Chapter 26 #2
He put his mask back on before settling behind the plate.
Then he prayed this pitch went as well as it did for them in practice.
If by some off chance Williams got a hit, his chances at staying on for next season were shot.
It wouldn’t matter how well he’d played up until now.
All the GM and front office would remember was how he’d gone along with Cal tossing out a reckless pitch in a high stakes moment.
The next few moments were racked with anticipation.
The whole stadium went eerily quiet as Williams stepped into the box and took position.
Cal nodded at Javi, wound up, and released.
Javi swore the ball floated towards him in slow motion, like how some people describe a near-death experience.
Those short moments stretched ’til he heard the whoosh of Williams’ bat, but it was too early, and the ball collided with Javi’s glove instead.
The ump bellowed, “Strike!” and the stadium erupted into chaos.
Fireworks boomed overhead, drowning out the roar of the crowd.
Javi threw off his mask, pocketed the ball to keep for Cal, and charged the mound where his teammates were already celebrating.
Just as he got to Cal, the guys from the dugout dumped nine-gallon coolers over their heads.
It was an icy shower, but Javi laughed with joy as he pulled Cal into a hug.
“You did it! I was worried about that last pitch, but you nailed it!” shouted Javi, to be heard over the commotion.
His friend grinned back. “I can’t believe you doubted El Conquistador,” he replied back, causing them both to laugh.
What a way to end the season. They might not have made it to the postseason but tonight had been a significant win.
Javi couldn’t wait to get changed so that he could celebrate with Cami and Lola.
The only damper on tonight’s win was not having his parents here.
His mother would call him. He knew she’d been planning to watch the game on television.
But not being able to share this moment with his father somewhat diminished it for him.
It had been several years, yet he still caught himself looking for him or thinking about how he’d react.
Tonight his dad would have been boisterous and radiating pride.
It was a bittersweet thought and a reminder that life wasn’t fair.
The best thing he could do was live his life to the fullest and find a way for his father’s legacy to live on.
“Go on up. I’ll take out the pup, lock up and turn out the lights,” said Javier as he, Cami, and Lola dragged themselves into his townhouse.
He was exhausted, and it was so late that he’d probably sleep ’til noon tomorrow.
The adrenaline from the game was long gone, replaced by a bone-deep weariness.
He dreaded climbing the two flights of stairs to his bedroom.
If Cami hadn’t been staying with him, he probably would have collapsed on the couch and slept there for the night.
But she was here, so he’d drag himself up the stairs because there was nowhere he’d rather sleep than beside her.
As Lola passed him for the stairs, she yawned and mumbled, “Buenas noches.” Poor kid was worn out.
His team had celebrated together on the field, and again in the dugout before hitting the showers, then celebrated again when they joined their families and friends in the packed clubhouse.
The place had been a hive of activity, with even the owner showing up to congratulate the team for the series sweep and especially to praise Callahan for his no-hitter.
Javi would have much rather gone home and celebrated privately with Cami before knocking out, but since it was her brother who’d thrown the no-hitter, they’d hung around at the park way later than he would have preferred. And much later than he should have had Lola out.
They’d had to wait for everyone, including the reporters, to speak with Cal.
And the whole Gallegos and Callahan clan had been there, so there’d been no dragging Cami away.
He’d also spoken with a couple of the reporters with Lionel, their pitching coach.
And their media person had set the team up for more interviews over the next few days.
They weren’t headed to the World Series, or even in a pennant race, but their team was still ending the season on a high note.
They’d swept their final series opponent, and their last game had been a no-hitter—an excellent way to wrap the season up.
Tonight had been a great feat for Cal, and Javi knew his friend hoped to move to a starter position next season.
He’d probably get it, too. It’d be hard to deny him after what he’d just pulled off.
Javi hoped the management would remember him performing at his best as well, because he really wanted to keep his position on the team, but he was in a precarious spot.
He’d heard that the guy he’d been called up to replace was doing well with his physical therapy.
If he continued to improve rapidly with rehab, it was possible the guy could be back to playing soon.
If that happened, Javi wasn’t sure that they’d keep him.
There were only so many positions on the roster.
They might send him back to the minors. Or, since he’d had a good season, they could trade him to another team.
He didn’t want that. Javier wanted to stay.
He didn’t want to move again. He’d grown fond of Arizona.
Actually, it wasn’t particularly Arizona he’d grown fond of, it was the people he’d found here.
They made it feel like home. He didn’t want to move away from Camdyn.
He didn’t want to uproot Lola. And he’d made close friendships with his teammates—specifically Callahan and Lionel.
After bringing Amigo back in, putting the puppy in his kennel, and double-checking the door was locked, Javi flipped off the light switches on the first level and headed for the stairs his girls had already climbed.
His energy was depleted, and while he wanted to sleep, his mind was clinging to the thought of being traded.
He had to find some way to stay in Arizona.
He was so in love with Cami. She was everything his mother had always said he needed, and beyond any dream of a perfect woman he’d ever had.
She was beautiful. She was smart. She wouldn’t take any crap off him or anyone.
She was Catholic. She spoke Spanish. She came from a family of people like his own; people that you could only describe as salt of the earth.
She loved baseball. There was not one thing he would change about her, and he knew with certainty his future was with her.
One day, she’d be his wife and the mother of his children.
Lola’s door was shut, and no light shone from under it when he hit the top of the landing.
However, his room was lit and the door stood open.
He closed the door behind him as he entered and immediately started stripping out of his clothes.
They were clean and so was he, due to his shower at the stadium.
He laid his clothes across his desk chair to deal with in the morning, then pulled back the covers and crawled into bed in just his boxer briefs.
Camdyn exited the bathroom in one of Javi’s T-shirts for a nightgown and climbed into bed beside him.
He raised his arm, and she scooched over so he could hold her.
“I missed you while you were in Oasis. I’m so glad the season is over, so Lola and I can stay there with you.”
If Oasis had been just a bit closer to Phoenix, he’d have made the drive to stay with her each night, but a three-hour drive to and from was a bit much, even if he’d already locked down a small temporary rental.
“I missed you, too,” she admitted.