Chapter 26
I never thought catching was hard. I liked it.
Javier walked into the dining room holding the last wrapped present. This gift was special, and so was the box. There were multiple quarter-sized holes in the sides of the white box, and there was a wide purple ribbon wrapped around it, forming a Tiffany-style bow on top.
“All right, here’s your last present,” announced Javi as he entered the room.
Lola was beaming, sitting at the head of his dining room table. She’d never had a birthday party before, and Cami had convinced him that they needed to do something special. She was turning thirteen, officially a teenager.
They hadn’t had time to plan anything elaborate, but having lived in an orphanage the majority of her life, he didn’t think Lola had been expecting anything special at all. And she seemed quite thrilled with the party that he and Cami had managed to pull together.
Though really, most of the party planning had been executed by Cami. She always noticed details, and she had been the one to point out the upcoming special day.
They’d invited the guys from the team and their families, along with Cami’s extended family.
There were even a few kids, though none Lola’s age.
They were all younger, but it didn’t matter.
Lola still enjoyed playing with them, especially Lionel’s children, who she frequently interacted with since they lived next door.
Cami had arranged for the party to be catered and had ordered a beautiful two-tier cake. It had been frosted in different shades of purple with elaborate swirls of icing and a multitude of different sprinkles.
Lola had already opened her other presents.
She’d received some very nice things. And Javi found it comical that some of his teammates, who also didn’t know what to buy a thirteen-year-old girl for her birthday, had hit up the stadium’s team shop for Diamondbacks gear.
She now had more team merch than he did.
She’d also amassed quite the collection of baseball cards, which she was currently ripping into, the guys hovering nearby to see who she pulled.
He was going to have to pick her up a binder to store them all.
After discussing with Cami at length what he should get Lola, he’d settled on the one thing he’d always wanted at her age. Cami had pulled her phone out to film and several of the guys positioned themselves to snap photos as well.
Javi sat the gift in front of Lola and she looked at him questioningly. “Go ahead. Open it,” he prompted.
Slowly, Lola lifted the lid. She looked inside and gasped. “A puppy!” she squealed. Reaching into the box, she pulled out a ball of dark chocolate-colored fur.
“She’s mine?” she asked Javi, as tears filled her eyes.
“He,” he corrected. “He is yours.”
“Does he have a name?” she asked as she snuggled the pup’s silky fur against her cheek. The little pup looked around before trying to lap at Lola’s face.
“Not yet,” Javi replied. “You get to pick his name. He’s all yours. He’s a nine-week-old Havanese.”
He’d also consulted with his mother about getting Lola a puppy and she’d recommended a Havanese, the national dog of Cuba, though the most common dog on the streets were satos, little mixed-breed mongrels.
Probably the type of dogs Lola was familiar with.
But pre-revolution, the Havanese had been a status symbol of Cuba’s upper class, and he had to assume that’s why his mother found the dog desirable.
Maybe he’d buy his mother one when she finally retired.
“I love him. Thank you,” said Lola.
“You’re welcome,” replied Javi as the other children tried to gather around so that they could also see the puppy.
“Daddy, can we get a dog, too?” asked Lionel’s son, Leo.
Javi should have been dead on the spot from the glare Lionel shot him, but he just laughed.
“Maybe one day,” replied Lie.
The guy was struggling with his single-dad role but seemed to be doing well.
There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for his kids, but it seemed adding a puppy to their chaotic life was a step Lionel wasn’t ready to take, and Javier could understand that.
He wasn’t sure how things were going to work out with this dog.
He’d probably end up taking care of it himself, but Camdyn had been sure that Lola was old enough and responsible enough to care for a dog.
After all, she was used to helping with the younger children in the orphanage.
And having the responsibility of looking after the little dog would probably be good for her.
Hopefully, he could help her get the little guy potty-trained during the offseason.
His team only had two home games left and then the season would be over.
It was wild how fast time was passing, yet Javi didn’t think he’d ever felt so settled.
In less than six months’ time, he’d moved across the country, entered a committed relationship, and unexpectedly became a guardian to a now teenager.
His life had become tremendously enriched in a short time and he knew it was only going to get better.
Next week he’d be scheduling his final defense, hopefully submitting not long after, and then, in late December he’d be graduating.
All the years of hard work were finally paying off.
Javier had never experienced a stadium as electric as Chase Field was tonight.
He swore the air was crackling and the crowd was roaring in anticipation of Cal’s next pitch.
The dude was on fire, and if he could maintain that fire for two more pitches, he’d have a no-hitter. Javi couldn’t be happier for him.
Cal wound up his next pitch, and the grin stretching across his face looked maniacal to Javi. The guy from the other team at the plate wasn’t known for his batting ability. He had to be shaking in his cleats.
This was the last game of the season, and Callahan Gallegos was about to take this team out with a memorable win. Tonight would be a great achievement for his friend, and Javi was proud to be part of it.
The seconds between pitches seemed palpable and drawn out. Javi resumed his position and signaled for the pitch. Cal released the next sinker, and it found Javi’s mitt with a smack.
“Strike!” called the ump, and the stadium erupted. Shouts, cheers, flashing lights, music blaring from the sound system. It was deafening and exhilarating.
He caught Cal’s eye and threw the ball back before using the PitchCom to signal for a repeat of Cal’s fastball for the final pitch.
Cal shook his head in disagreement. He rarely ever disagreed when Javi recommended a pitch.
Javi used the PitchCom to request a curveball, and Cal shook his head again.
Those were Cal’s go-to pitches. Something was wrong.
Javi called time to approach the plate, and he watched Cal motion to the coach that all was well.
He pulled off his face mask and met Cal at the edge of the mound.
“Don’t freeze on me now, El Conquistador,” he joked.
Ever since he’d learned Cal’s nickname that had been following the guy since high school, he’d made a habit of dropping it.
The guy was the actual descendant of a Spanish conquistador, which meant Cami was, too.
That was freaking cool. Javi wasn’t aware of anyone noteworthy in his own ancestry.
Cal exhaled roughly. “I’m not, man, but I need to throw something gentler on my arm.”
Worry immediately struck Javi’s gut. “Dios mio! Are you hurt?”
Cal looked away towards the stands then responded without making eye contact. “Nah, bro. But my arm is tired. I don’t think I can throw another.”
Javi narrowed his eyes with suspicion. He was almost certain Cal was lying to him, so he decided to push. “You only need this pitch to end it, and you don’t think you can throw another fastball?”
Cal finally met Javi’s gaze and his eyes were pleading. “I may never get another chance like this. And you know Williams won’t be able to hit anything I throw. I think I’d rather end this night blowing everybody’s mind.”
That wasn’t an answer. Rather, a very clear deflection. Not distracted by Cal’s shade on Williams, Javi said, “Hermano, you’re already doing that.”
Cal nodded. “I know, but what do you think if I throw a knuckleball? Like the ones we goof off in practice with.”
Javi was thrown. Cal was seriously asking to throw an unpredictable pitch with a no-hitter on the line. “Nobody will see that coming, but you’re not freaking Phil Niekro, and you’re already tired. You know how hard knuckles are to control. That’s why nobody throws them anymore.”
Cal nodded. “Let’s do it, man. Let’s strike out Williams and end this season with something the syndicates can talk about. Let’s win this thing!”
Javi knew their manager and the pitching coach were going to kill him if he agreed to Cal’s pitch, but he also knew a knuckleball would cause a buzz.
He might not be pitching, but it would still keep his name in the news, too, if Cal pulled off a no-hitter, and good publicity would increase his chances of the team keeping him.
After mulling over the decision for a moment, he agreed.
“Let’s go then. Let’s put Williams out of his misery. ”
As Javi jogged back to home, he could see Callahan’s family in the stands.
His grandparents, parents, and some friends he’d introduced to Javi.
But the person who held Javi’s attention was Cal’s sister who had his little cousin seated right beside her.
He caught Cami’s eye and winked. She blew him a kiss in return and he pretended to reach up and catch it. He was mad about that woman.