I turn and usher Callie into the waiting car.
“It’s probably not even yours.”
I release Callie’s hand, step forward, and cock my fist back, but Decker beats me to it. He rears back and punches our dad right across the face.
He wobbles a little then falls to the ground.
Decker stands over him. “Go to hell and stay the fuck out of our lives.”
“Deck, man, I didn’t think you had it in you,” Easton says.
My brother shakes out his hand. “Didn’t want you to fuck up your pitching hand.” He walks to one of the other cars and gets in.
I stand there for a second, feet planted, watching my dad stagger to get up.
A part of me wants to help him. Maybe he’s right, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without everything happening exactly as it did. But he only ever did more damage than good. He’s only ever given me grief and made me feel shitty about myself.
A hand slips into mine, and it’s not Callie’s soft palm. I look to my left and see my mom squeezing my hand with eyes filled with sorrow and regret.
I choke back tears because I don’t want this for my life.
She wants to make amends, and she’s admitted to doing wrong. How can I continue to punish her?
Maybe we’ll never have the relationship she and Decker share, but maybe we can have more than we do today. The only way to know for sure is to try.
Chapter
Sixty-Seven
Foster Davis Denies Betting Allegations in Brief Press Conference: “I Never Placed a Wager”
Written By Bryce Cavanagh | The Breakout
CHICAGO — Chicago Colts closer Foster Davis addressed allegations of gambling-related impropriety Tuesday afternoon, firmly denying any involvement and placing responsibility on his father.
“I did not make any bets. I never placed a wager,” Davis said, standing at the podium wearing a dark-navy Colts polo, jaw tight but voice controlled. “If there were bets, they were not mine. They were my dad’s. I had no knowledge of it until it became an issue I couldn’t ignore.”
The press conference, held in a small media room beneath Webber Field, lasted under eight minutes and included no questions from the media. Davis’s agent, Jagger Kale, stood along the wall, watching on. Colts’ management and legal counsel were present but did not speak.
Davis, 33, has become one of the league’s most reliable late-inning arms since arriving in Chicago last season. The allegations—circulating online over the weekend—suggest improper betting activity connected to games during his final months in Seattle. Davis did not name teams, dates, or individuals, only repeating that he was not the bettor and that he was “fully cooperating” with all investigative authorities.
* * *
Colts, MLBPA Announce Separate Reviews
In a statement released shortly after Davis exited the room, the Chicago Colts confirmed they will conduct an internal review “in coordination with the appropriate governing bodies.” The Major League Players Association also stated it will be opening its own inquiry “to ensure due process and protect the rights of the player involved.”
“As of this moment, Foster Davis has not been found to have violated any league rules,” the Colts’ statement read. “He is presumed innocent while the matter is reviewed.”
A representative for the MLBPA echoed that language, emphasizing that speculation online has “outpaced verified facts.”
What couldn’t be ignored wasn’t just what Davis said—it was how he said it.
This is a pitcher long known for his edge: the glare, the clipped answers, the sharp turn-and-walk exits from interviews. But Tuesday, Davis looked… steadier. Still unmistakably Foster Davis but grounded in a way that had reporters exchanging looks.
“He seems different,” one national columnist murmured as Davis stepped away from the podium. “Like someone finally got through to him.”
That “someone,” depending on who you ask, was standing a few feet outside the frame.
