Page 122 of The One for Me
Orlando was a ton of fun, and we were able to get all the parks in as well as shopping. Now, we’re in Tampa.
Not just anywhere in Tampa.
We are at the ballfield. I’m pretty sure Austin is about to shit himself, but he’s trying to stay cool. “So, is anyone here?” he asks as Sean helps him into his chair.
“Not sure.”
He knows.
He asked a bunch of his friends to meet us here, and Austin is going to lose it. I am both excited and nervous. I haven’t met any of his friends other than Tyler Shaw. He was one of those unforgettable players. Sean admired him, and they were on an all-star team together. Apparently, Tyler was some hot-shit pitcher, and Sean was happy to be behind the plate instead of in front of it, trying to hit off the guy. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him, which completely irritated Sean, but that was a perk at the time.
“Well, either way, I don’t care. I’m going to step onto a real major league field!”
The first thing that comes to my mind is that I wish his father could see this.
Jasper dreamed of this moment. He worked his ass off to give Austin everything he could ever need. Baseball wasn’t just about Austin. It was what bonded the two of them. When it was clear that Austin fell hard for the game, Jasper spent months learning about it. They watched games, talked about statistics, and had a plan to visit every field in the States. That will never happen for them.
Instead, Austin will do this without him.
Sean takes my hand. “You okay?”
I shove down my sadness and do what I can to focus on the joy that is coming from my...son.
“I am.”
“He’s going to freak.”
“He is.”
We are grinning as we follow Austin through the main gate.
Sean explains everything as we go through the halls. Since it’s the off-season, the place is quiet, but there’s a heaviness around us. Like, peoples’ hopes and dreams live here and are just waiting to be discovered.
“Whoa!” Austin says as Sean stops the wheelchair in front of a door. “Is this your locker room?”
“Sure is.”
“Can we go in?”
He laughs. “Of course.”
Inside is about what I would expect it to look like, only the lockers that line the walls are all pretty much empty. He stops in front of the third on the left. “This is mine. Usually, we have uniforms gear in here, and it’s . . . smelly.”
Austin chuckles. “But it’s the coolest place.”
“I remember the first time I walked in here. I felt just like you do right now.” The two of them share a brief moment, and then Sean points. “Through there is the field. You ready to go out?”
“I was born ready.”
I swear that boys are all the same. “Well, let’s go then.”
The excitement is almost too much as we enter the tunnel that will drop us right onto the field. When we emerge, it’s like the light is shining down upon us from the heavens. No wonder little boys dream of this. It’s like the movies . . . only real.
Two guys come running toward us, and I hear the hitch in Austin’s breathing.
“Oh my God. It’s Jack Carter and Knox Gentry!” Austin’s voice cracks on the last name.
Sean grins. “These are my buddies, and they wanted to come meet you.”
