Page 78 of Stepping Up to the Plate

“I can see that, Mom.” I chuckle. Walking over to her, I pull her in for a hug. After a few squeezes, I turn to my dad and give him one, too. “I’m happy to see you both.”

Having shaken her shock, Lola appears anything but comfortable as she shifts from foot to foot by the door. That won’t do. My parents are the most easy-going, kindest people I know. Given the chance, they will love her as much as I do, and I want her to be comfortable around them.

“Come over here, doll,” I encourage. When she steps close to me, I pull her in front of me to face my parents.

“Lola, these intruders are my parents, Marilyn and Ray. Mom and Dad, this is my girlfriend, Lola.”

“Hi,” she greets nervously, reaching out her hand.

“Oh honey, it is nice to meet you!” My mother exclaims before pulling her from my arms and into hers. “I’m a hugger.”

Lola is stiff for a second before her body relaxes into the hug.

“Mare, let the girl breathe,” my dad comments, amused. “It is nice to meet you, Lola. We’ve heard some wonderful things about you.”

“You have?” she questions.

“Of course!” Mom answers. “This one doesn’t talk much, but when he does, it is mostly about baseball and you. Sit, sit. You two are probably tired from traveling. Why don’t you take a seat? I’ll make us something to eat.”

“Mom, you don’t need to come to my house and cook for me. I can do it, or we can order out.”

“Nonsense,” she replies. “You hardly ever come to see us. When else am I going to get to feed you?”

I try to disagree, but my father stops me. “It’s a losing battle, son. She made me stop at the grocery on the way here to get all the ingredients she needed to make Grandma’s meatloaf.”

“Do you need any help?” Lola asks.

“No, honey. You go sit and relax. Beware, Ray may chat your ear off, though.”

Dad rolls his eyes with a scoff. “Everyone knows you’re the chatty one, dear.”

A while later, the four of us are sitting around my kitchen table enjoying meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and butter beans. It’s definitely not a trainer-approved meal, but no way am I turning down my mom’s home cooking. I watch my girl laugh as Mom animatedly tells the story of when Kevin, Jimmy, and I thought we could build a raft to float across the pond near our house. Plot twist: random branches aren’t airtight, and we all fell in.

Dad catches my eye and gives me a knowing smile. I can tell both he and Mom are as enamored by my sweet girl as I am. Lola is mesmerizing right now, her head tossed back, cheeks pink from laughing.

“Alright, it wasn’t that funny,” I mirthfully say.

“It absolutely was. I’ve never seen the three of you as dirty as when you trudged up to the back door covered in mud. I wouldn’t let them inside until Ray sprayed them off with the hose.”

“Speaking of being covered in things, how are Kevin and the poop monster?” I ask. My niece, Chloe, may be cute as a button, but according to Kevin, she has had quite a few blowouts.

“She is wonderful,” Mom beams, pulling out her phone and showing it to Lola. “Have you seen her? You have to see the pictures from when they went to the beach!”

“I have seen a few pictures, but not those. Oh my gosh! That is the cutest thing I have ever seen,” Lola gushes.

“Isn’t it? I’m trying to convince them to get her something similar for Halloween. She is the cutest mermaid. Megan wants her to dress as a pumpkin, but I think they can be more original than that!”

“I told Kev to dress her as a baseball player. She’s got a Songbirds onesie already,” I interject.

“We are not dressing this cute little baby as a baseball player, Brady,” Mom tuts. “She needs something frilly and fun!”

“I don’t know,” Lola comments. “I think a little baseball player would be adorable, especially with the cap.”

The moment the words come out of her mouth, I can picture it. Lola holding a baby girl with her big, hazel eyes and a shock of my brown hair, and me playing catch with a blue-eyed little boy who has his mom’s coloring. The two of us could build the most extraordinary life and family together. That’s where I want this to go. I think she does, too.

We haven’t explicitly discussed it, but the way her eyes light up at pictures of Chloe tells me she wants a baby of her own. I’m going to be the man to give that to her. I’ll give her everything she’s ever wanted if she lets me.

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