A Twist of Fate (Complete)

Ch. 63 - Signing with the Yankees

***** THREE YEARS LATER *****

"Everly! Put your phone away. They're starting!" her Dad whisper-shouted and Everly silenced her phone and shoved it in her jacket pocket.

She looked up and saw a reporter standing close to where they were sitting and listened as she said, "Hi this is Candace Daly reporting from the Major League Baseball draft here in Secaucus, New Jersey where Brad Lancaster was the #1 draft pick and just signed the largest signing bonus ever in Major League baseball history, nine point one million dollars. He was selected by the New York Yankees with the first overall selection. Some highlights of his college career are: College World Series Champion, College World Series Most Outstanding player, Pac-12 baseball player of the year, along with now holding the record for most home runs and most strikeouts and pitched no-hitters of any college baseball player in history. We look forward to watching him break many more records as a Major League player."

It took Everly a minute to realize that reporter was the same woman that had interviewed her and Brad years ago when they went on their first visit to Yankees Stadium. Wow. That seemed like a lifetime ago now. So much had happened since then.

That first summer back home after Freshman year of college Everly and Brad had gotten back together and had been together ever since. When they went back to NYU sophomore year, Keaton was no where to be found and she found out from Cami's Facebook page that he had transferred to Cambridge, a college in England and she hadn't seen or heard from him since. She really couldn't blame him. If he had left her at the altar she would've hated him too and never wanted to see him again. 

She had put the briefcase of money and the deed to the art gallery from Rowan in a safe deposit box and never touched it. She didn't want his money or his studio. Brad had used his endorsement deal money from the Yankees to help her open her own art studio in New York City during their sophomore year of college and now it was thriving and more successful than she ever could have dreamed. Her dream had come true and now here she was watching Brad's come true.

She looked over to her left and saw Brad's parents watching him sign his contract with tears in their eyes and they looked so proud. Everly's Dad was crying too and so was her Mom and brother. Everly looked back over and watched as Brad signed all the pages of his contract and then took pictures wearing a Yankees hat and t-shirt with his new coach. She waved at him and smiled, feeling tears welling up in her eyes because she was so proud that his dream of playing for the Yankees just like his hero Babe Ruth was actually coming true. It didn't even seem real.

"Can we get all of Brad's family and friends to come up onto the stage to take pictures with him?' Everly and her parents and brother and Brad's parents walked over to the Yankees backdrop, standing behind Brad who had changed into his new Yankees uniform. After the pictures were over Everly looked over at him and her eyes were red and watery.

"I'm so proud of you," she told him with a warm smile.

"You know I made it here because of you right Ev? The reason I came over to play baseball with your Dad and brother all the time was because I wanted an excuse to talk to you," he laughed, wiping away a tear. "Then I fell in love with baseball and you supported my obsession in high school and cheered me on. You were always my biggest supporter. I know without a doubt I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you, so thank you."

She sniffled and wiped away a tear and said, "You're welcome. I might've supported you, but it was your hard work and discipline that got you here. You earned this," she said, giving him a hug.

He pulled back from the hug and looked into her eyes and said, "But I couldn't have done any of this without you. This achievement is just as much yours as it is mine." He stepped back and took both of her hands in his and said, "Everly, I've known since we were seven years old that you were it for me, that you were my person, my soul mate. You've always been by my side supporting me and I can't even imagine what my life would have been like without you in it, and I wouldn't even want to try. This day has been the greatest day of my life, but there's one thing that could make it even better."