Thank you, she mouths to me as she leads Nolan to where they can watch the game.
Evan wraps his arms around me as I nod with a grin on my face.
Looks like I need to go get my sister, as our family just grew by two.
EPILOGUE
February before spring training.
Evan
I kneel down to Nolan’s size after we just finished getting dressed in his room. “Okay, little man, you ready?”
I had to hide everything I needed under his bed while I planned and prepared for today.
He gives me a big thumbs-up. “ ‘Aye, aye, Captain,’ ” he shouts, mocking the SpongeBob SquarePants intro.
I can’t help myself when I join in, deepening my voice as I sing, “ ‘Ohhh, who lives in a pineapple under the sea?’ ”
He shouts, “ ‘SpongeBob SquarePants,’ ” and then we fall into laughter.
I bring him into me in a big hug.
Who would have thought I’d become a father figure to a now-eight-year-old boy? He’s been the light of my life ever since I met Christy. It doesn’t matter that I’m not his biological father; I’ll claim him as mine until the day I die.
For his birthday, Christy and I decorated a bedroom in my house just for him, and we surprised him with it and the news that the two of them would be moving in with me. That day, seeing the excitement on his face, is still one of the best days of my life, baseball be damned. Hitting home runs or making that diving catch is something, but it’s nothing compared to seeing the joy on this little boy’s face.
Since October, when the season ended, it’s been me and him hanging out after school while we wait for Christy to get off work. I’ve loved every second of our time together, playing ball or video games or just hanging out and watching cartoons after his homework is complete.
When I asked him to keep a secret, I halfway didn’t think he could, but here we are, on the big day, and he’s been right by my side the entire time, helping me plan and tight-lipped about our surprise for Christy.
“Do you think they suspect anything?” he whispers, leaning in, even though I’m the only person in the room.
I shake my head. “Nope. You’ve done well, Daniel-san,” I say in my Mr. Miyagi voice from The Karate Kid.
We have a lot of sayings like that, which we probably do way too often, but I love the small things we share together.
“Well, here goes nothing. Give me one more hug to pump me up.”
I open my arms to him. He jumps into them, squeezing me tightly as he places his head on my shoulder.
“I love you, buddy.”
“I love you too.”
“I love you more.” I start our game that makes me smile and tear up every time we do it.
“I love you to infinity,” he says without skipping a beat.
At the same time, we both hold up one arm, like Buzz Lightyear, and say, “And beyond!”
I laugh as I release him. I look at him one more time as I run my palms over his shoulders, smoothing out the jacket of the tuxedo I rented him, then give the lapels a slight tug. “I think you look pretty handsome.”
“So do you!” He jumps up in excitement when I stand, fixing my own tuxedo jacket.
He grabs the roses I bought—his idea, not mine—and holds them proudly. “Do you think she’ll like them?”
I smile down at him. “I know she will. Let’s do this!” I say, ready to get this show on the road.
