Page 68 of Strong Side
“Me too!” another one says.
Great. There goes getting a minute to get myself together.
“Okay, any girl who has to use the restroom, follow me.” I stand and take the stairs, turning to get a head count to see who is following me. I glance to the dugout and see Trey watching me just before he looks away.
The four little girls who followed me are using the restroom, and I’m standing at the sink, looking in the mirror. I shake my head to focus since I have kids with me. God forbid one of them walks out and I don’t notice. So, I splash some water on my face, then grab a paper towel to dry it.
As I’m tossing the paper into the wastebasket, the door opens. It’s the blonde and the little boy. He’s mumbling, and she’s nodding and smiling.
“Dada, ball. Dada, ball.” He claps his hands. He notices me and waves. “Hi.”
I smile and wave back. “He’s a cutie,” I say to the girl.
“Thank you. He is cute, but he’s stinky! You need a new diaper, don’t you, Hank?” She kisses his cheek.
“Let me guess. Named after Hank Aaron?” I smile. That’s Trey’s favorite all-time player.
“Ha! How did you guess? His daddy picked it. I had very little say.” She sets him on the changing table and pulls a diaperand wipes from her backpack with one hand, the other hand on Hank’s belly, holding him in place.
I know I shouldn’t, but I just need to know. I need to know I’m not wrong. “Is that his dad’s number he’s wearing?”
“Sure is! He’s a pitcher for Walker.” She turns to me and smiles.
The thought that this girl is talking to me right now with a smile on her face makes me feel sick. She seems so happy. So proud. There’s no way she knows who I am.
“Dada, ball!” Hank babbles.
“That’s right, Hank. Dada, ball.” She laughs. “He’s obsessed with balls. And his dada.”
“That’s really sweet,” I whisper.
One of the little girls in my class calls to me, “We’re all done, Miss Noelle.”
They’re all lined up by the door.
“You all washed your hands?” I didn’t even notice.
“Yes, ma’am,” they say together.
“You a teacher?” the blonde asks.
“Um, yes. Or, well, I will be. We’re on a field trip today with the class I’m student teaching this year.” I walk to the door.
“That’s fun. Have a good time!” she calls out as she finishes changing Hank’s diaper.
“Bye-bye!” Hank babbles.
“Thanks. You too. Bye, Hank.” I wave to him. Suddenly feeling really sad for that little boy. Because none of this deception is his fault.
After the longest game in history, we make our way down to the field for the kids to have baseballs signed, get a few pictures, and meet the players. I stand toward the back, as far away from Trey as I can possibly get.
During the game, I couldn’t take my eyes off of his family. Clearly, his parents had to have known about this when they met me those few times. But who knows what he said to them about who I was? I mean, we practically lived together for two years since he stayed at my apartment all the time, but maybe he didn’t talk about me. My parents certainly knew who he was.
The other thing that I stewed about was the fact that his friends had to have known. And what’s worse is they all acted like they liked me. They were friendly to me while lying to my face. I feel betrayed by not just Trey, but his friends who I thought were mine too.
Some of the players, including Trey, are hugging family members and girlfriends. Trey is holding Hank in his arms, and seeing them together makes me want to cry. Trey looks happy and undoubtedly loves that little boy.
A few of the guys pass by me and nod. I can’t even muster a smile in return. Liars. All of them.
