Page 37 of The Perfect Catch

So when I glanced at my phone Saturday morning, I grabbed it and turned on the screen, hoping she’d sent something that morning. My screen was empty, only a picture of my mom, Karsten, Bree, and me when we’d gone to a carnival a few years before she passed away.

I opened my message app anyway, hoping I’d missed something. After I reread the messages I sent her at midnight, I suddenly wished I could afford the newest phone that allowed you to see when people had seen the messages.

I’d gotten up earlier than I had the day before, which was good since we had another big game in a couple of hours. The smell of something cooking drew my attention, and I got out of the covers, stumbling to the kitchen.

“Bree, what are you making?” I asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“I was trying to make you some eggs. Karsten said today is an important day for you, that all the college baseball scouts will be there watching.” Her light-brown hair and pale-green eyes reminded me so much of my mother it hurt. She looked so innocent and as though she was waiting for a rebuke from me.

“Well, that’s about the nicest thing anyone’s done for me in a while.” I walked up to her, reaching over her shoulder and sneaking a bit of scrambled egg. I savored it on my tongue. “That’s pretty good, girl. Maybe you’ll have to be the cook from now on.”

She set the spatula down on the pan and waved her hands in front of me. “Now, now. I’m not that good. How hard is it to screw up eggs?”

I pulled out the chair next to the table across from her and grinned. “You’d be surprised.” I leaned my head back against the wall, still trying to wake up. “How is cheer going, by the way?” It had been a while since I’d even talked to Kate or Bree about the dance classes, and since I hadn’t gotten a text from Kate yet, might as well bring her up with my younger sister…

“I love cheerleading. It’s so much fun, and I’m learning all the moves. Kate even said I’m catching up so fast.” She beamed and started moving her hands in the way a cheerleader would do, clapping and stomping her feet.

A squeak came from down the hall, and Noni appeared in her wheelchair, her long white hair in a braid down the side of her face. When she had it like that, it usually meant she was feeling enough energy to get up and get going for the day. For me, that was a promising thing.

“Hello, my babies,” she said, smiling weakly in our direction.

I jumped up and moved the chair away from the table so she could wheel up to it. “How are you feeling this morning, Noni?”

“Much better this morning, Daxton. Bree tells me you have some more baseball games today.”

With a quick nod, I sat down again, drumming my fingers along the tabletop. “I do. We’re in the semi-finals for this tournament, so we might have two games today.” That usually meant a lot of kneeling in my catching gear, but it would be worth it if we could beat our rivals again.

“How’s school going, young man?” This was the drawback to Noni feeling better, the constant questions about my life and decisions.

I nodded, staring over at Bree for a few seconds. “It’s going really well, actually. I’m on Senior Committee and just trying to stay out of trouble.”

She narrowed her eyes and pointed at me. “I better be seeing you walk across that stage. I’ll have a picture of my oldest grandson in graduation attire, and the others when it’s their time, of course,” she said, glancing in Bree’s direction. “That diploma is the most important thing right now, and I want your full attention on that.”

I chuckled a bit. “I will, Noni. We’ve got a while left until graduation, but I’m keeping my grades up and doing well in baseball.”

Bree brought over a plate of eggs and two pieces of toast that were a little darker than I usually liked. “Sorry, I forgot to turn the toaster down a notch. I’d make some others, but we’re out of bread.” She looked apologetic, reminding me of the afternoon after she’d gone shopping with Kate and realized we needed to pay her back.

I smiled, swiping my thumb across her chin. “This is perfect, Bree. I’m sure it will give me energy for the game.”

“You’ll impress those scouts,” she said, stepping back to the stove and cracking more eggs into the pan.

After I swallowed a bite of egg, I turned to her, curious. “What makes you think I’m going to go to college? Noni over here thinks it will be a miracle if I make it through high school.”

There were times when I forgot my sister was only eight years old, with the maturity in her coming out every once in a while. It was the first time in months that I hadn’t seen her with the doll our mother had made her, dancing and singing with it like there was nothing in the world but that. The look in her eyes now was more sincere than I’d ever seen her.

“Because why not reach for the stars and see where you land?” She grinned before turning back around and scraping the eggs with the spatula.

“That’s my girl,” Noni said, purring. “Wise words, and ones I hope you’ll take to heart, about everything.”

I nodded, knowing I couldn’t argue with either of them when I felt so inspired. I shoveled the rest of the eggs into my mouth and downed the toast, knowing I needed to get ready for my game. “Thanks again, Bree. That was the best breakfast I’ve had in a while.”

“That’s theonlybreakfast you’ve had in a while.”

She had some truth there. I was usually running out the door before I got the chance to eat. Or leaving whatever was left for my siblings.

I dressed in my uniform, spraying a little cologne over me to mask the fact that I’d been too tired to wash it the night before. Hat on and bag packed, I said goodbye to Noni and Bree. Karsten would probably get up after I left.

Just another day of baseball ahead, and with the idea of college coaches and Kate possibly watching me, a kind of excitement and panic took over. Hopefully, it would turn out okay.

---