Christy
I forgot how it feels when you were a little kid, waiting for Christmas to come. Every year, Nolan bounces off the walls as he stares at his Christmas presents under the tree, which he can’t touch, saying it’s absolute torture, seeing them there, but he can’t have them.
That’s how I feel right now.
Every day, I’ve spoken to Evan and gotten to see him on TV, which is even weirder than I thought it would be. It’s like he’s there, but I can’t touch him.
He had a night game yesterday, so we went to my sister’s house to watch it with them. My brother-in-law was off work, so he walked me through the game so I could understand the ins and outs more.
I guess I never understood all aspects of the game that made it as special as it was. I thought they just hit the ball and ran. It sounded easy enough, but Jamie really took it to the next level, explaining how hitting a ninety-plus mile per hour fastball with a round bat is actually the hardest thing to do in any sport.
And Evan does it exceptionally well.
Seeing him race in the outfield toward a ball that was hit, then dive through the air to catch it was pretty impressive too.
I’m learning the beauty of the game that I honestly never thought existed. I guess it just took me knowing someone who played the game for me to care about all it entailed.
Jamie, on the other hand, has always been a baseball nut, so he was all too happy to share his knowledge—and love—of the game.
I enjoyed being able to share what I’d learned when I spoke to Evan that night, but hearing his voice and our playful banter just made not being able to physically be with him worse.
Yes, he’s been in town for three days, but he wanted us to wait until Friday so we could see each other for more than a quick kiss out front as he was coming or going to games.
It’s finally Friday, and I am beyond excited to get to see him tonight. He plays at noon today, and then he’s off until he leaves tomorrow night, so we get to be together tonight.
I was able to move around my schedule so I’d be off at three, and then Roxie offered to wash and blow-dry my hair so I’d look my best.
Now I’m heading to his place, where he says he has the entire night planned out for us. When I pull up to his house, I have to stop myself from running up to the door. I purposely take a deep breath, turn off the engine, and slowly make my way out of the car toward his house, placing my palm on my stomach to calm the nerves racing through me.
I reach my hand up to knock on his door, but he opens it before I can do so.
We stand, staring at each other, neither of us moving as we take in one another.
The small grin that grows on his face captures my heart, and when he reaches for me, pulling me into him, then kisses me softly, I know this really might be the guy for me.
I’m glad he doesn’t take the kiss too far because I don’t think I would have had the self-control to stop him.
“Glad you could make it,” he says. “Come on in.”
I follow him in and set my purse down next to the yoga statues he bought. “It’s looking more like a home in here.”
“Thanks to you.” He smiles as he holds up a bottle of wine. “Can I pour you a glass?”
“Yes, please. How was your game today?”
He pours the wine and hands me the glass. “What? No play-by-play?”
“Jamie must have had calls at work because I got nothing. I did see that you lost though …” I say timidly, not sure how he takes wins or losses yet.
He shrugs, then holds his glass to mine for us to cheers. We do, and then we both take a sip.
“Nature of the game. If we win just half of the games we play, then we’ll have a phenomenal season.”
I narrow my eyebrows at him in question. “Only half?”
He smirks. “If I get only three hits out of every ten at bats, that’s Hall of Fame numbers.”
“But that means you didn’t get a hit the other seven at bats,” I state, confused. “That doesn’t sound very good.”
