Riptide: A Christian Yelich Story

Thirty-One

"Christian, it's too much to try to hide much longer," Amelia informed her husband while glaring down at her stomach, her bump noticeably protruding as she sat in the passenger seat of his car. "Why can't you just tell the team? They're going to find out eventually anyway. It's better if they find out directly from you."

Christian sighed, running a hand through his hair while the other clutched the steering wheel. "It's just . . . I don't want any drama. We're doing so well . . ."

Amelia looked at him incredulously. "What does that even mean? How is your wife being pregnant dramatic? Last time I checked this is a perfectly normal development in an adult relationship, especially one that involves marriage."

Christian shook his head. "No, no, no. That's not what I meant. I don't want to create any drama for you. You know how the guys talk. Plus, with everything we've been through, I just want to keep this close. I don't want to do any damage."

"We've had a baby before. It was fine. It'll be fine. Just tell them. I don't want to hide this from Travis and Lindy any longer."

"Babe, it'll be all over social media in a matter of minutes, and I don't want you to have to deal with any of those comments right now. I want you to just be able to relax. Additional stress isn't good for you."

"Are you being serious? You can't protect me from the world, Christian. Plus, I'm a subject matter expert at handling fangirls and mean, snarky comments. You know that."

"Not right now," Christian said, his tone sounding final.

"Then I'll do it myself," Amelia scoffed.

"Come on, Mils. Let's just wait until the season is over. It's only another week. We can announce after the holidays . . . After we tell our families." He reached over and put a hand on her thigh, but she brushed it off – gently, but still a rejection.

"I'm telling Travis," she declared.

"Can we talk about this later?" Christian asked. "Let's just go check out this house," he muttered, pulling into the driveway of a tacky McMansion in the Milwaukee suburbs that Amelia already hated.

"I hate it," she seethed.

"You haven't even seen it," Christian countered.

"We don't need a house this big. This is just wasteful. Plus, it's boring. And too new." She got out of the car. The bickering pair walked to the front porch, where their realtor, Maggie, was wearing a big, fake smile.

"So, what do you guys think of the outside? Great curb appeal, huh?"

"We don't want it," Amelia said. "Can you show us something smaller? Maybe not so far outside the city? Maybe with some cream cream city brick and built-ins? Something charming that has four bedrooms but doesn't exceed 3,000 square feet? A decent backyard, but not something that requires an extensive amount of upkeep?"

"Babe, come on, let's just see it," Christian practically whined.

"This isn't what I want, Christian," she said straightforwardly. "Not at all. I just don't see building my family in a sterile place like this."

Christian looked into her pleading eyes. "Can you please show us houses with all the requirements she just listed?" he asked Maggie, a grin now on his face.

Amelia could tell Maggie wanted to protest, because a smaller house meant a smaller commission, but she knew she was dealing with a professional baseball player, so she remained sugary and composed. "Oh, of course, Mr. Yelich. I know just the place."

***

"I love it. This is it. This is our new Milwaukee home," Amelia declared after a tour of a charming, older Wauwatosa two story.  Wauwatosa was the perfect suburb for them – still in Milwaukee County, a lot of young families, good schools if the babies needed to enroll. Plus, it was exactly 3,000 square feet, had five bedrooms and three baths, and fit their space requirements perfectly. It was the ideal upgrade from their condo.

"I guess we're taking it," Christian informed Maggie. "Let's put in an offer."

"Lovely," the blonde, bright-smiled realtor replied. Amelia could tell she was annoyed to only be selling a $450,000 house. She thought an MVP could bring her a lot more, but Amelia liked to keep things relatively simple, and she loved the allure of long-standing homes.

"My baby girl always gets what she wants," Christian said, beaming at his wife.

Amelia rolled her eyes at Christian trying to kiss her ass, but she gave him a sweet kiss regardless. "Thank you," she said softly, almost forgetting she was mad at him for a moment. "But you're still in trouble, Mr. Yelich."

"We'll discuss my punishment later," Christian said with a devious smirk.

The realtor didn't exist in their world. All that mattered was growing their family in a space that they loved. Happy. Together. Inseparable.