Matty raised both brows. “They put on quite a show at the farmers market last weekend.”
“Watch it,” I warned.
“Andat the Junior Roasters clinic.”
Pink made a dramatic gagging sound. Bailey squealed with delight at the noise. “Gross, that’s my sister you’re talking about. I don’t want to hear any details.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said, though my ears were getting warm. “When are you and Nessa tying the knot, Pink?”
“Yes, do tell,” Dani added with a pointed glare.
Pink clutched his metaphorical pearls. “Me? What about Dani and Coach? They have a baby together.”
The table dissolved into overlapping voices after that. Someone threw out the idea of a double wedding, which made Pink nearly choke on his bite of carrot cake, and Soren shook his head, scribbling his notes into the notebook that Clarke had no doubt given him.
I took another deliberate bite of lavender honey, letting the flavor ground me, and suddenly I wasn’t thinking about wedding cakes anymore.
I was thinking about how in less than a week, I’d be gone for spring training. Long days, longer nights, and miles between Bella and me when we were just getting started.
The thought landed heavy in my chest.
“You good, man?” Pink asked, his voice cutting through the noise like he’d felt the shift in me.
I met his eyes. Pink, who was usually the loudest, most extra person inanyroom, had gone quiet, watching me with that rare, serious look he usually only saved for the pitching mound.
I knew that look better than most. It was me who was usually staring back from behind the plate.
The table chatter faded a little, like the rest of them had sensed the change in temperature. Even little Bailey.
I exhaled, then met his stare straight-on. “How do you and Nessa make it work?”
Pink blinked, caught off guard. “What do you mean?”
“You’re on the road half the season. She’s here, running the bookstore. You don’t get the added benefit of having your girl travel with the team like Soren and Coach Ward do, so how do you make it work? How do you keep it solid when you’re gone for weeks at a time?”
The question hung there, plain and earnest.
Pink studied me for a long beat, the usual lightness gone from his face. He passed the baby off to Dani and then leaned forward, elbows on the table.
“You’re serious about her,” he said quietly. Not a question.
I didn’t flinch. “Yeah, I am.”
He nodded once, like he was accepting something he had already suspected for a while.
“Then listen up,” he continued. “Because I’m only gonna say this once and none of you are allowed to quote me back to Nessa later.”
A small laugh rippled through the group.
“First, you have to decide it’s worth it. Not just the good moments, but the shitty ones too. The missed calls because she’s working late or you’re stranded somewhere outside of Kentucky. The nights when you’re exhausted and she’s had a crap day and neither of you has the energy to be cute over FaceTime. You have to look at that and still say it’s worth it.We’reworth it. If you’re only half in, waiting for things to get easier, you’ll fuck it up fast.”
He paused, picking at a crumb on the table.
“Second, you make the time count. When you’re home, you’rehome. No half-assed hanging out while you scroll through highlights or checking your phone every five minutes. Put it down and be there.With her.And when you’re gone, you show up in the ways you can.” He held up his fingers, counting off said ways. “Send her stupid memes at 2 a.m. Call her during your cooldown stretches, even if you only have five minutes. Text her about the random dog in a sweater you run into outside the stadium that reminds you of her. The little things stack up.”
Dani nodded slowly, her eyes softening around the edges. Soren’s expression was thoughtful, like he was filing the words away for his own future reference.
Pink kept going.
