Page 58 of Love in the Outfield

“Didn’t it have a pineapple and ancho chili… oh and Korean BBQ. That’s why they’re gourmet. Nothing but the best.” She falls into another fit of giggles.

I haven’t seen much of Cade since the morning after we made love. Only once for a quick hi and bye before he headed to the ballpark. He has called most days though. His schedule is impossible. A game every day since last Monday.

That morning after we made love, we woke up to the birds chirping and Auggie jabberin’. Cade went and got him out of his crib while I made coffee and pancakes for breakfast. It was like something out of a storybook. My heart literally felt like it was being squeezed inside my chest to spend the morning together like we were a real family. But having all this time apart made all the doubts creep back in again. What had I been thinking? Am I fooling myself?

Mama continues chirpin’. “Then, I remembered how theylovetheir wine.” She proceeds to tell us that in addition to the pork rinds, Mama bought a couple of bottles of locally made wine. A blackberry and a bottle of some sweet strawberry something. They’ll hate it. I can’t help it if I think it’s hilarious, but I won’t let on to them. I’m as bad as they are.

“You two are terrible,” I say, glancing over at Daddy. “What do you think?”

“Don’t drag me into it. I told Loretta it was a bad idea but I may as well have been talkin’ to a rock.”

“What’s so bad? That strawberry wine was a blue-ribbon winner two years in a row at the State fair.”

“What did it cost you a bottle?” I ask.

“Twelve and some change. Can’t be that bad.”

Ava snorts. “You two have no sense of humor. It’s gonna be legendary. Can’t wait to see who wins, her hoity-toity self or the hostess with the mostess,” Ava says.

“I’ll bet you five dollars she won’t be able to fake it,” Mama says.

“You’re on,” Ava says. I look in my rearview and see them high-five each other like little kids.

My GPS tells me to turn right and two miles down this beautiful tree-lined road, we arrive. From the drive, you can’t see the house from the road but there are two huge stone pillars on either side and the wrought iron gates are wide open. I pull inand we wind around and up an incline until we see the house… or should I say mansion. It’s huge.

“Looky, it’s a McMansion!” Ava says sarcastically. “Shocking.”

“Lordy,” Mama exclaims. “Who needs that much space? It’s just the two of them living there. How greedy can ya get?”

I sigh. This is going to be pure hell. “Mama, please try and be a decent person. Can you please take the high road for once?”

“For once? I’m not the show off here,” she says outraged.

“Nobody is showing off, Loretta,” Daddy says. “This is their home and they were kind enough to invite us. Be gracious.”

“Kind? More like manipulative.”

“Mama, this isn’t about you, it’s about my baby meetin’ his other grandparents. You can suck it up for one night. Please?”

“I reckon, but we’re allowed to have a little fun while I’m suckin’ it up, right Ava?”

“Right.” They high-five again and I roll my eyes. I did warn Cade.

We pile out of the car and Daddy reaches in to grab Auggie from his car seat. “Come here Auggie. Come to your papaw,” he says.

Mama says, “Ava don’t forget to grab the boiled peanuts in that Tupperware container. Doyle, why don’t you grab the cornhole boards from the back, I’ll take August.”

“Got ’em,” Ava says.

“Papaw,” Auggie says clinging to his Papaw’s denim shirt.

“Come to Mamaw.” August is transferred to Mama and Daddy grabs the cornhole boards from my trunk that Mamainsisted on bringing. More of her mental shenanigans with Wendy.

I tried to explain to August that he was going to meet his other grandparents today. I’m more worried about the rest of us than I am about him. We march up the beautifully landscaped walkway to the gorgeous double French doors.

“I’m thinking our idea of casual may be a little different than theirs,” Ava says.

“Well Lord have mercy, how were we to know they live in a mansion?” Mama says. “I knew I should have worn my dress slacks instead of jeans.”

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