Page 33 of The Perfect Game

“Fine.” It was the only word I could grind out between clenched teeth. Two more years. That’s all I had left to stay under their roof, and then I could be gone. I’d become a nurse and pay my own way for everything, because I wasn’t going to be manipulated to do things the rest of my life.

Twenty

Ben

I hadn’t heard from Serena since I’d dropped her off at home the night before. And of course, my brain decided to play that fact over and over throughout the night, making it so I couldn’t sleep. I’d had a fun, simple date planned, and I’d screwed up even that. No wonder I struggled when it came to girls.

Kissing her was pretty amazing, but it would’ve been better if I’d been able to focus on her instead of what a lame idiot I was for screwing things up with a little fishing hook.

I dragged myself outside to the porch, hoping some time throwing against the targets would work out some of my frustration.

“Benny!” Daniel called as he sped around on his bike. The helmet he wore had been loosened too much, causing the helmet to sit toward the back of his head instead of covering all of it.

“Hey, Danny boy! How’s your day going so far?” I tried to keep my voice light. Maybe if I did that, my attitude would change.

“It’s going great! Mom just gave me a popsicle for helping her bring in some of the vegetables, and now I’m riding my bike. I was going so fast down the road. Do you want to see?” His eyes were bright and hopeful.

How could I say no to that? “Let’s see it,” I said with a wide smile, sitting on a chair on the porch.

He took off down the sidewalk, disappearing past the neighbor’s hedge. Seconds later, he came zooming back, his legs going faster and faster with each circle of the pedals. The determination on his face made me chuckle, and I felt at least ten times lighter.

The door opened, and my mom came out and sat on a chair next to me. “What are you up to today, Ben?” she asked, her eyes focused on Daniel coming up the drive.

“I’m not really sure yet. I don’t have work or practice. It’s the first time in a while I’ve been completely free.” I thought of Serena then and how she talked about having nothing to do most days. It was such a strange feeling, like I could relax and not rush off to the next place. “I need to throw a few pitches at some point, but for now I’m open.”

“I could use your help tonight, then. We’re supposed to help with a wedding reception, and we’re short-staffed for how many people are expected. Your father has to work late, and Mrs. Shiels is going to take Daniel for a few hours until he gets home.”

I sighed, not ready to help with a catering job. It was something my mom had always done on the side, and I knew she needed the out sometimes, but me helping pick up plates and run errands was not something I wanted to do on a relaxed summer night.

“Don’t you think I’ll be better off here, watching Daniel?” I could hear a bit of the pleading in my voice and hoped she’d take the hint.

“Really, I need you there with me. There will be some new hires, and you have at least some experience with this kind of thing.” She tapped away on her phone, probably texting Barb, her best friend and co-owner.

It had been at least a year since she’d needed my help the last time. At least it wasn’t every time there was an event. She’d slowed down a lot since before Daniel was born, and the catering company she and Barb had built from the ground up allowed them to take turns managing it, giving both women the best of both worlds—they could stay home with their kids and rotate working the events.

My eyes turned out to the little truck in the driveway, and a thought came to me. “If I help, can we get an upgrade on my truck? I’m going to have permanent bruises on my knees from getting in the thing all the time.”

My mom’s smile turned to a giggle, and she tried to cover her mouth. After more than a minute of laughing, she said, “Yes, we need to do something about that. I’ve been talking to your dad about getting you something a little bigger. It will probably cost more in gas, though.”

“I don’t care about that. I don’t even care if it has rust down the sides. It would just be nice to feel comfortable driving around for more than ten minutes.”

“You know we don’t do bribes, but you’ve definitely earned the upgrade. I told your dad when he bought it that you’d have to cram yourself into it soon enough. I think we passed that point at least six months ago.”

I gave her a half-smile. “Why didn’t you say something back then?”

She shrugged. “Every time I thought about it, I got distracted soon after. Mom problems.” She slid off the chair and knelt next to me, her hand on my back. “I hope you know I’m proud of you, Ben. Keep working at your goals, and you’ll achieve them. Just don’t dive in too deep where you get yourself hurt. I know throwing as many pitches as you do all the time can wear out your shoulder.”

“I’ll be fine, Mom. I’ve got John to patch me up if I need it.”

“Yeah, but even he can’t fix everything, and definitely not in one session.” She stood, waving Daniel down to adjust his helmet.

The afternoon passed, and I mowed the lawn, trimming the edges like I was supposed to for one of my chores “just for living at home,” as my dad would say.

I showered and changed, checking my phone as I got out to see if Serena had sent me a message. When the phone didn’t show any notifications, I decided to send her one. The guilt of ruining my chances with her rushed to the surface, but maybe it was still salvageable.

Hey. I was just thinking about you. How was your day?

I pressed send before I had a chance to erase anything, knowing I’d spend twenty minutes or more debating the right thing to say.

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