Chapter 30
Schmidt
“Hey, podcasters! I’m Liliana Sweets here with Jamie Schmidt who plays center field for the Philadelphia Pit Bulls. Schmidt, can you tell the listeners why you asked me to do this special podcast? They all know I only release two a week, but this week I’m releasing three.”
“I screwed up. Plain and simple.”
“Do you care to explain a little further?” Liliana smiles at me over her microphone.
“You see, I’ve been hiding something from the entire world. From the fans, the media, and up until right before the season started, my team, agent, and managers.”
“That sounds impossible. What could you have possibly hidden from all those people?”
“My daughter, Tali.”
“Ah, your little baby girl. Now, I’ve known about this for a while now. I think Wheeler, Smithy, and I were the first people to find out, correct?”
“You were. It all started with this amazing nanny I hired. She convinced me it was ridiculous to hide Tali from the people who matter most to me.”
“Can you tell us why you hid her to begin with?”
I go over how we didn’t want our children in the media and how after Ellie died, I didn’t want to talk about any of it. I spill my entire history to Liliana, knowing the whole world will be able to listen if they want to.
“So, what are you hoping to get out of this interview?”
“First, I want the media to leave my family alone. There’s no reason for paparazzi to follow my nanny and daughter around town while they run errands or stop in a store. We’re a normal family and no one wants their privacy invaded like that.”
“I think that’s pretty understandable, but do you really think the paparazzi will listen?”
“No, but I'm hoping if enough fans take a stand against them, they might take a hint. If you see an article with a photo clearly tied to the paparazzi on the cover, don’t read it. Come to this podcast or the reporters who are getting the real stories. Show them support and stop reading the gossip rags.”
“I can leave a whole list of reputable reporters and where you can read about your favorite sports teams and players from. The ones who get consent for sharing photos and only report the truth,” Liliana adds.
“No one understands how far the paparazzi will go. Last week, Tali and Winnie, her nanny, were almost killed in a car accident because of a crazy paparazzi. He crashed into the back of their car, trying to get a photo of them and forced their car off the road. They’ll be ok, but it was a bad accident.
The car was totaled and both of them were left shaken. ”
“Most of you don’t know this, but Winnie Teller is one of my best friends.
I know she’d do anything to keep Tali safe and she called me as soon as the accident happened.
I rushed to the hospital and sat with Tali.
Winnie refused to let me stay in her room, she only cared about Tali having someone she recognized around her.
Schmidt and the team were away for a game and I wasn’t able to reach them at that time. ”
I swallow hard as tears fill my gaze. I didn’t know any of this until after I blew up at Winnie. I didn’t know she sped away from the paparazzi because she was trying to keep Tali off the front page of the gossip rags. I didn’t know she was doing her best to protect my little girl.
I jumped to conclusions and did things I'm not proud of.
“She’s an amazing nanny, but she’s so much more than that to me,” I say softly.
“Tell me more.” Liliana smirks, knowing this is going to be painful for me to do in front of the entire world.
“Winnie was my girlfriend. She didn’t start off that way, but we quickly became the cliché single dad with the nanny romance trope.
She clicked in our lives and made it feel like she had always been there.
She made us laugh and smile more than ever, she breathed life back into me and I didn’t even know I needed it. ”
“She sounds like she means a lot to you.”
“I love her, Lils. I think I’ve loved her since the first day she watched Tali. I came home and they were running around the backyard and laughing together. I had never seen my little girl so happy. All along, she’s been missing having a mom and that’s exactly what Winnie became to her.”
“Do you want to tell our listeners what happened?”
“I jumped to conclusions. I let my emotions get the best of me and I lost it. I blamed Winnie for the accident. I thought she was being careless with my daughter. I thought she was at fault for the wreck and should’ve been paying attention to the road.
She didn’t even try to fight with me. She accepted the blame because in her head, she was to blame.
Except she’s not. She should be praised for how she protected Tali.
For the lengths she went to try to keep the paparazzi away from my daughter. ”
“For those of you who haven’t seen the news coverage of this, there were actually some people videotaping the paparazzi who was harassing Winnie and Tali.
People who were standing by said he was pushing Winnie and grabbing her, trying to get a clear picture of Tali.
At one point, Winnie lost her footing and almost fell to the ground.
She slammed into a metal bench and was able to right herself, but she got hurt in the process.
A man stepped in and tugged the paparazzi away, but once Winnie got Tali buckled and she got in the car, the man thought it was safe to let the paparazzi go.
He didn’t realize Oliver Sinn would follow them and continue to harass them. ”
My hands begin to shake as I listen to Liliana retell the story of what happened to Winnie and Tali. It all could’ve ended so much worse. They could both be dead right now.
“Winnie actually ended up needing emergency surgery. She almost bled to death because of her fall into the bench. It ruptured her spleen and caused a lot of internal bleeding. Thanks to Dr. Derek Devine, she’ll make a full recovery within a few weeks.
We’re forever grateful for his quick response and skilled hands. ”
I suck in a deep breath and blow it out slowly. This is going to be hard to get through, but I want to do it.
“This part is just for Winnie. She won't talk to me or answer any of my calls. She moved out of our house and I don’t know how else to get through to her.” I swallow hard and try to keep my voice even.
I know if I let my emotions get to me, I’ll end up crying during this and I won't be able to finish.
“It’s ok, Schmidt, take your time. I can edit all of this later on,” Liliana says softly.
“No, I don’t want you to edit a thing. I want everyone to realize this isn't me trying to look good, this is eating me up inside. Jeez, Lils, how did I let this happen? How did I let the woman I love slip through my fingers so easily? When I got to the hospital, I was so worried about Tali. I had been traveling and I guess I got the call when I was already in the air. I didn’t know until we landed and it was a few hours after the accident.
I rushed to the hospital as quickly as I could.
Winnie was already awake and out of surgery.
I didn’t even know she needed surgery. Jeez, I didn’t even ask her if she was ok until later that night and even then, it was via text.
I thought she was fine. And so, I exploded on her.
I said so many horrible things to her and she didn’t deserve any of it. ”
“No, she didn’t.”
“I'm sorry, Winnie. I don’t know how many times you need me to say it, but I’ll keep apologizing until my dying breath.
I'm sorry I ruined everything we had. I'm sorry for doubting you when I should’ve been thanking you. I'm sorry for what you went through and for not being a support for you in the aftermath. I hope and pray you can forgive me because I don’t want to live without you, sweetheart. I want to marry you and officially make you Tali’s mom.
I want to have more kids with you and give you the family you’ve always wanted.
I want to give you the entire world, Winnie, I just need you to forgive me. ”