Page 112 of Curveball

“We went camping and got a lot of shit off our chests. We yelled, we screamed, we cried, we threw shit, and we fought, both physically and verbally. I don’t think he ever understood how deep my resentment went, and I know I never understood him and his actions. Basically, we communicated for the first time in my life.”

Her face softens. “What did he say?”

“He explained his unstable childhood to me, moving around a lot due to financial instability.”

She pinches her eyebrows together. “Moving around? But Grandpa started Dad’s furniture store.”

I shake my head. “Remember, he didn’t have Dad until he was in his mid-forties. He opened the shop when he was nearly sixty-five. He had only owned it for five years when he passed, and Dad gave up his baseball career to take it over. So for Dad’s whole childhood, he hadnothing. They moved all over the country. He never lived in one place for more than a year because his father couldn’t keep a job and would burn bridges.”

“Wow. They never told us anything about that.”

I nod. “He said they didn’t want us to think poorly of our grandfather. Dad swore if he did nothing else in life, he wanted to work hard to provide his family with a house and stability. He finally admitted that he took it too far, never coming to anything. He has this weird, innate fear of not working. Like the store will fail if he neglects it. When we were kids, he feared that we would lose the house and have to move away. It was his misguided way of ensuring stability for our family. I guess he’s as scarred from his childhood as I am from mine.”

“How did you two leave things?”

“My head was a mess. I was confused and needed time to consider the things he said to me. I assumed he didn’t love us, but that’s not the case.”

She sighs. “Of course they love us. Can’t you just accept them for how they are?”

“I’ve had years of anger that built and built. I don’t think you ever quite grasped how deep it ran for me.”

She nods in understanding. She knows I’m right. “Where did you go after he left? That was months ago. No one has seen or heard from you.”

I shrug, not ready to admit anything to her. “I traveled a bunch. I needed to figure out where I wanted things to go with Ripley and the baby.”

I’m about to continue when my phone rings, and I look down. It’s June so I accept the call. “Hi, June.”

“Quincy.” She sounds frantic. “It’s Ripley. Something is wrong. She started vomiting uncontrollably. It washorrific. And then her water broke. I think she went into labor. I’m at the hospital.”

“Labor? It’s way too early for that. Months too early.”

Looking up, I see Arizona’s face fall with concern.

I can hear June sobbing as she screams “I don’t know what’s happening. The nurse said something about pre-eclampsia. There are a million doctors with her. I think something is wrong. They won’t tell me anything.” She then whispers. “I’m so scared.”

“Stay calm. I’m on my way. Keep me updated. Please.”

I end the call. My hand is shaking.

Arizona looks at me with concern. “What happened? You’re white as a ghost.”

“She’s…she’s in labor.”

“What? She can’t be. She’s only seven months along.”

“Something is wrong, Z. I can feel it. I need to get to her. I…I need to get a flight.”

She looks at Layton, and they silently communicate something. He nods and starts fiddling on his phone before walking out of the room into the hallway.

She takes my hands in hers. “That was June?”

I wordlessly nod. I think I’m in shock.

“Whatexactlydid she say?”

“Something about excessive vomiting, water breaking, pre-eclampsia, and lots of doctors freaking out.”

Layton shouts from the hallway, “One hour.”

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