All in the Game

Chapter twenty-seven || The outing

Looking at Abby she shrugs completely clueless to what's going on. Following her mom to the living room we wait for whatever it is her parents are acting weird about. Her father comes into the room, "Maggie's putting a few finishing touches and then they will be right out." He tells us seating himself in the chair next to ours. 

"Are y'all ready for this?" Her voice comes moments later. 

Me and Abby look at each other, "yes" we say in unison scared about what we are about to see. Mrs. Williams joins us in the living room the boys trailing right behind her. Wearing matching baseball jerseys with my old number and our last name on the back. Almost identical to the one I'm wearing now. 

With black and white face paint on their faces to support my old team in today's game. "Oh, how cute!" Abby squeals snapping pictures. "How did the two of you manage to pull all of this off last minute?" 

"Apparently Lucy had them custom made the second you came home, and when your mom mentioned Nate's plan to take the boys to the game she gave them to us to surprise y'all." Well consider us surprised! Lucy is the best guardian and grandma she knows exactly how to make a person happy; I don't know what I'd do without her. 

"This is the best surprise ever! Quick Nathan go stand by the boys so I can get a picture." Doing as she says she snaps about a million pictures of the three of us. Her father takes the phone from her. "Go join them," he says. 

"But I'm not matching." 

"It doesn't matter," her mom speaks. "Have the four of you even taken family pictures?" It dawns on me that we haven't. Abby joins us and I wrap my arm around her waist like it belongs there, pulling her closer to me. 

She's so close I can smell the rich peach vanilla scent of her perfume making her smell like peach cobbler. Every inch of me aches to tell her I love her again, but I'm scared she won't say it back. No, I'm certain she won't say it back. She's not ready and that's ok but part of me wishes she was. Because there's nothing I want more than to hear those words coming from her mouth. 

The entire car ride to the game I was preparing myself of what things would be like. Fans can be crazy and there's no doubt they won't notice me especially with two kids attached to me. Which reminds me of the time someone wrote an article about how I'm not father material. 

What the hell does that even mean? And did Abby see it? If so, is that why she didn't try harder to reach out to me? Sure, she called me often but she could have tracked me down it's not like I'm hard to find. Certainly not when your face is plastered on every billboard in Wilmington. 

"So, these two cuties must be our future players?" Neil calls out once I'm parked. "Don't put any ideas in their heads." I reply only joking...partly. Of course, I want my kids to follow in my footsteps. However, I'll raise them to never give up on love like I almost did. 

"I just can't believe it! You have kid's dude." He says waving at Ace then Baxter. "How do you tell them apart?" 

"It's pretty easy once you're around them." I tell him as we continue our walk. Since I'm an ex player we're sitting somewhere different. The boys are more than excited to be meeting the players, my friends. "Are you ready for the rumors that are going to be roaring?" 

"I'm more worried about how this will affect Abby and the boys." He pats my back, "don't sweat it." Easy for him to say he's not trying to win back the love of his life. 

Entering my old stadium isn't as calming as I thought it would be. A wave of memories come crashing down on me, not to mention all the fans and sports reporters that notice me right away. When they notice me, they also notice the two tag alongs on either side of me.  Wearing matching Scoot jerseys. 

But I no longer care about the silly rumors that are sure to spring up because of this, I'm here to have a nice outing with my kids and them alone. The game starts and as of right now no one has come up to me. They must have gotten the memo that today is for the two kids beside me, and not just me visiting my old team. 

I spoil them with popcorn, soda, candy you name it and they've had it. It's things I know Abby would disprove of if she were here with us. Which is what makes it fun for them and me we're making memories. 

"Daddy," Ace calls tugging on the sleeve of my shirt. "I need to pee." Which puts me in a hard place because Baxter has fallen asleep and I can't wake him now. Fuck why did there have to be two of them? Luckily for me my coaches wife is sitting not far from us and she was more than happy to watch him. 

"When Chad told me you were a father,I just couldn't believe it!" Maureen is just as obsessed with baseball as her husband and knows almost everything about the players, most of which she hears from her husband. Giving her a tight lipped smile, I rush Ace to the bathroom. 

The way back isn't hard to find people crowd the area. "Someone call 911!" Someone screams. Trying not to get myself and Ace trampled by the crowd I ask, "what's going on?" A random girl wearing Neil's jersey answers, "some little kids started choking." 

This catches my attention and I start pushing people out of the way to get to where we were sitting. I'm not a religious man but in this moment all I could do was pray that it's not Baxter. That he'll be fine, he was asleep when we left he's fine he has to be. 

When I break through and see my son lying on the ground purple in the face, my entire world stops, I stop. This wasn't supposed to happen. Fuck...fuck...fuck... "somebody do something!" The yelling grows. "Daddy what's wrong with Bax?" Ace cries as I hand him over Maureen and start CPR while she calls 911. 

Staring down at my little boy I feel like the worst father in the world I shouldn't have left him here alone. He's only a little kid please...please don't take him from me. I beg and beg until it's all I know how to do. 

And when the paramedics show up, I follow them not leaving his side. "How are you related to the patient?" 

"I-I'm the father." I reply my breathing uncontrolled. I don't breath until we reach the hospital and then it's time to do the hard part. Call Abigail...fuck. 

𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷𖧷

Well would you look at that more drama...I don't know do you think it'll end well? 🤔🫣 

If you're enjoying my book All in the Game. Please click the star and share your thoughts in the comments. I will update chapters every Wednesday so be on the lookout.–Morgan 💕

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