Happily Ever After

Sixty One~ KB

Kris

The Cubs convention is something that I enjoy being a part of every year. Even as a prospect it was cool to come into Chicago and see all the guys for the first time or the first time in a while. This all happens before training camp so this is how we get to see everyone again and hang out and have fun. I talk to a lot of the guys and quite often, but this is where the season begins. Where our journey starts and to say that there was a lot of excitement in this years convention is a understatement.

Last season I won rookie of the year, Joe was manager of the year and Jake was the best pitcher of the season and it wasn't even that close for any of us. Those awards were nice and all, but now we're looking for the big one. Something that this team hadn't won in 108 year. We were all gunning after the World Series and we weren't messing around. We brought in some big guns like John Lackey and Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward. Then there was guys like me and Javy and Schwarbs and Addi that got a sip of the water last year and was thirsty for more. Put all of that together with guys like David Ross and Anthony Rizzo and Jon Lester and you have quite honestly one of the scariest teams in recent history. There's a rotation that will be rivaled by few and bats that will be feared by many. This season will be one for the ages no matter what happens, but it will be incomplete without a ring.

But before all of that we get to hang out with the new guys and the fans before heading off to spring training. I honestly couldn't wait to see the guys again and talk about what could happen this year.

"Theres the big man" a familiar voice says and I smile. I turn around to see Anthony running right at me.

He launches himself at me and nearly knocks me over as he embraces me. I try my best to stabilize us but he was much bigger than me and had a lot more power from his run.

But I catch us before we fall as I hug him back. He yells in my ear as I realize my obnoxious best friend was back in my life. He was what a male version of Mary will be like at this age and that's why I loved him so much. That and he is like the best guy ever and a hell of a ball player.

"Nice to see you too big man" I say as he peels himself off of me. He had that contagious smile set on his face as he looks up at me.

"I mean you could have come visited me. I had the boat all ready for you and Jen and Mary" he claims.

"I know I know, we just had a lot on our plate with her working and watching over Mary and the holidays" I explain.

"You were literally in Florida last month for like a week" he shuns.

"Right" I mumble. "I just... I don't want to do something and Jenna only do it because she loves me and not because she wanted to. It took a while for her to warm up to the idea of coming home with me for thanksgiving. And while everyone loved her and she had a great time she's not like you and me. She doesn't wake up knowing life has been good to her. These burdens she has... they're heavy no matter how strong she gets. And I don't want to add to that weight. I know with me being who I am makes it a little harder for her but she doesn't care. She would do a lot to make me happier but I don't want her doing anything she doesn't want to do" I explain.

"You can't hide her from the world, you both know that" he reminds me.

"I understand that. I'm not hiding her. I'm not protecting her from the world. I'm just not making any problems we don't already have. We're happy here in Chicago watching Mary grow up and just being together. I love her for who she is and anything she wants to be. But I'm not going to be the reason she's unhappy because I expect her to be like everyone else. She's not" I defend.

He lets out a long sigh as he shakes his head. "I forget you're younger than me. Like... all of the time" he admits as I smile.

"I listen well, you should try it some time" I tease.

"I'll think about it" he winks.

We head in and meet up with some of the other guys. I know Mary was out with Jenna and the other girls catching up like I was. We both had this day circled on our calendars for a while and we are excited to be here. Chicago was home and this team is family, and it feels like it's been forever since we were all under the same roof.

"We can't call you rookie anymore, I don't even know what to call you" David claims.

"Kris is a good place to start" I smirk.

"No way. You don't look like a Kris" he claims as I gasp.

"Wow. I never knew you felt this way" I scoff.

"I like KB. It's cooler" Jon insists.

"Am I not cool enough" I ask.

"Kris is alright" he teases. "But KB, that's a bad mother fucker right there. That's not rookie of the year, that's MVP" Jon says.

"The difference is minimal" I defend.

"It's really not" David claims.

"I can't be the only person who thinks this insane" I laugh.

"Nicknames in sports is a right of passage. Anthony is Tony and David is Rossy and the list goes on and on. Kris is just a different way to say Kristopher, not a nickname" Jon argues.

"And KB is just my initials" I remind him.

"Yeah but it makes you seem way cooler" David insists.

"Fine. But that means I get to call you grandpa Rossy the rest of this season" I smirk. That name came from Mary and only she was allowed to call him that. But I'm calling BS that he gets to decide my nickname and I can't decide his.

"No way" he argues.

"Oh yeah. If I'm KB you get a nickname too" I insist.

He lets out a huff before shaking his head. "Fine! Fine. I'm grandpa rossy" he breaks down and I smile. I call that a win.