Page 22 of Coast to Coast

I looked everywhere, not finding pull-ups while Crew got increasingly upset.

“I not a baby!” He shouted at me, his face turning red with anger.

“Hey, Tom? Can I have a hand here?” I called down the hallway to where Tom had disappeared into what I assumed was his bedroom. He rushed out of his bedroom, still shirtless, with his pants resting just below the band of his boxer briefs. Was that my ears ringing? All I knew was that the shouting from Crewhad faded into the background and had dulled when compared to the throbbing of my heart rate pounding in my ears.

Of course, he had a defined v; he was a professional athlete. And now I’m somehow expected to get my shit together, find some pull-ups and pretend that just a glimpse of him shirtless didn’t dampen my panties.

“Oh, sorry.” He rushed to help, “I bought pull-ups but haven’t stocked them in his bedroom yet. Kelsey warned me this is new, but I didn’t expect him to get so mad.”

The little dude was apoplectic. In trying to get him to use a diaper, I had insulted his very being.

“Bud, hold up. Go easy on Kiwi. I didn’t tell her you were too big for diapers. I’ve got some pull-ups in the kitchen. I never put them away.”

Crew took off running his little naked bum towards the kitchen, where he found the shopping bag with the pull-ups and returned to us, demanding that we open the packaging. He then proceeded to show us how he could get the pull-ups on all by himself.

“Has he started potty training?” I asked.

“Not really. We have a potty seat for him, but we planned to let him use it when he showed interest in it. So far, he’s only interested in the pull-ups. But he’s still young for this.”

Looking at Crew, he looked older than 17 months, likely related to his height. He was a big boy, though so was his dad. Tom had to be about 6’5”. Crew could get the pull-ups on almost entirely by himself but needed help with his pajama pants, which I had brought with me as we followed him to the kitchen. Thankfully, once I had everything under control, Tom snuck back into his bedroom and covered himself with a shirt.

He started to pull out bowls, spoons, and a tub of ice cream. “Do you want whipped cream and a cherry?”

“Des, pweas,” Crew answered politely. All signs of the fit he had thrown about the diapers were erased entirely. Proof that while he was typically polite and sweet, he was a toddler, and his attitude could turn on a dime.

While I wondered why Tom would give him chocolate ice cream after his bath, I did not feel comfortable questioning it. I did note that an economy-sized container of baby wipes was on the counter, ready to go. You couldn’t always bathe a toddler every time they got dirty.

“Ice cream?” Tom asked.

“Sure, thank you,” I said, settling onto one of the seats by the counter while he scooped me a bowl and one for himself. Crew was quiet while he ate; it was the only time he wasn’t running around or talking a mile a minute. Monica had guaranteed I would have time off when Tom wasn’t occupied with either practice, but I imagined being exhausted from the constant motion.

“Does he nap during the day?” I asked.

“Thank God, yes. He’s good for a two-hour nap about mid-day. And while I feel terrible saying this, he’s a lot of work, and those nap times are my chance to recharge.”

“There is a reason the most viral social media content is from moms needing a break.” I paused, catching a glob of ice cream before it fell off Crew’s spoon onto the floor. “I was looking up your neighborhood in Colorado, and it looks as though there are a bunch of parks within walking distance of your condo.”

Tom nodded. “There’s a playground and a pool in the development, too, but yeah, there is plenty to keep you both occupied. And it’s walkable to almost anything you need. I plan to get an SUV for you, but I can leave you with my truck until we figure that out.”

“I’m surprised Monica hasn’t already looked into that,” I said, knowing how my friend typically planned even the smallest details flawlessly.

“She tried, but I wanted to make sure we had something you were comfortable with before I bought it.”

“Oh, thank you. I’m not exactly comfortable with driving a larger vehicle. Do you think I need a truck or SUV on the roads there?” I had always hated driving when it snowed in the city, but that’s because three snowflakes caused even the best Boston drivers to lose their minds.

“I’d feel better if the two of you had four-wheel drive. But there are plenty of smaller vehicles that meet that spec,” Tom said, automatically including my safety in with his son’s. It was nice to be considered.

“There’s a reason everyone in Vermont drives a Subaru. That would work for me,” I said.

“Okay. I’ll get moving on that.”

“All done, Dada. Stowy time?” Crew asked as Tom wiped down his face and lifted him out of his seat, pausing briefly to squeeze him. Yup, I get it. Crew was tough to resist, even when he was throwing a fit over pull-ups.

“Ok, go pick out a book while I clean up. I’ll meet you in the living room.”

Crew ran off to his bedroom, and I could hear his books hitting the ground as he searched for the one he wanted to read before bedtime.

“After we pick the book, we brush our teeth. Some nights, he falls asleep while we are reading. I always try to connect with Sam and Kelsey so they can say goodnight. Sam is about three hours behind. He’s not pitching tonight, but he won’t have his phone in the bullpen.”

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