How to Save A Life (Anthony Rizzo)

55- Never Letting You Go

Anthony

It was hot. May usually isn't this hot in Chicago but it looks like summer was gracing us early this year. And coming from Florida this kind of weather makes me reminiscent. All the hot days, which was basically every day, playing out in a baseball field or with my brother in the back yard. Baseball season was all year around down there.

I stand in my relatively new backyard with my shirt off wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. I feel the sun rays hit my skin and I soak up as much vitamin D as I could. It's not a lot of times I could just hang out in the backyard so I was going to make the most of it.

But I wasn't back here to play around or get a tan, no, I decided to put a little garden in the backyard next to Maddie's dog house right along the house. I already made a little patch for the flowers surrounded by bricks to be filled with some color and good smells, mostly daisies like Clara's Dad did for her mom.

When she told me that story about how her dad would always give her mom a flower I realized that she had this absurd vision of what love is supposed to be. It wasn't wrong, but it definitely isn't something that happens to everyone who falls in love. She saw her parents be what love is supposed to be in a couple then watched them die and that love died too. She saw what Eddie did to her every day claiming he loved her and thought that is what love really is, even though her parents were right the whole time.

So I wanted to make this garden to remind her that we shared a love worth holding on to. That a guy can still look at his girl like the prettiest flower in the garden every single time he sees her. And then he has no problem reminding her that he will pick the best flower every time, and it's always going to be her.

So I started on this garden and hoped to get it done before the day was over. I try to come out here before the sun is right above us but it doesn't always work out that way, especially when we have a night game and I don't have any obligations until about 4.

Maddie and I dig up the soil inside the bricks and get some of the flowers in. She was quite the hard working little dog, I'm not even sure she knows she's not like other dogs anymore. Once she warmed up to us she was always with me or Clara at all times. She's become my three legged best friend and a damn good gardening dog too. And right as the sun gets its hottest we had all the flowers in and could water them. Help them bloom and grow into the prettiest flowers they could possibly be.

"How's it going" Clara asks.

"It's going great. We're just about done out here" I inform her.

"Good, because I really want you to get out of this heat" she claims.

"Am I worrying you" I tease.

"A little. It's really hot out here and you have a game later" she says.

"Alright. Let me finish watering the flowers and I'll come in" I say.

"Okay" she nods before turning around and heading to go back inside.

"Are you feeling hot" I wonder and she turns back around.

"No" she claims.

"Oh, because you look hot" I say and she scoffs. "I think you need to cool off" I insist and she glares at me.

"What do you mean" she asks.

I take the hose that was I was using to water the flowers and quickly spray her with some water. She lets out a loud gasp before falling into a fit of laughter.

"Tony" she screeches and I just smile.

"Much better" I tease.

"Oh you're so going to pay for that" she claims. 

"You're too sweet of a person to do anything" I remind her. 

"Not to spit in your food" she threatens and I laugh.

"Love youuuu" I sing song. She stops ringing her hair out to smile at me as she lets out a little laugh.

"I love you too."

Eventually I finish up with the garden and go inside for a drink. I walk into the kitchen to rehydrate and before I even get to the fridge I become drenched with freezing cold water. And I mean freezing cold. I let out a yelp and open my eyes to see Clara there holding a sprayer from the sink.

"Now we're even" she claims as she puts the sprayer back.

I quickly wrap my arms around her and she lets out a screech. I nuzzle my face into her neck so the water got on her too.

"Ah! You're all wet" she giggles.

"And that's your fault" I remind her.

"Let me go" she demands.

"Never" I say. "I'm never going to let you go."

She stops fussing in my arms and turns around so she can look at me. I look into her eyes and those turquoise balls of glass stares back at me.

"I'm never letting you go" I repeat and she quickly presses her lips to mine. My eyes slam shut as her lips move with mine aggressively. Her fingers dig into my bare back as I pull her hips against mine. Well the best I could with a belly in between us. The scent of her perfume fills my head as we continue to kiss.

Unfortunately we break apart as she smirks up at me.

"Wait. Where are you going" I pout.

"To change my top because thanks to you it's all wet... again" she says.

"That's not fair" I whine.

"I know" she winks.

She leaves me there to pout in my spot as she disappears up the stairs. I just shake my head with the biggest smile on my face.

I grab my drink and hydrate myself before I hop in the shower. I change for the game and go to look for Clara but I couldn't find her anywhere. I hear Maddie bark in the back and assume she was back there.

I go out back and find Clara standing in front of the garden. She had a grey tank top on and my blue jersey over it, her baby bump sticking out for the world to see. She rested her hand on it as she looks over the flowers.

"Do you like them" I ask and she scoffs.

"I always loved flowers. This garden reminds me of the one my dad had. He loved taking care of things, me, my mom, the garden. He was a caretaker and he was a damn good one. I'm sure those flowers are still going back at the old house" she claims.

"Special things like that always seem to last longer than they should" I admit.

"That's the power of love" she smiles.