Whatever Occurs: Life, Love, and Loss

Up to Bat

"Kaylaaaaaaaaaaaaa," Ethon says to you in a singsong voice. You wake up.

"Are we there?" You ask.

"Yes, we're in Centralia."

"Damn, that was the shortest four hours of my life."

You get out of the car and unload it. Ethon brings out the lawn chairs while you bring out the cooler with the snacks inside. You shut the trunk. You and Ethon walk onto the field where Malyssa and Jeremy greet you.

You put down the cooler while you embrace. You hug Jeremy as well.

You see Beaudry and Spencer around the corner of the fence. You wrap your arms around them as well.

You whisper, "kick some ass for me, okay?"

"We will," Spencer scoffs, "we won't let you down!"

You walk toward Ethon, pick the cooler back up, and you both look for a place to sit. You manage to find a shady spot to set the lawn chairs down.

You overhear Malyssa talking to Louisa about why she isn't playing. "Jeremy and I are five months pregnant with our third child together, so I don't want to harm him."

"It's a boy?!" Louisa asks.

"It is a boy!"

"What do you want to name him?"

"Reider Matthew Cox."

Louisa nods.

The whistle blows for the softball team to go onto the field. Louisa springs right up off the bench, runs to the field, and high fives her teammates as she darts by. Everyone else does the same. Malyssa shouts out as the softball players are introduced. You try to shut it out.

She then goes up to sing the National Anthem. You listen as her angelic voice exerts over the microphone and out of the speakers. You seem to hear the eerie silence of angels as they shut their mouths to hear her. When she finishes, you hug her and compliment her voice, as usual. She blushes and says thank you.

The players then get into their positions. "Let's play ball!" Jeremy yells excitedly. Louisa is first up to bat.

The pitcher who goes by Shay Williamson throws a curve ball at one hundred three miles per hour. Louisa makes a loud "SMACK!" As she swings and hits the ball into the stands. She darts for first base, then makes for the very first home run of the game.

Her foot slides onto home plate and she ends up doing the splits.

"Are you okay Louisa?!" I scream out.

She gets up right away and dabs. Everyone laughs, including you. The next person up to bat is your oldest granddaughter, Carissa Venston Delaney.

You spike right up and yell, "GO KILL 'EM, CARISSA LEIGHAN!"

She looks your way, smiles, and says, "I will!"

Carissa practices her swing before she eventually prepares for the pitch. Shay throws a fastball of one hundred one miles per hour. Carissa swings a tad late and misses.

"Hogwash," she mouths.

Lexi Jordanson, the umpire, throws the ball back to Shay. She pitches the ball again. Carissa makes a loud "CRACK!" With the bat and sprints for first base.

Beaudry's wife, Khloey Delaney, gets up and jogs to home plate after Carissa runs to second base. She shuffles her feet to secure her footing, grips the bat very tightly, and prepares for a last second screwball. She knocks it right out of the ball park on the first try, sprints towards all the bases, and makes for a home run.

You lose all track after that.

Then you hear that the "Hitwomen" win the game after a short seventh inning. When you hear that Carissa scored the winning point, you run up to her to congratulate her. The rest of the Hitwomen dump a big bucket of Gatorade on her.