us, and wrap my arms around his waist.

“Look, maybe he still doesn’t think what we do is baseball. Duckie didn’t, and he’s just as in love with the game as we are now. So does it matter?”

“But it is baseball.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that, so why does it matter that he knows it?”

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