“They’re saying that Sampson is going to be healed and better than new before Opening Day.”
“Thank fuck for that. We need him for a chance at the World Series.”
“Right.”
“How have things been?” I edged, I had to admit I was curious about the girl he’d been dating. Mack was not a dater, the fact that he was dating one person meant that it was serious.
“Things are fine, but that’s not what you dragged my ass all the way out here for.”
I grunted in response. He hit the button on the panel to turn the pitching machine off.
“I’m done. Let’s go next door and grab a beer.” I leveled him with a look. We were driving home. “One beer won’t hurt.”
“Fine. One beer.”
We handed over the bats and signed out before making our way over to the bar next door. I’d been there many times, good food and good service. What more could you ask for?
“So what’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I thought getting out of the house would help clear my head.” I took a long pull from the beer bottle. It was good stuff, but it looked like nothing was going to help me lift the fog of my mind. “Melody has kids.”
“Shit.”
“Yep. Five-year-old twin girls.”
“Wow. No wonder you’re a bit freaked. No offense but you’ve never seemed like a kids guy. Wait, five-year-olds?”
“Yeah. And yeah, they’re mine.” Or at least that was what she claimed.
That thought angered me further. Of course, they were mine. Despite the fact that they had my eyes, Mel wouldn’t have lied to me about that.
“Fuck me.” He groaned.
“I don’t know what to do.” I sighed and hung my head. I was so tired of thinking about it, of going over it repeatedly in my mind. What the fuck was I supposed to do?
“What do you mean you don’t know what to do?”
“Am I supposed to just demand that I suddenly be a part of their lives? But if I walk away then am I not the biggest prick in the world?”
“Dude!” He exclaimed, catching me by surprise. “What is wrong with you? You know what to do. Hell, I know what you’re going to do. Not only because it’s the right thing but because you love Melody.”
“I know I love Melody,” I replied indignantly. Of course, I knew that!
“So, I’m sorry, what is it that’s stopping you?”
She had lied? She’d hurt me? She had wounded my pride? And keeping someone’s children from them was a big fucking deal. Having children was a big fucking deal! I had no experience with kids, I couldn’t just turn into daddy dearest overnight. I’d missed out on the first five years of their lives. I’d missed out on everything, all of their firsts.
But then, if I didn’t do anything, I’d be missing the rest of their firsts.
His question made me think that maybe I’d been looking at the situation all wrong.
It was a Tuesday morning. It had officially been over a week since the last time I’d seen or heard from Callum. I knew I said that I’d give him time but the more time that passed the more I began to think that I wouldn’t be hearing or seeing him again.
I was trying my hardest to be optimistic, patiently waiting for a call. A smoke signal, morse code, a carrier pigeon. But, so far, nothing.
That was why, after dropping the girls off at school I headed straight to the club. I needed to meditate. And while going to the gym and running on the treadmill was calming, it didn’t quite have the same effect as dancing had.
I locked the front door behind me and flipped the switch for my neons. My sign that hung proudly along the entrance wall lit up. Bit by bit the club began to glow as I made my way over to Hollis’, our DJs, set up.
