Page 84 of The Yips

“I can’t imagine missing times like these.”

“What do you mean?” Kelsey asked.

“I feel like I’ve already missed so much. He’s almost five months old, and I’ve been around for less than half his life. I don’t want to miss any more of it.”

Kelsey smiled shyly at me, “I don’t want you to miss any more of it either.”

“But I also can’t take that away from his father. I can’t stand in his way if he wants a relationship with Crew.”

“Me neither,” Kelsey said.

Jake had quietly stopped recording and had gone inside to greet Josie. As always, my sister shared way too much information, and I now knew that she was ovulating and not to disturb them if the bedroom door was closed.

Crew had started to shiver, so Kelsey and I got out of the pool and brought him to rinse off in the outdoor shower.

“A set-up like this might be worth living in the suburbs,” I said as Kelsey nodded in agreement.

“It’s nice, but a house this size needs someone to manage it. I would never want something this big. Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful, and I love it for Jake and Josie. But not for me.”

We changed, and Kelsey fed Crew as we watched the clock restlessly. I set up my laptop in the kitchen, and while I didn’t specifically ask Jake and Josie for privacy, they went out for dinner, leaving us alone to make the call.

We logged in and waited for Anne to start the Zoom call at the planned time. Crew sat on Kelsey’s lap, playing with his favorite tag blanket. The screen filled with Anne and a middle-aged man I suspected was Tom’s agent.

“I asked Tom if I could come on in advance to set the tone of the meeting. I’m Rick Parenteau, his agent. I’m sureyou realize that this is a shock to him, and as a pro ball player, you also recognize the pressures on a rookie. I’m not an attorney, but I represent the kid’s career, and our main request is that this is handled as quietly as possible. Yes, he remembers you, Kelsey. He doesn’t deny what you assert, but negotiations should be on hold pending the paternity test. Tom has an appointment tomorrow; I assume you have also made an appointment?”

“I have,” Kelsey answered nervously.

“OK. Anne, can you let Tom into the call?”

Shit, the man on the other side of the screen looked like he’d been put through the wringer. He nervously ran his hands through his hair as his eyes narrowed on Crew. He studied him quietly, eyes wet and red-rimmed. My eyes were also watering as I watched the interaction and recognition in his eyes.

He took a deep breath before speaking, “Before I got on this call, I asked my mother for some baby pictures of me. I figured that it would be easier to compare us at similar ages. But I don’t need a test to prove he’s my son.”

I’d never known that relief could also break your heart. My images of a future with just the three of us disappeared and were replaced by Crew, who was potentially going to be torn between two fathers.

“Why didn’t you try to contact me before?” He asked, his lip trembling, on the verge of tears.

With that, the first tears escaped Kelsey’s eyes and became a steady stream down her cheeks. “Do you know how many Toms there are in California?”

Tom’s voice shook as he said, “My father was a deadbeat, but I’m not. The timing couldn’t be worse, and I can’t begin to understand how this will work. But Rick mentioned youhad a series in town in two weeks. Can I meet him in person then?” His voice cracked with the question.

Kelsey nodded, “Of course.”

Before we ended the call, Kelsey had agreed to send him access to her online photo album. Did it go well? Yeah. But fuck, if it didn’t scare the shit out of me.

CHAPTER 73

Kelsey

Iwould never have thought the most relaxing part of my trip to Texas would be the All-Star game. Jake, Josie, and I had seats with other families. While there were only a couple of other Minutemen chosen for the All-Star Team, Avery was also there.

On the way into the game, I was recognized, put my head down, and kept moving. Earlier that day, Tom released a statement confirming that he had no doubt Crew was his son. While the paternity test was pending, all parties expected it to be a formality. We would all be working together to develop a co-parenting plan and would appreciate it if our privacy was respected as we dealt with a private family matter.

Was I relieved that Tom wasn’t denying Crew? Yes. Did I notice Sam’s mood become more somber because of it? Yes.

While Crew was my number one priority, I wanted to protect Sam from getting hurt. How would he feel watching Crew call Tom Daddy? If something happened to Crew while he was with Sam, would he have the legal right to care for him? I was trying to slow down and wait untilwe met in two weeks, but there was still too much up in the air.

After the game, we all posed for pictures to commemorate it, and Sam agreed to an interview on the condition that he would lead the conversation about Crew. We had begun to spin the narrative that all parties were handling this and that there was no drama.

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