Jada~
I wait around for Christian as he told me to wait for him. "Jada."
I look over at Christian as he walks out of the dugout. The netting separates us. "I hit a home run."
"I'm not blind."
He smiles, "How'd you get here?"
"Uber."
"Hmm. Would you mind if we got out of here and maybe got some food?"
"I wouldn't mind at all."
He smiles before opening the netting and letting me through. "Wow, you couldn't even wear my jersey. I see how it is."
"It's impossible for me to wear something I didn't bring with me."
"I can change that."
We walk down into the tunnels before he opens the door to the clubhouse. "What color?"
"Christian, I'm not going to take it. I have one."
"Jada, what color?"
I sigh, "White."
He takes a white jersey off the hanger and hands it to me. "Thank you."
I follow him out to his car. "How long are you here?"
"Until Sunday."
"I have a lot to do in two days."
"What does that mean?"
"You'll find out."
"What brings you out here beside me?" Christian asks me as we sit in his car, eating Chipotle, and looking out a Lake Michigan as the moon glistens on the water.
"You are incredibly cocky. Did you know that?"
He laughs, "I mean, I have to get your attention somehow."
"I'm seeing family tomorrow."
"Parents?"
"Dad and stepmom and step-siblings."
"Not your mom?"
"I'll stop by before I leave, I think."
"Go see your mom. You'll regret it if you don't."
Oh, if he knew the circumstances of that. "Yeah, probably."
I grab the paper bag and put my garbage in it. He tosses his garbage in there as well. He takes the bag from me and sets it behind the driver's seat. "I want to get to know you if you'll let me."
What he doesn't know, won't kill him, right? Cody and I aren't dating. We're just good friends, I guess. "What does that entail?"
"Whatever you want to tell me. I think you are someone who puts up a brick wall in front of everyone who tries to get in. I want to know why, if you'll let me because you caught my eye in New York. There's something about you that I like. You're different."
Different? "Are you going to give me something in return?"
"Of course."
There's something about him. He's different than Cody. I just can't figure out why. "I'll start with a few basics."
"Then I'll do the same."
"I grew up in Pewaukee. I turn 24 in a week. I went to UCLA for college and have a Business Economics degree with a minor in Entrepreneurship. I'm an only child if you don't count my step-siblings. My favorite color is blue. I ran track and field and cross country in high school. I swam a bit too. I graduated in the top ten percent of my class. This is my first time back in Milwaukee since 2013. I work as a model for a clothing company and also do some freelance work when I have time. I don't let a lot of people in my circle because they always end up leaving."
"2013? That was five years ago. Why?"
Maybe I should've left that one out. "Can I trust that you won't run after I tell you?"
"Why would I do that?"
"Because a lot of people have left me because I shut them out."
I don't know what it is about him. But I can tell him everything. "I can tell you're special. I won't run."
I sigh, "My mom passed in 2013. I was 19. We had her funeral and I never came back. So when I said I might go see my mom means that I might go to her grave. I just have to get the courage to do so."
He slowly nods, "From what?"
"Cancer. They caught it too late and they couldn't do anything about it. Treatments wouldn't have helped. So we just kept comfortable and got her anything she would need."
"I'm sorry."
I shake my head, "It's fine. She's not in any pain and that's what I'm happy about."
I look out at the water. "Well, I'm from Westlake Village in California. It's near Thousand Oaks. I'll be 27 in December. I played football, basketball, and baseball. I planned to go to the University of Miami but I got drafted. My favorite color is red. I have two younger brothers. I used to play for the Marlins before I got traded at the beginning of the year. Now I'm here playing in Milwaukee. I love this city. It's treated me well."
"Now you're an MVP, right?"
He laughs, "Probably not."
"I'd say otherwise."
He shrugs, "We'll see. You're a model?"
"Yeah. I've been doing it since I was in college. I've just been able to make it my full-time job. It's not my end goal though."
"What is the end goal?"
"I want to be able to use my degree and create an inclusive clothing line and something I would wear every day. It's been a dream. But I have to keep at it with my modeling stuff for now."
He nods, "Hard to get that far?"
"You just need money. You need people to work for you which means more money. I want to end up in a store or have a store of my own."
He nods, "It's just going to take time?"
"Yeah. I'll get there. I just need time."
I look down at the entertainment center. It's already 11:30. We've been here since 10. "I should get back to my hotel. You probably have a game tomorrow."
"Where are you staying?"
"The Westin. I have directions if you need them."
"It's right by my apartment. I can get you there."
"Okay."
I put my seatbelt on before he pulls away from the empty parking lot. We weren't that far from my hotel. He parks by the curb. "Is there any chance I could see you again before you leave?"
"I'm doing dinner with my family tomorrow night. I won't be there long though."
"We have an early game. Maybe tomorrow night?"
"If things work out, sure."
He smiles, "I'll plan on it."
"Okay."
I get out of his car. "Thank you for tonight. I had fun."
"I had fun too. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow."
"Maybe. Good night, Christian."
"Night, Jada."
"I appreciate you coming for dinner," my dad tells me as he pulls into the driveway.
"I don't really want to stay for long," I tell him.
"I know. Whenever you want to leave, let me know. I'll take you back."
"Okay."
We walk into the house and my stepmom, Michelle, is at the door to greet us. "Jada, it's been so long. How are you?"
"I'm doing good."
She's not my favorite person but she makes my dad happy. "Dinner will be done soon."
I go into the living room and see my step-siblings, Carter and Lizzie. "Hi, Jada," they both say.
"Hey, you two. How's everything?"
"It's good."
"Good."
I go back to where my room is and see it's exactly how I left it. I look at the pictures that decorated the shelves in my room. I take the one of me and my parents down from my graduation. I take it out of the frame and look at it.
We were so happy. Then one day it went away and I left Milwaukee. I hold onto the picture. God, I already want to leave. I hate being in this house.
"J, dinner is done."
I turn and look at my dad, "Okay."
I put the picture in my pocket and go out to the kitchen. I take my seat. Lizzie holds out her hand for me. "Oh, Jada, we say grace before we eat dinner. You don't have to."
"It's fine."
I put my hand in Lizzie's. We never did this. Not because we don't believe. Because it just wasn't us. We sat down and we ate because everyone knew that we were thankful for the food on the table.
I put my head down and let them do whatever. I noticed she was sitting in my mom's spot. That was her spot at the table. I need this to go faster. I don't think I'll be able to stay for much longer without flipping out.
"You let her sit in moms spot?" I ask my dad as he pulls away from the house.
"J, c'mon."
"No, Dad. That's moms spot. Oh, and you're praying now? We never did that."
"Jada, it's not the end of the world."
"Do you know what is the end of the world? When your mom dies and you're only 19. When your mom dies right across the hall from the room you grew up in. I can't understand how you still live there. I can barely be there for two hours."
"Honey, your mom and I loved that house. She made me promise to never let it go. I'm going to keep that promise."
"I know she doesn't approve of what I do," I tell him honestly.
"She just thinks that you can be doing more. Especially that you have a degree."
"It's a little hard to start a clothing line when nobody wants to take my ideas. I don't need help either. I know what I'm doing. Also, I don't need her to be my mom. Michelle is not my mom and will never be her. So the 'mom' act can go."
"I know. I'll talk to her about it."
"I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer."
"It's okay. I understand."
He parks outside of my hotel. "I did want to give you this since your birthday is next week. I found it a few weeks ago and I wanted you to have it."
He hands me a small box. I open it and find a gold ring. "It's your mom's wedding band. It has our anniversary engraved on the inside."
I lean over the console and hug him, "This is the best thing you've ever given me."
He kisses my cheek, "Honey, I love you. I want the best for you. I appreciate you coming over for dinner."
We get out of his car. He hugs me, "Maybe I'll come visit you soon."
"I'd like that."
"We can plan on it."
Once I say goodbye to him, I head up to my room. I toss my phone onto the bed and change out of what I'm wearing. I toss a sweatshirt on and put on some shorts.
I watch my phone light up.
Christian Yelich: You busy?
Me: No. But I need to be alone. Sorry.
I grab my AirPod case and head up to the roof. I know it's finished and has some seating.
I find an empty couch near the fire pit and make myself comfortable. I turn my music all the way up and watch the fire and let the tears run.
Someone taps my shoulder, getting my attention. I turn to face them and take an AirPod out of my ear. When I notice it's Christian, I'm speechless.
"What are you doing here?"
"Well, I went to your door and nobody answered and then I remembered this hotel has a rooftop."
"How did you know my room number?"
"I guess being a potential MVP has its perks."
"I think I should be concerned that the hotel was letting out my right to privacy."
He laughs as he sits across from me. He stares at me for a while, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong."
"Really? Because I think you've been up here crying probably because something at your family dinner didn't go well."
I take my other AirPod out. "Well, my stepmom was sitting in my mom's spot at the dinner table. My dad still lives in the same house that she passed in. Oh, he's praying before dinner which he's never done and my stepmom thinks it's okay to act like a mother figure to me."
"How long did you stay?"
"Not even two hours."
He nods and points to the empty spot next to me, "Can I sit by you?"
I nod and move my feet so he has room. He sits beside me, "But was it nice to see family?"
"Yeah. I've had a good connection with my dad but-"
"The one with your mom was better?"
I nod quickly, "Exactly."
I dig in the pocket of my sweatshirt for the picture I took. I pull it out and look at it before giving it to him. He looks at it, "From when you graduated high school?"
I nod. "That picture was taken three weeks before we found out she had cancer. They started running all of these tests and had to look into what type of cancer it was. By the time they had figured that out, she started to lose some of her hair. She was getting weaker. Then I went to school in LA when all I wanted to do was to be here with her because I never knew when it was going to happen. I finished my freshman year and came back home for the summer. They put her on hospice care and there were nurses in and out of the house all the time. Once I knew it was getting close, I would spend all day with her. I told her one night that I was going to be okay and that it was okay for her to go. That's the night she passed," I tell him as tears stream down my cheeks.
He scoots closer to me, "Can I hug you?"
I nod and he gets closer to hug me. "You never healed from this. It's why you don't like coming back."
"You're the only person I've ever told that to."
"It's safe with me."
He lets go of me and wipes the tears from under my eyes. He hands me back my picture. "I know this doesn't help much. But if you ever decide to come out here again, I have an extra room at my apartment so you wouldn't have to stay here or at your dad's house."
"I hardly know you and you're offering me a bed to sleep in at your apartment."
He shrugs, "I think we could be really good friends maybe more. I hardly know you too but there's something about you that makes it so easy to like you."
I smile as I look at the fire. I look back at him, "I'll keep it in mind."
He smiles. "What time is your flight?"
"2:45."
"Damn."
"What?"
"I was hoping it was later. I wanted to see if you would go with me to my game?"
"What time is your game?"
"Starts at noon."
"I can see if I can change it."
"Really?"
"Sure. Why not?"
I look at my phone and see Cody has texted me. I delete the notification and go to my airline app to see if I can change my flight. "What time would your game end?"
"Between 3 and 4 if all things go well."
They have one for 6:30. That's plenty of time. I can't believe I'm changing my flight for a guy. What am I doing?
"My flight is now at 6:30."
He smiles. I look down at my phone and see Cody calling me. Really? Right now?
I silence the call and let it ring. "So I have to be there early tomorrow. I can pick you up and then you can go in with me. Then I can take you to the airport."
My phone buzzes again. I look down and see him calling again. "I have to take this. It's work," I tell him.
"It's fine. Go ahead."
I walk away from Christian before I answer Cody. "I'm not dying," I tell him.
"You weren't answering."
"I was talking to family." Well, I was talking about family.
"Oh, sorry. How was your dinner?"
"It could've gone better but it could've been worse."
"Am I going to see you tomorrow?"
"I get in at 8:30."
"I thought it was around 5?"
"The airline put me on a different flight."
"Damn, okay. Is someone picking you up?"
"Camille was going to pick me up at 5. I don't know what she's doing at 8:30."
"Her and Corey have a date so she'll be busy. But I won't be busy. I can pick you up."
"Okay."
"Okay."
I look over at Christian as he watches me. Two good guys. Two different people. Two different cities. "It's getting late here so I'm going to head to bed."
"Okay. Sleep well."
"I will."
I hang up and walk back to Christian. "Sorry."
"You're fine."
"I should get to bed if you're going to pick me up early," I tell him.
"Yeah, me too." I grab the water bottle I had on the couch with me.
We walk over to the elevator and I press my floor. We get off and walk to my door. "Is 8:30 good?"
"Yeah. I'll be up and downstairs with my bag."
"Okay."
He hugs me and I hug him back. I kiss his cheek as I let go. "I'll see you tomorrow."