Chapter 47
A Very Karen Friday
I woke up in Jake's arms, which is the best way to wake up!
He left about thirty minutes ago. He needed to bond with his boys and get ready for tomorrow night's season opener.
They've dominated every scrimmage game they've participated in, this might be the year they clinch the championship.
It's gonna be a whole game day. We're even tailgating with Toby and Karen at the stadium before the game.
I've never tailgated in my entire life, so this will be awesome!
A light knock sounds at my bedroom door.
I thought Sasha was visiting her parents, and Toby was with Karen.
My heartbeat goes from ordinary to I may have a heart attack any minute.
I breathe in and out just like Dr. Sonia told me to.
I used to think PTSD wasn’t real, but it will be forever a part of me. "Just a minute."
Jeffery and Benji are behind bars. They can’t hurt me anymore. I’m fine. I’m good. Only four other people have a key to our apartment, and I’m safe here. I put on some loungewear and I open my door. I’m surprised to see Karen. "Hey, Karen."
"Hi. Sorry to bother you. Toby decided to try out for the baseball team. They found out what his high school stats were and someone approached him and talked him into giving it a try. I was letting you know I was here waiting on him to get done."
I am beyond shocked. Toby gave up baseball during our junior year. He had a full ride to Georgia, but his shoulder blew out at one of the playoff games that year. "Wow. Yeah. I can't believe it. Does he think his shoulder is good?"
Karen smiled. "He says it's been good for about a year now. He hasn't said anything to anyone. Didn't want to get his hopes up, I guess."
"You wanna go sit in the living room?"
"Yeah. I'd like that."
I haven't gotten to know Karen very well.
It's time for that. With Toby's track record, I didn't want to invest my time in becoming friends with her. Toby’s my cousin so he would get me in the "divorce," or whatever.
I didn't want things to get awkward after the inevitable hit and run.
He cares about her, though, and I've hung around Karen enough to know that she's soft-spoken unless she passionate about something. I like that about her.
We sit and talk for a bit and I ask her about how serious she is about Toby because he’s definitely invested in her. "Toby is meeting my dad next week. He might need a pep talk the next time you see him. He's pretty nervous."
"Aww. That's really sweet, actually. Where are you from?"
"Cali. San Francisco, born and raised."
"So, basically, what you're telling me is that we cousins have fallen for Californians?"
She laughs. "That is very much the case. Don't tell any of the rednecks."
I cackle. "Well, I guess I can't tell anyone then!!"
Before she can respond, Toby walks in with the biggest smile. "You're looking at the new pitcher on the Longhorn baseball roster."
We both jump up with a shout. I tackle Toby first, and Karen is close behind. "I'm so proud of you, Toby."
He leads Karen back to the loveseat. "Thanks. I didn't want to say anything yet. I didn't know if I even wanted to give it a go again."
I feel bad because I never thought much about the pain Toby must have been through after his injury.
His life since being a toddler was baseball.
He was bound for greatness. Then he gets hurt and nothing must have made much sense to him.
Until Texas, I always thought of the world as rainbow and butterflies, but the truth is sometimes there's darkness.
Sometimes there's pain, but I realize that life can still be beautiful despite the adversities.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you like I should’ve been.
I was so sheltered and I never realized how hard giving up baseball must have been for you. "
A look of surprise crosses his face. "Dani, that's not true.
You couldn't have taken away my pain. Nobody could understand what I was going through, but you did make it better.
You made it so I could breathe again. You stood by me when most stopped caring because I wouldn't be that famous athlete anymore.
That meant more to me than you will ever know.
We're more than just family. We're best friends. "
I give him a tear-filled smile.