The apartment Marcos had secured for me, which I’d spent only a handful of hours in before leaving for Boston, felt empty in a way I’d never experienced.
For as long as I could remember, I’d never been alone. Someone was always around, and more often than not, that someone was Jase. Suddenly, it felt as though a vital piece of me was missing.
On top of that, I missed Faye like crazy. When I found out I’d be living in North Carolina, I wondered whether being separated from her would feel different this time, since we’d never lived in the same place or had unlimited time together before. But her absence was just as noticeable as Jase’s.
I dropped my bag by the door and plopped onto the couch, wondering whether this loneliness would ever ease or whether I would spend the entire season with the unbearable ache of missing the two most important people in my life.
My phone buzzed, and I saw a message from Faye in our group chat:
Dylan did you make it back to Raleigh?
Yeah. Just walked in the door
Jase: It sucks we didn’t get to spend any real time together
It did suck, but it was also what we signed up for. Jase may have had a better understanding of how this all worked, since his father had played professional ball for most of his childhood, but I was completely naïve about it. I knew that if I ever got the chance to play ball at this level, I’d need to make sacrifices. At the same time, I never expected to fall in love right as my career was taking off, so I was still trying to figure shit out.
Faye: Jase I’ll be in Boston for the first game of your next homestand. This time I’m going to sit right by the field
Jase: Can’t wait to see you, Princess
With Jase playing for the Red Sox and Faye living in Boston, I knew they’d have more opportunities to be together than I would with either of them. It made logical sense, and I was truly happy for them. The only thing I wished I could change was the distance between us.
Faye: Dylan, I see you’re playing the Nationals in D.C. in a few weeks. I think we need to make plans for me to see you then
Nothing would make me happier
Faye: Well I’ve got an early flight tomorrow and need to get some sleep but we’ll chat soon when I get back from my trip. Love you both.
Love you, Princess
Jase: Love you too. See you soon
I tossed my phone onto the cushion beside me and closed my eyes. I needed to remind myself this was only temporary and that we’d eventually figure out how to make things work, despite the miles between us.
After our firsthomestand in Raleigh, the month flew by in a blur of games, travel days, and endless chats with Faye and Jase whenever possible. The week before, Faye and her brother had made it to one of my games in D.C. Fallon was technically a friend of mine; I’d previously been seen with him at his wedding and a charity gala, so no one thought twice about his coming to my game. And since the media knew Faye was dating my stepbrother, it was easy to let them assume she was there with her brother, supporting her boyfriend’s family.
Sometimes I found myself keeping a mental tally of how many of Jase’s games she attended or how often I saw pictures of them leaving the stadium together. When that happened, I forced myself to remember I wasn’t in competition with either ofthem and that the number of visits didn’t matter nearly as much as the quality of whatever time we spent together.
I’d just finished batting practice before our game in Seattle and was changing into my uniform when my phone started buzzing inside the locker. I picked it up and saw Tyler had started a group video call. The corners of my mouth lifted. That call could mean only one thing.
I accepted immediately, and my brother’s face filled the screen. “We’re heading to the hospital.” His voice was shaky with excitement and nerves. “Our baby is coming.”
Ourbaby. Even then, he didn’t let on if they were expecting a boy or a girl.
For the next five minutes, it was impossible to make out what anyone was saying because everyone was shouting questions.
Eventually, the conversation quieted down, and Dad leaned closer to the screen. “You and Hayden got this, and we can’t wait to meet our grandbaby.”
Tyler swallowed hard. “Thanks, Dad. We’ll keep you posted.”
A second later, I got a text:
Jase: We’re about to be uncles!
Faye: OMG! That’s amazing
I don’t know how I’m expected to go play a game now. This is wild
