Chapter Two

Aiden

I freeze and divert my eyes, turning back to the front hallway, “Holy tits…fuck, Bec. I’m sorry,” I yell. The last thing I expected walking into Dom’s house was to see Bec in a sports bra, her beige skin covered in what I hope is baby food or something. Based on the smell and color, that seems unlikely. “Dom invited me over. The door was unlocked, so I came in when no one answered. I knocked; I swear.”

I feel like an idiot. I should run so far away that this memory can’t even find me. I typically welcome all of my memories with Bec when they flood my mind, more often than I care to admit, but this one, this one I want to burn.

“Uh…yeah, just, uh, give me one second to clean up and grab a sweater,” she says.

I wait. Thinking silently about all the decisions I made to get me here, to the most awkward moment in my twenty-eight years of life.

“You can turn around, I’m dressed now. Just getting Luca changed.” I turn slowly, trying to decide whether I want to face this moment or disappear and never return. “So, uh, what are you doing here, Aiden?”

Bec is working quickly with what looks like a million buttons. She glances at me over her shoulder and then turns away again.

God, I want her to look at me. She’s even more beautiful than I remember. Despite whatever the fuck is going on right now.

“I’m here to meet Luca and congratulate the new parents.”

“Oh yeah, right, of course. Dom mentioned last night that you moved back to Columbus. He ran out for diapers and should be back soon. Ellie is upstairs resting.” After she puts Luca into a clean outfit, she faces me with him in her arms. “I would say it’s nice to see you again, but I’m sure this is by far the worst way to run into someone in the history of humankind,” she says, smiling at me. Her cheeks pink from embarrassment.

I chuckle. Okay, so she’s still funny. At least we can joke about this. We’ll go with that. I scratch the back of my head. “Yeah, can’t say I’ve ever walked into a situation like this before, but it’s nice to see you all the same.”

I hear the front door open behind me and turn to see Dom walking in, his hands full with boxes of diapers. “Oh shit, Aiden, I completely forgot what time you were coming today. Sorry about that. Hey, Bec,” he calls out.

“Mind trading me? I’ll take the diapers to the nursery if you take Luca. I need a minute to clean up,” Bec says.

“Sure thing, come here, little man.”

I never considered how surreal it would be to watch the friends I made when I was fresh out of high school grow into responsible adults, husbands, and fathers. I mean, this guy used to hold the keg stand record in our group. A fun fact I’m sure I’ll be sharing with Luca someday. Ellie will love that.

Dom’s one of the best guys I know. I have no doubt he’ll be an amazing dad. It’s something he’s always talked about, even when we were both acting like immature assholes in college. Then he met Ellie and everything became real. He’s living his dream, building his family.

Shit, what am I doing?

“So, this is the newest member of the crew. Congratulations, Dom. I’m really happy for you and Ellie.” I clap him on the shoulder as I follow him into the living room of their suburban home and we sit on their massive couch while Dom flips on SportsCenter. Their home is comfortable and inviting, bright and colorful, well loved and lived in. There are small blankets, tiny teethers, and packs of baby wipes everywhere I look.

Lush green plants are scattered throughout the space, and several paintings hang on the vibrantly painted walls. The look is bold, but the style works. There are pictures of family and friends in the mix, and I even spot one of Dom, Ellie, Bec, and me with the rest of the wedding party at their ceremony from a few years back.

I live downtown, about twenty minutes away, closer to the stadium and training facility. My new space feels cold and impersonal compared to this.

“Holy shit, what happened here?” Dom is staring at the baby’s outfit, which I assume was ruined during Bec and Luca’s diaper battle.

“I may have underestimated Luca’s ability to blow out a diaper and two outfits at once; his and mine,” Bec answers as she walks back into the room, avoiding eye contact with me entirely. “Long story, but all you need to know is Luca is now clean, but his pajamas from earlier are not . They’ll need to be washed ASAP. Want me to throw them in the laundry?”

“No, that’s okay. I assume you took over so Ellie could rest?” Bec nods. “I really appreciate it. Last night was a rough one, I know she needs it.”

“And I was fully committed to staying until she woke up for the next feeding, but now I desperately want to go home and shower. You need anything else before I head out? I brought some snacks for Ellie and some paper plates too. I left them on the kitchen counter.”

“No, really, you’ve been a huge help. Don’t let this diaper disaster drive you away for too long. We’ll see you soon, right?”

“Yep, I’ll text Ellie later. See ya.” She turns to leave, moving as fast as she possibly can.

“Nice to see you again,” I call out.

Bec raises her hand quickly to wave over her shoulder but doesn’t turn around. “Yep, sorry for the…uh…nakedness. Welcome back to town.” And then she bolts—no chance for me to get another word in. Disappointment washes over me as I watch her leave. I’ve given a lot of thought to what it’d be like to see Bec again over the years. Safe to say I never pictured this.

Dom looks over at me, eyebrows raised. “Nakedness?”

* * *

“Damn, I’m going to owe Bec until Christmas for this.” Dom laughs and runs his hand through his hair. “Sounds like a train wreck.”

We’re sitting on Dom and Ellie’s patio while he holds a sleeping Luca in his arms. It’s surprisingly warm for an October afternoon in Ohio. I’m eager to soak up the last few days of nice weather before the bitter chill of fall finally settles over the city.

I take a sip of my beer. “I feel terrible. I just stumbled into the house assuming I’d find you and Ellie around, not…you know. That is the first and last time I’ll do that.”

“Ellie is going to crack up when she hears about this. She’ll never let Bec live it down.” He can barely restrain his chuckle, clearly trying not to wake Luca. “So how are you feeling being back in town? Seems like things went well with the new team.”

“It’s okay. Despite not making the playoffs, it felt like we found a good rhythm by the end of the season. I’ll be more comfortable next year. It’ll help going to Spring Training with the team.”

I know how lucky I am to play baseball professionally. I’ve loved the sport for as long as I can remember. It’s always been my escape. When the rest of my life feels like it’s falling apart, I know I can always find a quiet space in my mind, turn it all off, and focus on the game.

My four years as second baseman with the Detroit Lightning came to an abrupt end this past June when I was traded to the Columbus Aviators. “It’s good to be back in Columbus too. I’ve missed this city ever since we graduated, even if the move complicated things a bit.”

“With your mom?” Dom asks.

I let out a sigh and take another drink, feeling my shoulders cave slightly with the heaviness the topic always brings. “Yeah, things are settled for now, but it’s not getting any easier with the distance. Eventually, we’ll have to make the move.” My gut drops thinking of what that time will bring. What that’ll mean for my family.

“I’m really sorry. You know Ellie and I are here for you. Whatever you need.”

“Thanks, man. All good for now. But I want to hear about you guys and this future MLB star in your arms. He’ll take after me, right? When can he start T-ball? Like a year or so?” I grin, and Dom laughs.

“I don’t know shit about babies. I started reading a book about the different milestones and I got so fucking stressed. Ellie had to talk me down. I was so nervous, man. She told me to put the book down, trust my instincts, and we’d learn together as we go. As if I have instincts on this. I’m keeping to the basics for now. Feedings, diaper changes, and naps. I’ll let you know when we get to T-ball.”

He might claim to be nervous, but Dom already seems like he’s settling into his new role as a dad. “You’ve got a really special family, man.”

Dom takes a deep breath and stares down at Luca. “Yeah, I really do. ”

“Aiden! When did you get here?” I turn to see Ellie step out onto the deck barefoot and holding onto the railing. Dom mentioned her physical recovery from the birth has been slow, so I stand and walk over to give her a hug before she can trouble herself walking down the few steps to greet me.

“Maybe two…two and half hours or so ago? We didn’t want to wake you, so we came outside. Congratulations, Ellie. You made a cute kid.”

She smiles wide. “Thanks, it’s been a wild ride already. I know he’ll keep us on our toes. I can’t tell you how much better I feel after just a few uninterrupted hours of sleep. Hey, where’s Bec?”

“She fell victim to an epic diaper blowout and headed home to shower,” Dom explains. “I’ll give you the full story later.” He winks at Ellie.

“Shit, was it bad?” Ellie cringes. I’d rather not be here to listen to Dom animatedly share my humiliation with his wife.

“Well, it wasn’t great, but I’ll let Dom explain. I should let you two get back to Luca. I’ll get out of your hair. Oh, and here.” I reach for my wallet and hand Ellie a gift card for their favorite Italian restaurant. “I had no idea what to get a baby, but I figured you two would probably enjoy a night of not having to cook.”

“That’s so thoughtful, Aiden. Thank you. We’ve been surviving on snacks and takeout, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Here, Dom, I’ll take Luca to nurse. Come back over soon, Aiden. We’re so happy you’re back in town. It’s been too long.” I smile and nod as Ellie gently takes Luca from Dom and goes back into the house.

I make my way to the front yard toward my car and hug Dom with a pat on the back. “Congrats again on the baby. It’s wild to see you as a parent, but you and Ellie are knocking it out of the park. I’ll be sure to send multiple text messages before I come back over here.”

Dom laughs and rocks back on his heels, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, I’m blaming the lack of sleep for that slipup. I promise I’ll write it down next time. I can’t trust myself to remember shit anymore. Not until Luca decides to sleep for more than two hours at a time.”

“And hey, next time you talk to Bec, apologize again for me,” I say. I’m still rattled by our run-in. I wish she hadn’t sprinted out of here and I had time to give her a real apology. And maybe a minute to catch up with her…find out what she’s been up to since I last saw her. Maybe casually ask if she’s single.

What the fuck is wrong with me? There’s a better time to ask than when she’s changing a diaper.

Now that the season is over, I’ll finally have time for a social life. I’d love to be able to visit friends without making an ass out of myself. And maybe even consider going on a date. Jesus, how long has it been?

Today was…not a great start.

Dom sighs. “Trust me, I’ll be apologizing for both of us for a long, long time.”