When the Stars Align (Anthony Rizzo)

7| Life On The Ground

Kelsey

After hearing nothing but complaining from my brother for about a month now we finally get him out for a game. Isaiah was big into the baseball scene and the poor boys favorite team was the Cubs. He was never leaned towards one team or another and he had the choice to be a fan of anyone in the league, and he decided it had to be the lovable losers. Anthony would be one of the first to tell you that the team isn't going to do anything special this year. Professional sports is hard, luckily in a city like this it's a ride or die type of athletics. But to Isaiah none of that matters, he loves them anyway and he's been dying to get the tour and meet some of the players.

So Anthony meets up with us and takes us around the field. I let my brother get the one on one attention from Anthony and hear all about the field and the history. Isaiah soaks it up as he listens to Anthony talk about hitting and fielding and all that good stuff. He asks a million questions and Anthony stands toe to toe with him the whole way.

Eventually Anthony takes him to the cages and lets him hit around a little. He showed Isaiah where to hold the bat to get more power and where to put the ball on it for a higher hitting percentage. I smile big as I watch Anthony work with Isaiah hands on and so intensely. I've watched plenty of boys try to interact with my siblings to get me to like them more, but it was all orchestrated. I could tell from the first interaction when something wasn't genuine and so could Isaiah.

But Anthony with Isaiah, it was something else. He acted like that was his own little brother who was along his way in this world. He didn't talk down to him like he was some little kid, he talked to him like he mattered and that kind of stuff can't be faked.

"Good hit" Anthony cheers as Isaiah lays into a pitch. I see his face light up and it warms my heart.

"You're a lot more fun to play with than Cici" he admits and I gasp.

"Hey now! I'm the one that feeds you and takes you places and dresses you. I would watch what you say carefully" I warn.

"She has a point you know" Anthony agrees and I smile.

"I don't need someone else in my life who agrees with my sister all the time" Isaiah claims.

"Get used to it" I smirk.

They hit for a little while more before it was time for us to part ways. So I send Isaiah off with $20 to get us some food and drinks. I try to follow behind him but Anthony grabs my wrist and pulls me back. He quickly presses his lips to mine as my eyes slam shut. I realize his game he was playing and I was happy to oblige. We slowly break apart but he keeps his hold on me.

"You didn't think you were gonna get away that easy did you" he asks.

"I was hoping not" I smirk.

"I just wanted to let you know you have a very talented little brother. I can see him playing up here one day" he claims making me raise a eyebrow.

"Really" I wonder. "You're not just saying that because you like me?"

"I do like you, but I believe that your brother has some serious potential. Just a few hours with me and he was hitting like a major leaguer" he insists.

"Well I'm gonna have to tell him that so he keeps working hard. He's got some pretty big dreams" I admit.

"He's like his sister then" he notices.

"We're a pretty close family" I admit.

"You really love them, huh" he asks.

"More than anything. I never had a lot growing up, but I had enough. The love was abundant and the yes' were far more than the no's. I'm so thankful for this life, even though I don't know where this road leads" I say.

"Why are you always saying that? How do you not know where you life is going" he wonders and I freeze. I break eye contact as I look around.

"Because life here with my feet on the ground isn't going to be what I make it out to be.  I'm not up there among the stars where in free to make my path, I'm down here with everyone else and I live by their rules. There's rules and things that I can't control. Things that isn't my fault but I can't fix either.

I don't know where I'll end up. Sometimes things change and we have to change with it. We don't have to like it but we have to do it" I explain.

"You're a strong girl. I have a hard time believing that you don't have a say in your future" he claims.

"Life is funny like that. I know what matters when it comes down to it but not everyone else does. Once they figure it out, then I'll believe in the world down here. But until then I like to live among the clouds" I say.

"Are you ever going to tell me what all these cryptic messages mean" he wonders and I smile.

"Yeah, I will. But I need to make sure my family is happy first and foremost" I explain.

"You don't have to be your mother" he assures me and I smile.

"I'll never be my mother, but that's okay. I don't want to be my mother. I want to be me" I promise.

"And I want to be with you" he says softly as he runs his fingers through my hair.

"I'm right here" I assure him.

"For how long" he asks.

"As long as you keep me in your heart" I say.

"You're so lucky you're cute" he claims and I smile.

"Am I now" I ask and he nods.

I give him a kiss goodbye and go in search of my brother. He was going to meet the other guys after the game because we didn't mess with their focus beforehand. So he hands me my food and we sit in our seats. We hang out and enjoy the game. We were ever so lucky to have beautiful weather at the start of the summer, not too many storms or anything like that.

Eventually Anthony steps up to the on deck circle and Isaiah pops up. He starts to wave at Anthony from above the dugout and Anthony waves back. I hear Isaiah let out a gasp and I smile to myself. It might seem so small to Anthony, but to my little brother who doesn't have a lot of options right now this means the world.