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Maybe I should take a cue from Abby’s change of heart about her ex. We needed to do what was best for us and our boys, not worry about their fathers. They’d made their choices, and it was time for them to live with the consequences.
I let out a breath when Hunter unleashed his fastball. It landed with a sting in the palm of my glove. “Holy— Are you faster than last week?”
Hunter smiled smugly. “I’ve been practicing.”
“That your four-seam?” I tried showing him the four-seam fastball in practice last week, but he struggled with it. My impression of Hunter was sports came easy to him, and I was worried he wouldn’t want to keep working at it.
He smiled wider. “I practiced, and now I’m faster.”
I tossed the ball back to him and slammed a fist into my glove. “Nice. Let me see it again.”
I crouched into position as he wound up again.
Brody stepped up to the plate this time.
“Back up in the box. He’s throwing fast,” I advised.
“I know. I know,” Brody grumbled.
He was so used to my tweaks and suggestions; he tended to get annoyed. But Hunter soaked it up. He was eager to learn everything.
I was excited for the spring season. I was confident I could mold the kids into a good team. If I had a few years with them? They sky was the limit.
What if I stayed? What if I made Annapolis our home? What if Abby and I could work things out, and we could really be together? We could be honest with the boys; maybe even move in together. The possibilities felt good.
Happiness and contentment flowed through me, making my throws harder and more accurate. I never wanted the feeling to end.
I didn’t want Abby to get cold feet and put distance between us. But the problem was that I couldn’t control her.
All I could do was make positive steps in my life. And hope she felt the same way in the end.
We played ball until the boys complained about being hungry. I ordered pizza and made a salad. We ate outside on the deck. I enjoyed having both boys there. It was easier to play, but they were becoming good friends. It warmed my heart to see. That connection I had with Abby seemed to be present between them.
“I wish my dad could be as cool as you,” Hunter said.
My heart pinched. I wasn’t prepared for that conversation, and I wasn’t sure how Abby would want me to deal with it. “I’m sorry your dad hasn’t been there for you.”
“It sucks.”
“Tell me about it. My dad’s in jail,” Brody said.
I sucked in a breath. Brody never spoke about his dad’s circumstances. I wondered how Hunter would handle it.
Hunter’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“He stole stuff. He wasn’t nice.” Brody’s shoulders lowered.
I knew he saw it as his father chasing a different life from the one with his son, and I couldn’t disagree with him. It sure felt like that to me too. “The important thing is that you have me, Brody. And, Hunter, you have your mother.”
I wanted to tack onand me, but I couldn’t make promises I might not be able to keep.
Hunter shook his head. “You won’t stick around either.”
My heart stuttered. “Why do you think that?”
“It’s a feeling I get, and my mom says it to my aunt sometimes. She says no one sticks around unless it’s family. But my dad is my family, and he’s not here.”
“Family doesn’t have to be blood. It doesn’t have to be your biological mother or father. It’s the people around you, who are there for you, who love you exactly as you are.”
