40. Wyla

Chapter 40

November

Would you call me crazy if I told you I met a guy, had his baby without him knowing and now, five years later, I'm sitting front row watching the same man pitch for the last time in the final game of the World Series?

I most certainly wouldn't have believed it if you told me this was how everything was going to play out, but here we are.

Stevie stands at the fence screaming for Jett as he pitches. She's by far his number one fan.

"I can't believe we're being separated, and you're taking my mini with you," Callie grumbles next to me. "I've worked hard on building her sass! It's not fair."

I laugh. "Yeah, sass that's going to take months of deprogramming. "

Callie rolls her eyes and reaches for Stevie to let her stand on her thighs so she can see better. For the past few months, Callie and I have gotten rather close and she has always jumped on babysitting Stevie when we needed it, if it meant getting out of Adam's place for a bit.

I look out to Jett and watch as he throws another strike. I can't say I won't miss the baseball pants but I'm so ready for us to start our life back in Aster Creek.

Jett gets ready to throw again, and it dawns on me. This is it. It's the top of the ninth and the Mavericks are ahead by two runs. Jett just threw his second strike, so this could be it. This could be his last pitch of his career, as there are already two outs.

Jett glances our way as Stevie yells for him again, and I can see his smile from here. He throws the ball, and I feel this need to hold my breath until I see it miss the batter's bat going straight into Adam's glove.

The crowd goes crazy, and the announcer comes over the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Mavericks are your new World Series Champions!"

The team runs in from the field and dog pile on top of Jett. I can feel the tears starting as Jett's pitching coach, Blake, comes up to the fence. "Come on out here. I know Jett wants to see y'all. "

He lets us through the blocked off area onto the field and by that time the team has started to stand back up.

Just as Jett stands, Stevie's racing across the field and jumping in his arms. "Daddy!"

He picks her up and tosses her in the air as she squeals. "Hey, Little Bee."

She wiggles out of his hold. "Ah, you're sweaty!"

Jett lets her down and smiles at me. "What do you think, Wy?"

Not wasting a second, I wrap my arms around his neck and he swings me around for a second before setting me down. "Stevie said I'm too sweaty."

I laugh, recalling what he said to me on our first night. "You think I care that you're sweaty? I don't care one bit. You're in your baseball pants and they are too damn addicting."

Stevie slams her hands over her ears. "Mommy, language!"