Page 17 of The Yips

“I don’t see anything, and I’m sitting directly across the table from you.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Crew’s hand poked out from under the blanket, affording a view of her breast that I hadn’t earned. Crew came for air, belched, and then slipped back below the blanket again.

“Okay, so I’m going to try. I’m nervous to travel with him, but I’ll try.”

I sighed heavily with relief. “I’ll have Monica reach out later today. She’ll book your flights and help with any other transportation logistics you need. I don’t know how much you make per shift, but I thought I’d cover 100% of your travel and transportation costs, as well as $ 1,500 for any potential lost wages. Is that enough?”

“That’s more than enough.”

Once Crew finished eating, he sat on her lap, smiling and trying to catch the eyes of anyone who walked close to the table.

“I don’t get it. Why wouldn’t his dad want to be in his life?”

“I didn’t know his father well. We met inCancun and didn’t share contact information. He doesn’t know Crew exists, and I only know his first name is Tom, and he lives in California. He likely would have helped if he had known he had a son.”

“I think you’re giving him the benefit of the doubt. Have you tried to find him?”

“I struck out with social media. My only other option would be a private detective, and that’s not within my means.”

It took everything in me not to do whatever it took to fix her problems. My mother had always said that if you wanted to hire someone who could get shit done, hire a mother. Most mothers accomplished more before 7:00 am than men did in an entire day.

We both finished our breakfast. I helped her situate Crew in the stroller, and we went our separate ways. She’d provided her information, and Monica would follow up to confirm travel arrangements.

CHAPTER 15

Kelsey

Sam’s assistant, Monica Drew, called first thing the following day to help me book my flight and plan the logistics of traveling with an infant. I would fly out first thing on Wednesday morning and return mid-day on Friday. She booked me a one-bedroom suite in the same hotel where Sam and the team stayed. I would have a car service to and from the airport and the game, and this would solve my issue with Crew’s car seat. This had been a major concern, and she had solved it in less than five minutes.

“Will a pack-n-play work?” she asked.

“He’s still in a bassinet. I’m not sure if he’ll sleep in something so big.” I had just stopped swaddling him at night, and he still seemed to prefer smaller spaces.

“Ok, we’ll see if we can find a portable bassinet. Also, some mothers prefer to have separate seats for their infants on airplanes. If you decide to do that, he has to be in the seat for take-off and landing.”

“I can hold him on my lap. He likes to be in his carrier.” Ihad read that many infants cry because their ears hurt but that if I breastfed during both takeoff and landing, it would help him. I would hate for him to be stuck in a seat and in pain.

“Also, Avery Martino will be traveling at the same time. Sam mentioned you two met the other night. Would you like to sit with her? If it’s okay with you, you can even ride in the same car service. She’s a pro when it comes to infant travel. Her kids will stay behind this time, but she’d be a huge help.”

“Uh, I don’t want to impose.”

“You’ll see quickly that there are supportive wives and others that will find joy in your struggles. Avery is one of the good ones. When she was new, they gave her a hard time. She vowed to do what she could to welcome the new wives and girlfriends.”

“Oh, I’m not a wife or a girlfriend.”

“Okay,” she answered skeptically. Either way, Sam asked that I ensure you have everything you need to make this an easy trip. For this trip, please text or email me a copy of any receipts. If I have a week before the next trip, I can set you up with a credit card.”

“Oh, I don’t think there will be a next trip,” Monica said confidently.

“I’ve never seen Sam this attentive. There’ll be a next time.”

After hanging up with Monica, I made a list of everything I would need to bring for the Crew. I pre-packed diapers, wipes, and plenty of clothes. Monica had assured me that I would have a washing machine and dryer in my suite should I need to do laundry. This was reassuring, as Crew was known to have occasional blowouts. If I couldn’t wash his clothes immediately, they wouldbe trashed.

My phone dinged with a text message:

Sam: Monica said you’re all booked. I’ll be at the field on Wednesday afternoon when you land. Do you have any plans to do anything that evening?

Me: I thought I’d check out the Mall of America for dinner and return to the hotel early.

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