Page 57 of Lucky 22

The stoic baseball player is back, and I respect it, even asI call out, “Good luck! You’ve got this! Go Magic!”

I watch him leave and say a silent prayer that things turnaround and the night ends on a positive note.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t.

And I’m so focused on the loss and seeing the utterdevastation on Christian’s face that I don’t even pay attention to the peoplearound me. But then again, I doubt they’re focusing on me either. Except…we’reall silently united in a state of mourning for the men we love, whose playoffdreams ended tonight. This is the first time I feel like I am truly bondingwith these women, and it stinks that it’s because of a major loss. We’re quietas we leave the stadium, and I have no idea what Christian’s state of mind willbe in when he gets back to the hotel. All I know is that I’m glad I’m here forhim.

On the ride back to the hotel, I can’t help but remindmyself that…we did it.

We made it through a baseball season.

I made it as the girlfriend of a Major League Baseballplayer.

That was our goal before spring training began. This was mytest. Our test. We needed to see how I could handle Christian and allhis structured routines.

Personally, I call them superstitions, but I learned earlyon not to use that word.

So, they’re routines.

However, his routines are intense and quitelengthy. He has his game-day routine scheduled down to the minute.

Except for today, when he handled my showing up andinterrupting everything like a champ.

He eats the same thing every day, he always has to wearclean clothes—he couldn’t wear anything twice without washing it. That one wasfairly normal. But that did not apply to pajamas. Because if he had a hitstreak…he would not wash his pajamas…otherwise, it would break thestreak. He could not step on a line or a crack… Ugh, so many rules!

And I know we spent more time apart than together thisseason, and that at some point, these rules will be a part of my everyday life.But now, I can be prepared for when that time comes.

Still…we made it.

Tomorrow we’ll have to say goodbye again, and I’m alreadydreading it. I’m going to fly back to Atlanta, and he’ll head home to Anaheim.We’re officially in the offseason for him, so we’ll have more time together,and things will go back to the way they were.

Weekends in Newport Beach.

Less flying.

Starting to maybe put down some roots and really beginplanning the future we’ve both been dreaming of.

I’m already looking forward to it. It’s finally within myreach. It makes me smile and fills me with hope.

Only I had no idea it wasn’t going to happen.

Chapter Ten

We got through the rest of the fall after the Magicwere eliminated from the playoffs and settled into a routine I was comfortablewith. I still had to fly back and forth to Atlanta a bit, but filming waswrapping up, and I was looking forward to three months of living a normal life.

We spent Thanksgiving with Christian’s best friend, Terry,and his girlfriend, Dana. Terry is in the US Army and just got back from beingdeployed overseas for the past nine months. We have so much to be thankfulfor—especially his safe return. Christian’s friends have become my good friendsnow, too. I love how our separate lives have blended so smoothly. There is somuch laughter and joy, and things are good. Better than good.

Christian and Terry have been best friends sincekindergarten, and I love how the pressure from both of their jobs melts awaywhen they are together and how they have such childlike fun wherever they go. Iget along great with Dana, too. It’s like we were all destined to be in eachother’s lives.

Christian is finally out of his funk from last season, andwe’re already looking forward to the new year. But as we’re getting ready tojingle some bells and celebrate the holidays, things take an unexpected turn.

Since, there has been zero fa-la-la-la-la-ing this holiday season.

At all.

Because the Magic don’t renew Christian’s contract.

He gets the call as we step off the plane in Florida tospend Christmas with his family. Actually, there’s a text from his agent,urging Christian to call him back. When he does, his agent breaks the news.There’s no warning, no heads-up, just a cold call saying they weren’t resigninghim. He’s devastated, and the timing obviously isn’t great. Like…couldn’t theyhave waited until after the holidays to pull the rug out from under him?