Page 38 of Love in the Outfield

He shrugs and heads towards the bouncy house confident I’ll follow. I come up behind him as he kicks off his shoes. “Here,hand me Auggie while you get in, then I’ll pass him back.” I take Augs and Cade crawls in then reaches back for him.

“Come on Gigi. Don’t be a spoilsport.”

“Oh, alright already,” I grouse and climb into the colorful plastic room. The bright colors scream fun.

Cade bounces agilely with Auggie in his arms and it’s enough to toss me all over the place. Every time I get my balance and try to stand up, he bounces and I go sprawling. “I feel like a ping pong ball,” I say, now giggling uncontrollably. I roll onto my back in surrender, allowing Cade to bounce me. I’m laughing so hard I can’t get my breath. Cade’s face is wreathed in smiles as he sits next to me. He sits Auggie down and my toddler immediately begins rolling around on the soft surface. I appreciate the soft inflatable floor and walls. I don’t have to worry about Auggie falling or getting hurt.

“Now’s my chance,” I say and stand back up. I tentatively take a small leap and for a brief moment feel the exhilarating freedom of flying. I love it. I feel like a kid. Auggie is squealing with delight as he absorbs the gentle sway of my movements. After jumping around for a bit, I decide to revisit my high school gym days on the trampoline and do a flip. I land upright then lose my balance and crash land onto the silky surface. My top has ridden up exposing my belly and I quickly tug it down but not in time. I glance over at Cade. His eyes are burning with the intensity of a cat watchin’ a bird perched just out of reach on the windowsill.

“Aren’t ya going to bounce some more? I haven’t seen you do anything fancy,” I say breathlessly and not all because of my activity.

“I’ve been enjoying the view but I accept your challenge.” I’m acutely aware of my exposed midriff and bare legs as he offers me a hand up. He places August in the corner and then smirks at me.

“Game on,” he says.

“Bet I can jump higher,” I say.

He winks and then lifts off like a rocket. I bend my knees and push off with all my might. We ridiculously continue our competition and laughter fills the space. Auggie is lying on his back laughing uncontrollably, deep belly laughs like bubbling sunshine. His chubby cheeks are flushed, his eyes sparkling with pure joy. The world seems to have melted away and time stands still.

The realization hits me when I’m soaring upwards… that maybe… it’s possible… that I have never stopped loving this man. I’ve been living in the story I told myself and now it appears that the plot twist happens to be my blind belief in my own narrative. I reckon I’m going to have to consider that I’ve never gotten over this man.Well shoot!

I stop bouncing and hold my hands up in surrender. “Okay, you win.”

“Nice of you to admit it,” he teases.

“Let’s see if Ava is ready to take over with August and we can have that talk.”

“Sure. Everything alright?” he asks studying me, a frown furrowing his brow.Damn him.

“I’m fine. I’m ready to get back to the real world is all.”

“Come on Auggie,” he says. August crawls over to him and we all exit the bubble.

18

CADE

I’m sitting across from Georgia at her kitchen table drinking a glass of ice-cold sweet tea. Ava took August up to the main house so we could discuss the logistics of my time with August.

“I have an impossible schedule until after the playoffs so we’ll have to piece it together but I want more time during my break. I’d like to take August on a family vacation and give him a chance to get to know my family.”

The color drains from Georgia’s face and she holds up her hands. “Whoa. You’re getting a little ahead of yourself. That is a long way off. He barely knows you. I’m not about to send him off with a bunch of strangers.”

My mom’s words are echoing in my head.“What happens when you want to take a family vacation and she says no? With nothing more than a handshake you have no real say.”

“We won’t be strangers by then.”

“Practically.”

I grind my teeth on a sarcastic reply and say, “Okay, how doyousee this playing out?”

She huffs, “I don’t know but certainly not like that.”

I cross my arms and lean back. “How then,” I challenge. “Give me a scenario.” Her green eyes narrow and I can tell her temper is rising.

“Tell me Cade, what do you expect? To waltz into his life and pretend you’ve been here all along? He would be terrified to leave everything he knows to go off with some outsider.”

I’m getting fired up as Mom’s words come back to haunt me. Jaw clenched I say, “And whose fault is that? I didn’t choose to be an ‘outsider,’ Georgia. You did. Now I’m supposed to be punished because you selfishly decided for the both of us you prefer to have total control?”

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