Slugger (Sequel to 'The Jet') Benny Rodriguez

Chapter 30

    Sitting on a plane for hours at a time can be annoying in a regular situation, but add the stress of being eight months pregnant and already having contractions, you might as well not even fly. Too bad that wasn't an option for you. It would only be a few more hours till you touched down in the airport, where the love of your life was waiting for you to arrive.

Cece who sat directly to your right, was trying not to act like your heavy and laboured breathing bothered her, but it was quite difficult... due to the fact that she was in the early and more hormonal stage of her very own pregnancy.

"Look out the window for me, do we look close to home?" You tried your best to keep calm. These weren't real contractions, you knew by the third kid that everything was going fine, but it didn't mean that the pain was any less.

"We're still too high up to tell... do you want me to go ask a flight attendant?" She offered, partially because she wanted to put your mind at ease and partially because she needed to ease herself from having to sit next to you while you were practically oozing stress.

"Yeah, thanks." You squeezed your eyes shut. Man, the havoc this kid was reeking on your reproductive system was incredible. You doubted you'd have another kid after this one. Three kids... might be time to pull the plug.

By the time Cece hot back to her seat, you'd calmed down a bit, of course tou were soon riled back up when she told you it would be about another hour or so until descent.

You heaved a sigh and threw your head back against your seat dramatically. You never pegged yourself for a sassy drama queen, but whenever you were pregnant, that usually went out the window.

-

*Two months earlier, back home*

Benny got the short end of the stick when it came to your rise to fame. He always wanted what was best for you, and would never voice how sad and truly down he was whenever you were away. Only coming back for days at a time to see him, then leaving again without enoigh time to even properly say goodbye.

It was real torment for him, and he didn't even realize how truly sad it made him everytime he would think about it during the day. He tried to bury himself in his job, playing his sport the best he could, spending the evening with his two daughters. Eveb though they both looked exactly like him, they both had personalities that mirrored how you acted when he first met you. A bit shy, but not afraid... a gentle sweetness that he would recognize any day. They were also quite comical little girls, though they didn't even realize it.

Simple things kept Benny sane while you were away, however there were the off days in which he would go to work, more tense than a steal bar, and the other guys on the team would notice.

Adam Rowen, who was known for being the team smoker, had offered Benny a smoke once or twice, but Benny usually turned it down.

Today was a darker day. Today was the day that he shouldn't be alone on. It was his birthday, and the only form of communication he was able to have with you was a morning ohine call, in which you happily wished your husband and your daughter a good birthday. He missed you more today than any of the rest.

"You seem even more down than usual, man... anything wrong?" Adam poked at his shoulder, gathhering the attention of a few other team members.

"Just miss her..." Benny hung hus head, working on tying his cleats up to distract himself from conversation. Even if he participated, he didn't want to concentrate on what was said, just roll with it.

"More than usual?" Adam chided, lighting up his cigarette and reavjinf into his pack for another one, just in case.

"It's mine and Vivi's birthday today..." he trailed off, trying to keep from going into much detail. The less they knew the better. Benny was much more sensitive than any of the other guys, and they often made fun of him for it... he strayed from going into the details often when he wasn't in the best mood.

"You want one?" Adam held up the cigarette to Benny, and for the first time, he took it, without hesitation.

One moment later, Adam took liberty of lighting up the thing, and just like that, the whole future changed.

A/n: bet y'all thought I was dead