The Baseball Player Next Door

Inning 27 ★ The Big W

As they wouldn't reply to him, it was my dad who turned and said, "This is the wife of the driver."

The woman flinched. "I'm so sorry."

I tried to shake off the warring emotions in my head. The grief and the anger that this woman's husband had such little care for his and others' lives that he got on his car, drunk out of his fucking mind, and still thought it was a good idea to turn it on and drive. I was angry that he was dead and I couldn't give him a piece of my mind. And I was sad that this woman probably felt exactly the same way as I did. Desolated, lost, confused about why, why?

I broke rank and stepped in between my parents. She watched me with fearful eyes as I approached and bent down over the grave. I grabbed her flowers, a colorful bunch that no doubt she bought at the entrance of the cemetery, and replaced them with my flowers.

I gave hers back. "Thank you, but no thank you. Best place these on your husband's grave."

She bit her lips, eyes filling with tears. "He doesn't deserve them."

I nodded. "But you're the only one who cares about his memory. We sure as hell don't."

I felt arms around me and caught my mom's perfume. She told the woman with a quiet strength in her voice that denoted finality, "Please leave now."

Finally she picked up the flowers I returned and turned our back to us. I watched her disappear between the graves and realized I'd been breathing with a limited supply of oxygen. I drew in a big gulp of air and turned around, only to drown in Barbara's arms.

Today was the big day, I reminded myself. The anniversary since Sebastian Miranda was stolen from us. The anniversary of the district game he would have won for us, if they'd taken a different road that night. If they hadn't crossed paths with a careless man.

We were up against the Holy Trinity High School Knights. They were the big contenders for the trophy and we were seen as the underdogs. But we'd made Seb a promise and today I reaffirmed it. We would win this for him. And for ourselves. We would prove we could fight on even after he was gone.

We drove back home in silence and I went up to my room to change. I got a text message from Ellen asking if I was ready for the game and I replied back with an aww yiss.

When we got to the school we found that the bleachers were completely packed. The cheerleaders were doing a practice routine in front of the audience. Jessica did a particularly flashy flip that made some of our boys cat call.

Dad clapped for their attention as we approached the dugout. "Alright kids, I hope you've enjoyed the show because now it's time for our own spectacle."

Chris jumped up. "We're ready."

"That's what I like to hear."

I lifted my notebook and cleared my throat, before rattling off the lineup for the game, batting order and the positions in the field. I could tell they were keyed up because so was I, the same jittery energy was running through my veins.

"Are we going to keep our promise?" I asked them.

A round of chorus greeted me. "Yeah!"

"Let's do this!" I screamed.

It was the longest fucking game and it was fraying my nerves. We'd lost to the Knights on a friendly before the start of the season, but ever since we'd been undefeated. We'd evolved. But so had they. Every pitch they batted off McCann, we caught or made up for with outs. Every pitch their ace threw, we hit or fouled or got outed on.

Including Santiago.

I grabbed him when he returned form a failed turn at bat. Thinking he might have the Yips again left me cold.