Two Years Later
Echo pops to his feet, glancing back at the umpire before jogging his way to me.
The batter shakes his head, stepping away from the plate, gripping the barrel of his bat with a hilarious amount of anger.
I jerk my chin as he approaches the mound, and my boy grins.
He lifts his glove up to hide his lips. “Just needed a quick stretch.” He laughs, glancing around at the sold-out stadium. “Fuck, son, this shit’s wild.”
“Told you you’d like the new view.”
“Aye, it only took me two seasons to get here.” Echo shows his smirk. “You think the man who signed my check is happy now?”
“Not yet.” I cut a quick glance toward the visiting teams dugout. “We promised him a Championship.”
“That we did.” E lowers his chin, looking me dead in the eye. “We gonna give it to him?”
Thrill fires down my spine, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand.
This is fucking it.
This is the pinnacle of the game.
Of my game.
I’ve already got the world to go home too, now it’s time to bring home the dream.
I lift a single brow. “You gonna give me what I want?”
“You gonna let me choose where we go for dinner tonight?” he counters.
A quick laugh escapes and I nod at my best friend. “Let me end this shit quick, and you got it.”
“Curveball it is my man.” He slaps my sleeve, moving back to his spot.
I stretch my neck, spinning the ball in my palm, and flick my eyes up to the seats right behind the batter’s box, where my family sits watching.
When I signed my contract, my agent secured me a box at the top, a private suite cased in with glass, and AC, but Meyer has yet to take advantage of the perk. She wants to be in the exact spot I first told her I wanted her. And so far, for every home game we’ve had, she has been, weather be damned. She’s got Milo to thank for that one. He loves the damn box and goes into babysitter mode quick so long as he has access to it. It’s a sweet trade, and the man never misses a game either. Meyer wasn’t kidding when she said he wants to be there for her. The semester after she moved here, he was right behind her, and I couldn’t have been more thankful.
My job takes me all over, so knowing she has him when I’m gone makes this job possible. He’s a huge part of the reason I’m able to perform the way I do, because I know, no matter what, my girl has someone looking out for her.
The move to Florida has been good to us, and the Miami Marlins have been, too.
They treat me well, and the press surrounding my name nowadays is nothing but an honor.
They talk about the game and my future in it, wagering it’ll be a long one right here in Sun Life Stadium.
I’m a damn angel in their eyes, and with my next six pitches, I’ll be their fucking God, too.
With one last look at my wife, I get myself set.
I take a deep breath, and then it’s on.
I’m about to win The World fucking Series.
Meyer
When I was little and imagined my life, I saw me and Milo living next door to each other, our mom in a small house on the back of one of our places. I hoped to meet a man who would come home and want to kiss me like the couples did in the movies. He’d set his briefcase on the table near the door and untie his tie as he made his way to me.
I’d have dinner waiting and our kids would be well mannered and excited to talk to us about their day.
But here I am, a year out of college and my life is nothing like I pictured.
It’s so much more.
Yes, Milo lives twenty miles away, but that’s nothing on a Florida highway, and I see him no less than three out of seven days of the week. And while my mom can’t be with us, I like to think she’s near, that her ashes rode the waves off the coast of California to Miami’s shoreline, as if she found her way to us.
I did find the man, or more, he found me, but he doesn’t own a briefcase and complains when he has to wear a tie.
But he does wear a black baseball hat pulled low like no other.
He kisses me when he gets home, and everywhere else for that matter.
I don’t have dinner ready when he gets home because my man likes to be a part of every aspect of our lives, and meals are no different. As for well-mannered children, well, I’m not even sure what that means.
I have a toddler, and she acts like a toddler, as she should. She cries if she’s upset and laughs when she’s entertained. Smiles when she’s happy and pouts when she’s sad.
Bailey is sweet and kindhearted, and the most precious thing, and not just to me, but to her daddy too.
And Tobias is her daddy, in every single way that counts.
I couldn’t imagine a better man or father if I tried. I’m unconvinced one exists.
Pushing to my feet, I slide my fingers through the chain linked fence as he gets set for the very last throw of the season, the pitch that will light the fire of the young man inside him and solidify everything he hoped was true but wasn’t so sure of at different stages in his life.
He has it in him.
He’s capable and enough.
He’s so much more than enough.
As if he can hear my thoughts, Tobias lifts his chin the slightest bit, allowing me to see his eyes beneath the bill of his hat.
Suddenly, person after person, row after row jumps to stand, and my eyes float from one side to the other, teal and black blanketing the place at every angle. The echo of the crowd vibrates from all around me, the faith they have in their pitcher bringing tears to my eyes and my favorite smirk to Tobias’s lips.
He isn’t even nervous, not in the least bit.
He’s ready for this, worked his ass off to get right here right now.
“Come on, hotshot. Make this your dirtiest curve yet.”
He does just that.
The pitch is thrown, and the crowd is celebrating before the umpire has even made the call.
The Miami Marlins win the World Series on their home field.
Before I even have time to look behind me, security is at my side, ushering me down and through the small opening that leads to the field – no doubt in my mind Tobias gave them strict instructions to do exactly this.
He’s already halfway to me, his glove in the dirt, and then I’m in his arms.
Tobias swings us around, kissing me hard on the lips as he lowers me to my feet and grips my cheeks with both hands.
“How’d I do, Tutor Girl?” He grins, sweat beading along his brow.
“I’d say you aced it, hotshot.”
“Damn fuckin’ straight.” He smashes his lips to mine again, glancing up at the suite, where Bianca and Milo are being escorted from, Bailey in his arms.
A few guys come up, his coach hot on their tail, congratulating and hugging Tobias.
I use the moment to slip my hand into my purse, my stomach erupting with butterflies as I do.
The men are approached by a few others in suits, and my husband turns back to me, pulling me against him, and as he does, he feels the toy now smashed between our bodies.
With a small frown, he pulls back, laughing when he sees the little baseball in my palm.
“Holy shit, you brough it.” He takes it in his hand, tossing it up and catching it in his palm.
“No.” I shake my head. “I bought it.”
He frowns, and then he looks to the ball again. “This…this is new.” His eyes dart up to mine.
“Yeah,” I nod. “It is. Bailey’s still learning to share so…”
In that instant, the toy is forgotten. It falls to our feet and he grips my face once again, but this time, to hold me still. “Baby…are we pregnant?”
A mix between a cry and a laugh escapes me and I nod. “Yeah, we are.”
“Oh my—” he cuts himself off, and shouts into the air. Bending, he lifts me up, his arms tight around my knees, and starts jogging.
Laughing, I hold on for dear life, and he runs right for the reporter section, cutting off the interview they were getting with the head coach.
They’re all more than happy to turn their mics to the man of the hour.
But he doesn’t let them speak, at least not yet.
He lowers me beside him, leans into the microphone and announces to the millions of people watching, “Tonight is one of the best nights of my life!” he shouts, getting the crowd riled up again. “We just won the game of all games and my gorgeous wife has just told me that we’re expecting baby number two!”
Tears fall from my eyes, and I burry my face in his chest, his arms closing tight around me as the fans go wild, happy for the man they’ve come to love.
Happy for us both.
“Bailey!” He shouts then, and I look over my shoulder to find the others have finally made it.
I let go of him, and Bianca pretty much jumps on me, squealing and clapping like a crazy person, and Milo steps in next.
Bailey is already in her daddy’s arms and that’s exactly where she stays as he gives interview after interview right there on that field.
I stand back, watching the two most important people in my life, my palm resting on the third.
Tobias’s reaction to the news was more than I hoped it would be. I knew he would be thrilled, we’ve been trying for eight months now, but I hadn’t even paused to wonder what his excitement would feel like from my side.
I didn’t have that before and I have no words for the feelings sweeping over me.
Every part of me, from deep within my core to the tips of my fingers is aglow. It’s as if I’m standing on air. The weight of my body has eluded me and I’m afraid if I try and speak, a jumbled mess of words is all that will come out.
I couldn’t ask for more in this lifetime, not when I’ve already been so blessed.
It took a lot for us to get here. We had our ups and downs, but looking back, there isn’t a moment I regret. Not a single second of it.
Because if we went back and took away the bad, there would be no good left standing.
All the hurt and hardships lead us to this very moment in one way or another. Neither of us would be who we are today without the path it took us to get here.
Unyielding love and support, that’s what we have.
That’s what our lives will be full of for years to come.
“Mommy!”
I blink, looking down to find Bailey running toward me, her baseball cap hiding half of her face. Smiling, lift it up so I can get a good look at her. “Bailey Bay!”
“Are you ready?” she says, her R sounding more like a W and blue eyes wide with excitement.
I bend, so we’re more eye level and put my hands on her little hips. “Ready for what, pumpkin?”
“Daddy said we’re getting a baby!” she pulls away, running a few steps away, all to run right back. “Let’s go find him!”
I laugh, pushing to my feet, let her take my hand, and lead me where she wishes, knowing full well where she’s taking me.
Right to Tobias’s side.
My little daddy’s girl.
Tobias pulls me into him, whispering dirty promises of what the night holds into my ear.
My husband keeps every single one.
