37
BRADY
I thoughtI knew what tired felt like. Working night shifts, coming home and dealing with the twins, stealing a few hours of sleep while they were at school, only to do it all over again.
That was nothing.
Little Miss Ivy is not quite a month old, but she’s decided sleep is for the weak. At least, sleeping at night. During the day? Sure, let’s nap whenever we want.
That was fine for the first couple of weeks, but then Sage and I decided at least one of us needed to be functioning on a somewhat normal schedule. Which means I stay up with Ivy after her 9 pm feed and Sage goes to bed. I give Ivy a bottle around midnight, and then carefully sneak her into the bassinet beside Sage before going to the spare room to get some sleep myself.
That doesn’t mean I don’t hear them when Sage is up with her around two or three in the morning, but I try to fall back asleep as quickly as I can before we’re all up around five. It’s not perfect, but it works,and most importantly, it has meant that Sage has been able to recover from childbirth.
But while the baseball season is, unfortunately, over, the team has decided to keep things going for an extra couple of months of training, shortening the offseason. The hope is that we come back next year better than ever.
My bank account appreciates the extended pay, but my energy level would rather be anywhere but headed in for my first workout with the team since Ivy was born.
I yawn, again, and take a long sip from the big travel mug of coffee, my second already today. Yeah, I thought I knew what tired was. Turns out, newborn baby tired is a whole different ball game.
Pun intended.
I push open the door to the locker room and am met with a wall of cheers.
“Hey, it’s Daddy Dixie!”
“Look who survived his first month of parenting.”
“How’s the diaper league treating you? Has she peed on you yet?”
“You brought pictures, right?” That last one comes from Cal, who makes grabby hands at me for my phone. “Of Ivy, not your ugly face, old man.”
“Shut up, you moron, I’m younger than you are,” I say, laughing, as I drop my bag in my cubby.
He shrugs unrepentantly. “Yeah, but having a kid automatically ages you, like, ten years. So really, I’m the younger one.”
I roll my eyes. “Whatever.”
The door opens again, and Rafe and Levi walk in.Rafe walks straight up to me and holds his hand out. “Hey Dix, I think you dropped this,” he says with a straight face.
I look down at his hand and the pale pink pacifier he’s holding out.
“Oh, come on,” I say as the whole team loses it with laughter. I shake my head but manage to catch the pacifier Rafe tosses my way.
“Remind me why I came back? I don’t get this kind of shit at home, it’s all baby snuggles and smiles there.”
“You missed us, admit it,” Griff calls out from across the room.
I hold my finger and thumb up, barely any space between them. “About this much, Griff.” It’s a lie. As much as I’ve loved every second at home with Sage and Ivy, I have missed the guys. They were busy finishing the season without me, so I haven’t seen them in weeks. And the camaraderie, the friendship…yeah. I was missing it.
Not that I’ll admit it to any of them.
“Alright gentlemen, we’re taking it easy today so that Dixie can keep up. I want everyone out on the field in five, starting with two laps around.” Rafe claps his hands together and looks at me. “Oh, and for some added incentive, everyone has to do ten push-ups every time Dixie yawns.”
Of course, he says that as I’m mid-yawn. “Sorry, guys,” I say ruefully. “I can’t help it.”
“Don’t make me spike the electrolytes with caffeine,” Foxxy grumbles as he elbows me, walking to the door that leads to the dugout. “My arms are still sore from the gym yesterday. I’ll kill you if we do more thanfifty.”
“Five yawns. Got it.” I give him a mock salute as we all follow him out onto the field.
