Love Prevails (Kris Bryant)

20| Love Always, McKayla

Kris

My parents arrive that night and I let them stay at my place while I stayed at the hospital. I was put on bereavement until I stop feeling like I'm going insane, which I hope is soon. My mom brings me in some breakfast and I happily accept.

"Sweetie, why don't you go home for a little bit" my mom suggests.

"Mom... I literally just got her back, I'm not taking any chances of losing her again" I explain.

"She's not going to die if you leave."

"She wouldn't even be here if it weren't for me. I'm not leaving" I huff and she throws her hands up. I eat my food in silence until my dad looks up from his book.

"Uh oh" he says and I look out the window where there were cameras and microphones and chaos ensuing outside.

"How the hell did they get up here" I ask a bit frustrated.

"I don't know but they're coming" my dad warns. I get up and stand outside the door as people rush up to me asking a bunch of questions.

"Who is in there?"
"Were you involved in a domestic situation?"
"Why have you missed the last three games?"
"Are you worried this will affect your play?"

Everyone talks at once and it gets overwhelming fairly quickly. I'm usually a chill dude but when it comes to McKayla there are no limits. I will do whatever I can to protect her.

"That girl in there, she's my whole world. She's bigger than the game of baseball, in fact she's the only reason I'm still alive. She is courageous and kind hearted and has been saving my ass since middle school. Not my stats or baseball will keep me from making sure she's going to be okay. There's so much you guys don't, nor will you ever, know because you're not my girlfriend or I. We've been through a lot already and I won't have you guys making these weak assumptions about her. She is a wholesome, brilliant, with a kind soul and deserves nothing but the respect she has earned" I conclude.

"Well are you going to find the person who did this" someone asks.

"That's not my concern right now. Yeah, it sucks this happened but the person wasn't trying to shoot us. I don't even believe they held a gun before that day. They were scared and wanted to get some help for their mother. I'm not going to go looking for this person, no matter what happens to them it won't heal my girlfriend. Do what you will with this information but the second I find something I don't like I will find you" I warn.

"When will you be back" another asks.

"When I can tell my girlfriend I love her again" I reply. With that I turn my back and walk back to the room. My mom closed the blinds and my dad was standing by the window. I fall back into the door and slide down before burying my face in my hands. As if this wasn't hard enough...

"Just breath" my mom says and I take deep breaths. I've only been mad like this once before and the only person who calmed me down was McKayla. I let out a scream as silence falls over the room. I can't do this. I get up and swing the door open and decide to go for a walk.

My feet hit the pavement hard as I roam the streets of Chicago. Why did this have to happen? Why her? I feel all this... anger. I was mad that she jumped in front of me, mad that the media found out, mad that her parents probably don't care, and I was mad that there was nothing I could do to help her. I know me staying there won't make her heal faster. I know that she won't just magically wake up and everything will be back to normal. But I don't have my voice of reason, my chill pill, my better half and that's why I feel like I'm losing it. Even when she wasn't with me I knew she would drop everything to be so if I needed her to. But she can't now and that's scary for me. I don't remember the last time I had to go through hardship without her by my side cheering me on. As I continue to walk I find myself at a familiar setting. I had somehow made it back to my apartment so I decided to at least get the mail.

I get inside and see dozens of flowers sitting on the counter. There were 'get well soon' cards everywhere and lots of baked goods from some of the wives and girlfriends. I smile as the place smelled like flowers. I decide to take a shower and change into shorts in a t-shirt. I look in my drawer and see a note hidden under my cloths with my name written in cursive on it. My parents have been staying in the spare so I'm not sure what it was. I open it and see a letter.

"Dear Breezy,

What's up? You're probably confused as to why I left a letter in your underwear drawer, and I'm happy to tell you that there is no good reason. When do I ever have a reason for anything I do? Right now you're taking a shower after a tough game against the Pirates and I'm kind of bored so I'm writing this like I used to do when we were kids, well younger kids at least. I just wanted to tell you I love you. If I haven't told you in a while then here's a reminder... I love you. Like a lot. I've considered many times going into the bathroom and turning your water to cold while writing this to you but never did because I love you that much, you should be grateful. You're welcome.

Remember sophomore year when I was freaking out about homecoming and I didn't know what to do with my makeup and you told me don't worry about it because I was already beautiful? You probably don't because that seems like such a little moment in your life, but that meant the world to me. And it only meant something because it came from you. I've always taken what you said to heart, luckily for me you always say the right things. To this day I still don't know how to do make up and now I'm blaming you, but thanks for always making me feel pretty.

Well I'm sure you'll be getting out the shower soon and we'll probably cuddle and watch a movie after arguing over which one to watch so I should go. No matter when or why you're reading this, remember that you mean the world to me. Nothing will change that. We're both rookies and we're both going to get through whatever life throws at us. You know why? Because we're Kris and Kayla, the dynamic duo.

-Love Always, McKayla"

I wipe away a tears as I fold the paper back up. Whenever she would stay at my house as kids she would leave things like this around for me to find. Sometimes it was encouragement if she knew I had a test coming up or reminding me that I'm a good baseball player. It meant a lot back then... but now it means everything. I tuck the note in my pocket and walk back to the hospital and see my parents sitting next to McKayla watching her breath. I open the door and their eyes shoot up to me. My mom doesn't say anything and just pulls me into a hug, I needed that in the worst way.

"We have some good news" she says and I sit down.

"The doctor says she will come off the breathing machine in two days. That doesn't mean she'll wake up but breathing on her own is the first step to her recovering" my mom informs me.

"That's awesome" I say with a sigh. This was actually huge and I'm just praying everything works out well.