Heart of Gold (Anthony Rizzo)

Fourteen

Anthony

Since I have no more baseball to worry about and theres no news on finding a new heart I decided we needed a little break from life. To get away from he reality of our situation and to dream for a little. For one day we get to be a family and go play at a pumpkin patch and do normal people things. Walk around like the weight of the world isn't on our shoulders and have some fall fun.

We go to Bengstons Pumpkin fest a little outside the city where they had everything from pumpkins to animals to slides and games. Isabella and I had a whole day planned out and even I was excited. Not as excited as Nicky, but still.

We pull up early in the morning and I grab Nicky from his car seat. He grabs my hand and grabs one of Bella's before walking into the store they had. The first thing we do is go in the gift shop before looking around the acres of pumpkins. We walk around and look at everything there. They had toys and unique food and a lot of fall decorations I'm sure Isabella would love to pick out. I'll have to get her something nice from here.

"This place is so cool" Isabella gasps looking around. Those crystal blue eyes never missing a single detail.

"I can't believe you've never been to a pumpkin patch before. If there was a Miss Seasons you would be Miss Fall" I laugh.

"It's my favorite time of the year, what can I say? I find it hard to hate life when it gives me pretty leaves and pumpkin flavored things" she claims.

"I can't hate life because it gave me you two" I respond and she blushes.

"Oooh can I get this sissy" Nick asks holding up a scare crow. It was pretty cute and was almost dressed like Nick was. It had a gold heart on its chest and I thought that was adorable.

"Of course sweetie" she smiles and he cheers.

"Lookie! He's just like me" he claims pointing to his heart.

"I know baby, he's very special... just like you" she says.

We pay for the doll and decide it was time to take him out to the pumpkin patch. He hops in the little red wagon and I pull him behind us. He sits with his doll in his lap scoping out which pumpkin he wanted. I mean he wanted them all, but he was looking for which one he really wanted.

"I want a big big pumpkin" he claims.

"What are you going to do with that" I ask.

"I'm going to live in it" he claims.

"You really want to be known as pumpkin boy" I tease.

"Well no, I didn't even think about that" he claims being completely serious. "Maybe we can just get a big pumpkin. Not a big big one" he bargains.

"Deal" I say.

After looking he finds the biggest pumpkin he can. I put it in the wagon and he sits with it against his back as we look for little ones to decorate. After finding three much smaller pumpkins and stuffing them in the cart with Nicky we go to pay for them.

"I want to do it" Nick yells grabbing at the money. I hand him a Fifty and he slowly pulls the cart to the checkout. He slides the Fifty on the counter the best he can and the teller laughs as his little fingers disappear. She rings us up and gives him back the change. He hands it to me before grabbing the cart and walking out.

"Where are you going" I ask.

"To the car, I wasn't going down the slide with the pumpkins. That would just be silly" he scoffs.

"You're so right, lets go" I encourage. We barley get all the pumpkins in the trunk of the car before heading back in.

I go down with slides with nick a bunch of time and he was laughing every beautiful second we were there. Such a beautiful sound that is. Isabella goes down the slides with him too before we race. Nick wins but he has a unfair advantage, he was small and a lot more aerodynamic.

After we have our fun on the slides we go somewhere where his heart rate can even out. He gets to pet all the animals they had there and even ride a little horse before he lets out a big yawn. Isabella picks him up and he rests his head on her shoulder.

"Someone's getting tired" she announces.

"Who? Not me" he insists.

"Then why are your eyes closed" she laughs.

"Because I'm not tired" he claims and I laugh.

"I think we should get you home so you can get your medicine" she says and he nods. He holds on to her and I smile. What a great way to get away.

I drive the little while home and Isabella takes Nick right up to his room. I get the pumpkins to the back and get out the carving tools. I set the big one against the house because I'm not really sure what we were going to do with it. Nick wanted it so we got it. I set the three still big but smaller than the big one pumpkins on the edge of the porch. I look at my pumpkin I picked out and just stare at it.

"What are you thinking about" Isabella asks coming from the house.

"What I wanted to do to my pumpkin" I admit.

"Do whatever your heart desires" she says.

"I'm not that artistic to carve your face in there" I smirk and she blushes.

"Cute" she comments and I smile. She stands beside me and takes a look at hers too. She puts her hands on her hips and I copy her motions. She giggles when she realizes what I'm doing and just rolls her eyes.

"You know, Nick would kill us if we started without him" she admits.

"Then we will wait until he's done napping" I shrug.

"What are we going to do until then" she asks.

"This" I smile before kissing her neck. She lets out a beautiful laugh as I suck on her sweet skin. I wouldn't mind having more days like this.