Epilogue #2
“This is easy. You could do this with your eyes closed,” Fitz coaches as he pulls out my putter.
“I don’t know about that.”
Anxiety twists my stomach into knots. It’s been a rough weekend. I fought to get back to the top after bogeying a few shots the first day. I came into today focused and confident, but I’m wavering in the face of such a monumental shot.
“Look to your left,” Fitz says while polishing the putter.
I do as he says, and see my Ellie smiling at me.
Her red curls are swept up in a ponytail and tucked beneath one of my hats.
Our daughter, Marina, is propped on Ellie’s hip, her identical red ringlets bursting out beneath her sunhat.
Ellie says something to Marina, and my sweet daughter lifts her little hand up to wave at me. My girls.
I blow them both a kiss, then turn back to the game at hand, feeling more at ease. I’ve got everything I could ever need and want waiting for me over there. This win would be amazing to celebrate, but it’s not the most important thing in life.
I shake the tension out of my shoulders. “I’m ready.”
Fitz hands over the club. “I know you are. Go win us some money.”
I chuckle and step up to the ball. After lining up the shot, I make two practice swings. Then, I draw in a deep breath and tap the ball. It rolls…right into the hole. My arms shoot into the air. Fitz grasps my shoulders and shakes them while whooping. The crowd erupts.
I rush over to Ellie, who’s already ducking under the rope. I wrap her and Marina up in my arms.
Ellie looks up at me with a huge smile on her face. “I told you so.”
She did. Last night, after we got Marina asleep, Ellie whispered that I was going to win it all and get my grand slam. After how bad the first day went, I didn’t share her confidence.
I laugh. “Only you would say that right now.”
“You love me.”
I kiss her smiling lips. “With every breath in my lungs.”
Marina tugs on my shirt collar. I take her into my arms and carry her down the course as we’re ushered toward the awaiting press. I hold her with one arm and wrap the other around Ellie. I don’t let go until it’s time for them to present me with the trophy. Then, I pass Marina back to Ellie.
“Can you help me hold it?” I ask Marina, who giggles and grabs for it.
We take photos, and I know that this memory is one that I will cherish forever. Not because of the win, but because of the people surrounding me.
Jason Kingsley
Fifteen Years After The Run Option
I press the button on my walkie-talkie. Static crackles.
“You boys all right out there?” I ask.
There’s a beep, then my son Phillip’s voice comes through. “Yes, sir. We’re on the trails. Is dinner ready yet?”
“Not yet. I’ll let you know when Mom is done. You be safe and take care of your brother.”
“I will! Love you, Dad.”
I smile. “Love you too.”
Willow steps out onto the back porch, a hand over her swollen belly. “What are they up to?”
“Riding trails like usual,” I say and walk over to her. I take off my Stetson so it doesn’t get in the way as I kiss her softly.
“I know they’re safe, but…” she trails off.
“They’re okay. They know to be careful, and they have the walkie-talkies if they need us,” I reassure her.
“Having two boys while pregnant is not for the faint of heart,” she says with a sigh. “I know that Phillip will keep watch over him, but Cooper is just like you.”
“Like me?” I ask as though I don’t know what she means.
She shoots me a look. “He’s wild and reckless.”
“He’s ten,” I say with a laugh.
“Which is exactly why he shouldn’t be out riding trails with his brother.”
“Phillip is the one driving the four-wheeler.”
“He’s thirteen!” she exclaims.
“Lo, breathe.” I kiss her forehead. “You were excited when we got him the ATV for his birthday last month.”
“I know,” she says. “And I was fine with him riding it around near the house. But he’s off exploring.”
“Which he loves to do,” I remind her.
If Cooper is the wild one, Phillip is the inquisitive type. He asks a hundred questions minimum a day, and always carries around a notebook to jot down his findings .
“He’s probably tracing leaves right now while Cooper throws rocks at trees,” I say, hoping to ease her mind.
She laughs. “I’m sure you’re right.” Her eyes turn misty. “It’s just hard, after everything we’ve gone through, not to worry.”
I walk behind her so I can wrap my arms around her middle. I press a kiss to the curve of her neck. “Trust me, I know. But we can’t keep them from living. This is exactly what we wanted when we got married.”
After we had Cooper, we struggled to get pregnant again for years.
Doctors couldn’t explain it. We didn’t know what to do.
After a few years of tears and anger, we let go of the idea of expanding our family.
We had our boys, and that was enough. Then, a few months ago, a miracle happened. Now, we have a baby girl on the way.
“I just love them so much,” she whispers. “I love you so much. The idea of anything happening to any of you makes me sick with worry.”
I kiss her shoulder. “I think that’s the cost of loving as much as we do. I worry about you, too. And the boys. And our sweet little Harper,” I say as I rub her belly. “But we can’t hold them back. That’s not real love.”
“Why do you have to be right?” She sniffles.
“It’s my eternal burden,” I tease, earning a laugh.
A soft beeping sound penetrates our quiet moment.
“I think dinner is ready,” Willow says.
I hand her the walkie-talkie. She holds it up to her mouth. “Boys, dinner’s ready, time to head back.”
“Yes, ma’am!” their voices blend together in a shout.
Soon enough, they’re racing toward the porch at top speeds, grins on their faces.
Lo heads inside to get everything prepared.
I make sure the boys kick off their boots and hang up their hats next to mine before we go inside to wash up.
We settle around the table, and Phillip gives Willow his notebook to show her his new discoveries, while Cooper regales us with a story about trying–and failing–to catch a squirrel.
My eyes catch Willow’s as we both laugh. The love in her eyes is unmistakable. It’s a kind of love that frets over our children, but it’s also one that got us through our darkest moments. I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Emmett Foster
Five Years After The Double Play
I stand in the middle of the Cowboys field.
Lights are shining down, but there’s no one here but me.
No fans or players. The final game in my MLB career happened a couple hours ago.
I celebrated with my team, talked to the press, then waited for the crowds to disperse.
I wanted a few minutes away from the chaos to process everything.
Reality hadn’t sunk in during the game. But now, standing on the pitcher’s mound, it hits me like a ball to the chest. My career is over. The sport I’ve dedicated my entire life to since I was three years old in T-ball, is now a part of my past. It doesn’t seem possible.
A twinge of soreness shoots through my arm, reminding me of one of the reasons for my retirement.
I had to get Tommy John surgery early on in the season, and I didn’t recover as well as I’d hoped.
That, combined with having a toddler running around at home, made me realize I couldn’t keep this up.
I want to watch my daughters grow up together. I don’t want to miss a thing.
“Want some company?” My wife’s voice floats over the field.
I look over and see Hazel walking toward me, wearing a jersey with my name on the back, as she’s done for every game since we got married.
“I thought you went home,” I say, surprised she’s still here.
She steps onto the mound with me. “I did, but then I got this feeling that you needed me. Your mom is watching the girls.”
Hazel wraps her arms around my middle and hugs me tight. I hug her back, closing my eyes and basking in the peace she exudes.
“I’m glad you came. This is harder than I thought.” My throat feels dry and tight. The backs of my eyes starts to sting. “It’s really over,” I grit out.
She runs her hands up and down my back. “This chapter is ending, but it’s not the end of your story. There’s so much ahead of us.”
I think about June and Layla at home. They have so much life to experience, and I’ll get to watch firsthand.
“It’s difficult to imagine myself without baseball,” I confess. “I buried my entire identity in it for so long. After we met, that began to change, but it’s still ingrained in me.”
Hazel tips her head back to meet my gaze. “Retiring doesn’t mean you lose this part of yourself. You can still love baseball. We’ll watch games all the time. Heaven knows Emerson won’t let us hear the end of it if we don’t come to all the home games.”
I chuckle as I think of my friend. He’s got a long career ahead of him.
It’s hard to let go of the idea that I won’t be on the field with him.
As much as I despise that blasted M&M nickname, we have spent years playing together.
Losing that is tough. I could barely look at him the whole game.
I think he realized how I was feeling too, because he didn’t say anything after the game. Just gave me a hug and left.
“That’s true,” I muse. “I didn’t think about it that way. Guess that’s what I have you for.”
I dip down and capture Hazel’s lips in a kiss.
“I’ll be here every step of the way,” she whispers when we pull apart. “You won’t deal with this on your own.”
I hold her close. “I know. Thank you.”
She kisses me softly. “I love you, Emmett.”
“I love you too, Wildflower.”
Thank you for reading the More Than a Game series!