Page 74 of Totally Fanatic

LION

I post the videoof Calvin and tag him like he asked. I was lucky I even got it. Oden Grasinski almost always sends it sailing into right field, so I was all prepped for a video of Tim. A few comments pop up right away, but I don’t check them. I stopped posting because Tim was looking at every comment, and the ones that were not very nice were bringing him down again and were taking him to an angry place. This last week, he’s hardly been on his phone at all, we’ve been texting back and forth every day, though, and most mealtimes when we aren’t together, he video calls me, so we spend the time he would have spent scrolling through his feeds talking about the food truck and Feline Good.

I went and talked to the vet I take the boys to and told them about what I want to do. They were really keen to be involved and said they would reach out if they have any cats in need or unwanted litters on the way. I still can’t believe I might actually be doing this. Tim has been helping me figure out allthe paperwork stuff, too. Something about forms and those tiny boxes you have to fit the text in makes me super nervous.

“It’s amazing to have you back,” Mary Beth says when I walk into the cafe after arriving home early this morning from the last away game. The cafe is already half full of people, and a few look up when I walk in, but no one says anything. I hope today goes smoothly. I’ve really missed hanging out with Mary Beth, and God knows her display certainly missed me.

“I’ll get right to work fixing…” I say, nodding toward the glass case.

“Thank you. I tried to copy a photo of one you did a few weeks ago, but it just looks like I threw the flowers in there.”

I lean down, checking closer.

“Are you sure you didn’t?”

“Okay, maybe on the bottom shelf I did, but I was sick of it by then. You can fix it, right?”

“No problem. Can I please have—“ She passes over a tall, iced coffee in a clear glass, caramel drizzles around the inside and whipped cream on top. “Thanks.”

I fix the display, then move on to taking orders and making sandwiches fresh as they are ordered.

“Oh, are you that lovely large boy dating the Banana Ball player?” an older woman asks as she pulls out her coin purse to pay for her order.

“I’m Lion,” I say, nodding.

“Well, you don’t look like a crazed stalker to me.”

“Umm, thanks.” I mean, what does a crazed stalker really look like?

A young boy next to her tugs at her sleeve.

“Grandma, please can you ask him?” he asks in the most adorable little voice. He can’t be more than five, maybe six.

“Oh alright,” she concedes. “Do you think your Banana Ball fella will be coming into the cafe? Little Chester here is his biggest fan. I’m more of a Duckie gal myself, no offense.”

Chester bounces on his toes beside her. “Tim is way better. He’s from Australia, they ride Kangaroos there, that’s why he can jump so high.”

I lean over the counter a little to talk to Chester. “Is that right? Well, I’m not sure what Tim is up to today. The team would have gotten back a few hours ago, so he might be around. I can text him and see if he’s got time to pop over now if you like.”

“Oh really, that would be lovely,” his gran says, paying for her order and heading over to sit at one of the tables. I pop out the back and grab my phone, texting Tim.

LION: Hey, so there is a kid at the cafe, Chester, and he says he’s your biggest fan, and I was just wondering if you were free to pop over and say hi?

TIM: I’m just with a few of the guys. We were going to grab smoothies.

I go to text him back that it’s no problem, I will see him after work when his next message comes through.

TIM: We’ll be there in five.

I send back a heart eyes emoji instead and pop my phone back on the shelf.

“You got your wish, Chester. He’ll be right over,” I call over to him as I retake my place at the register to take the next person’s order. His little face lights up almost as bright as mine does when I know I’m about to see Tim.

“Is Tim coming here?” Mary Beth leans in to ask, and I nod.

“He’s bringing a few of the guys, too, not sure which ones. Oh. I probably should have asked you. Sorry. Do you mind?”

“No. I think that’s awesome. We’ll have to get a photo when they get here, maybe they can pose behind the counter or with drinks. I’ll make them all coffees, on the house.”

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