Page 75 of Love in the Outfield

“I’ll call you after the game.”

“Sounds good. Bye, Cade.” She turns and disappears into the restaurant. I stand there for a few seconds then head to my car. This went way better than I could have imagined.

34

GEORGIA

“We’re going to watch your daddy play ball,” I say to August as I dress him. “That’s why you’re wearing your Cutter’s uniform today.”

“Bafbaw.”

“That’s right.” I pull up his striped pants while he gnaws on a teething ring. My poor little sweet pea has a couple of molars coming in. Even so, he’s still not too fussy. He’s sprawled out on my bed relaxed and limp as a wet noodle.

“Are you gonna wear your ballcap today?” I ask, holding it up.

“Yesh.”

“We’ll wait till we get to the game,” I say, as I finish snapping his jersey buttons. I snuggle his neck before scooping him into my arms. “Ginny’s comin’ to pick us up and we want to be ready. Remember Skyler, that little boy you played with? He’s going to be there too.”

“Kyer?” Auggie says.

“That’s right and his big sister, Olivia.”

As promised, Cade managed to squeeze in a meetup with Max, Ginny, and their two kids. We met them at a park and tookadvantage of a gorgeous day, the picnic area and a playground. It was a lovely day and Ginny and I connected immediately. She suggested that we attend the Wild Card Series together. This round is the best of three. Both teams have a win under their belts so whoever takes today’s game goes on to the Division Series.

A team has to win the Wild Card, the Division and then the League Championship Series to reach the World Series. It’s a lot after playing one hundred sixty-two games in the regular series. I swear, I don’t know how they do it.

Two hours forty minutes later I’m on the edge of my seat. “Dear Lord, I can’t handle the tension.”

Ginny grabs my hand and squeezes, as the designated hitter, Jesse Calder, steps up to the plate. Bases are loaded and we’re down to our last out. Cade is on third base, he’s stepped off the bag inching closer to home, eyes locked on the pitcher. The score is six to five. Thank God Olivia is entertaining the two boys because I’m a wreck. Jesse takes a ball and I exhale my held breath. Then ball two.OMG!Please let him walk in the tie, I silently beg.“Strike,” the umpire calls. Then another ball,thank you.

“Strike.”

“Full count,” Ginny announces uneasily.

“I can’t take it!”

Crack! The ball sails to the outfield, it’s going to be a grand slam! “Oh my God! He did it!” I say. The crowd is going wild. Then the left outfielder makes a miraculous play. Leaping high into the air and slamming against the wall, he catches the ball for the last out of the game. The Cutters lose. I look at Ginny andher eyes are full of tears. I wipe my own as we slump back in our seats.

“I have no clue what I’m going to say to Cade,” I say, my voice thick with tears.

Ginny nods. “Mostly I listen and remind him how hard he’s worked and how successful he is. When he’s ready to hear it, I remind him that he’s more than just a baseball player. He’s a dad, a son, a husband. The kids help a lot. It takes a few days but someone has to lose.”

“I feel so bad for them,” I say.

“I know. Me too.”

I take August from Olivia’s lap because she’s crying her eyes out and Auggie looks confused. His face puckers, ready to follow Olivia’s lead. Olivia immediately jumps up and dives into her mother’s arms.

“Poor Daddy,” she wails. At eleven this must seem like an insurmountable disappointment. I remember what eleven felt like. Her four-year-old brother, Skyler watches from his seat next to me and starts to cry. Through my tears, I see how this must look to anyone watching.

“I didn’t realize I’d signed up for the ‘Emotional Rollercoaster’ package,” I say. “I had no idea it’d involve so many tissues.”

Ginny chuckles through her tears, “I know, right?” She pats her daughter’s back and says, “Olivia, your daddy is going to be just fine, there’s always next year.” She wipes Olivia’s tears with the tissues I handed her. “We’re all going to be fine.”

Ginny and I, kids in tow, make our way to the clubhouse. With Auggie perched on my hip, I wade through a sea of dejected athletes until I find Cade. He’s off in a corner talking to Dean. His eyes lack their usual sparkle and he looks like he’s struggling to contain his emotions. The weight of the loss has physically settled on his shoulders. He sees me and our eyes lock. Deanlooks over his shoulder and nods at me before patting Cade’s back and walking off. I approach, praying I’ll come up with the right words.

He walks toward us and wraps his arms around both of us. He buries his head on my shoulder and I feel him take in a big shuddering breath.

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