Slow Changes (Whizzvin)

Part XXXIII. Day Before Baseball

It's the day before the baseball game and Whizzer and Marvin both get invited to attend their son's baseball game tomorrow. Trina struggles with getting into character and Mendel struggles with keeping a secret and accidentally tells Cordelia. Cordelia tells Charlotte, but Charlotte actually keeps secrets and no one else finds out about the plan.

No trigger warnings besides a bit of a nervous Jason! This chapter is the chapter before the plot climax. I can't believe we're so close to the end now.

Mendel's Point of View: 11:43am, March 27th, 1981.

So I was on the phone with one of Whizzer's lesbian friends. "Yes, Charlotte. It's tomorrow. Trina already bought the tickets and her best friends from the Jewish Center didn't want to go with her because we're getting Whizzer and Marvin back together." I wasn't supposed to say that. Trina must never know I let Charlotte in on the plan. Or was it Cordelia? One of the lesbians.

"Aw that's so cute and gay!" Charlotte seemed to be a fan of the idea. "Don't tell Trina I told you. She'll divorce me." Charlotte was still laughing but not the laugh when something's funny. The "that's cute" laugh that women do.

"Okay, Mendel. But I'll be sure to go! I love baseball. Cordelia likes it too. Just isn't a big fan of it, but she loves Jason. Be sure to invite Marvin and Whizzer. If they don't go, I'll make them go. By calling them. I'm not murderous." I somehow didn't believe that. We all know medical doctors are very murderous. I thought it was a well-known fact. But I can prescribe medication which makes me murderous.

"Okay! Well Trina needs help loading the car to go to her mom's on Wednesday. I know it's Friday but she likes to plan ahead." I hang up after we say our byes to each other and help Trina load the car. Jason's down there and he looks very uncomfortable. "Mendel, what if I mess up? What if I don't hit the ball? What if I'm actually horrible at baseball?"

"It's not genetic! Baseball skills aren't genetic so don't worry! And you were probably amazing last year." Trina gave me a look to say he was horrible last year. "And if you weren't, you've most likely improved!" Trina gave me another look to say he probably has not improved whatsoever.

"Hey, honey. Don't be scared. I'm sure you'll do swell." Trina tried to be nice to a nervous Jason and I love her but she wasn't doing the best job. She wasn't horrible at being nice, she was horrible at being not overly nice all the time. "Mendel, take care of him while I try to get this stuff in the truck, honey." I picked Jason up. "You're amazing at chess so if baseball doesn't work out, become Bobby Fischer."

"Jason, don't start to cry. I'm sure it'll be fine. Baseball is horrible and no wonder your father hates it. I just think it's fun to watch people play." Jason seemed to smile at the fact that his father hated baseball and wouldn't want to murder him if he failed horribly, which at this point I'm certain we all knew he would. "Jason, you can walk back into the house. I'm sure your mom won't mind. We only have a few more things to pack."

Jason waltzed into the house, happy that he didn't have to help Trina pack and his mother wouldn't kill him with packing random suitcases. Jason instantly got his bat and dragged Whizzer outside. Whizzer was carrying Jason's baseball and Trina and I had finally finished packing boxes. I watched Jason and Whizzer play an odd form of catch and I think Whizzer almost died a few times.

"Jason, god. You're my son and all but please don't... Do whatever you're doing. You're about to hit me and knock me out or something." Whizzer was mad but somehow treating Jason kindly and I don't understand how they worked. Whizzer was an amazing dad and all but... How? How do people treat people kindly like that? Sure, I knew the answer. Because of love or wanting to treat them like a child but what about cute aggression?

I sighed and continued watching Jason fall miserably at the sport he loved best. "Whizzer, I'm sorry!" I yelled at him. He just gave me a thumbs up, probably focusing on not getting killed by my stepson. "Whizzer, you can't stand there. It's off angle. I have to hit at the angle a bit to the right. That's what we have to practice, Whizzer!" Whizzer smiled at Jason and walked to the right a bit.

"Sorry, dad." Jason apologized like his mother had always taught him. "It's fine!" And Whizzer was fine with that? Whizzer was a better dad than me and Marvin combined. God, he should've raised Jason. Well Whizzer has his flaws. "Honey, watch our boy! He's practicing with Whizzer!" Trina looked at Jason and turned back to packing everything. "I have to make sure I got the hats!" Why do we need hats?

"Did you get my mom's gift?" Her mom had a gift? Was it the floral decoration she'd been working on for 2 weeks? Wasn't that for her friend's kid? Wait it was because her mom was having a kid. Oh my god. I'm not a bad husband, I just don't have the best memory! "Oh! No! I think it's still on the kitchen table." I ran in and had to get the thing and it had burlap glued to the border of the top of the vase and it looked horrible.

"Here, honey!" And that's when I dropped the vase. "Babe... Oh my god. Now I have to remake it and I only have 4 days and-" I sighed and went back to watching Jason. Trina picked up the vase. "Nothing broke. Nothing broke. There's a small chip but I can fix that with some glue. I can fix this in 5 seconds. Everything will be alright, Trina." She kept convincing herself everything would be fine and I eventually awkwardly hugged her and I think she was fine with that.

"Mendel, don't drop my things again. Don't. Ever. Drop. My. Creations." She seemed overprotective of her crafts. "Okay! Got it! I'm just clumsy, Trina! It's fine!" She put the vase in the trunk and I held her hands. "Honey, it's okay. Stop shaking, sweetheart. Stop shaking. It's fine. I love you." I kissed Trina's cheek and we walked back inside.

A/N: 1096 words. Okay so 6 more chapters wtf?? I cannot believe I've written THIS MUCH STUFF.