When the Stars Align (Anthony Rizzo)

24| Love Bug

Anthony

I'm a big guy, I'm known for my toughness and resilience on and off the field. I've been in the majors since 2012 and I'm still one of the larger guys on the baseball player spectrum. I had played many many sports growing up and I had to make sure I was fit for all of them. So when I get hurt I usually push through it. I usually say suck it up buttercup and do everything I can to stay in the game. No pain no gain and all that other good stuff.

But when I'm sick I am one of the biggest wimps ever known to mankind. I know it. I'm whiny and weak and I can't do simple things I should be able to do. I don't know why I'm like this, I just am.

So when I woke up with a cough yesterday I got a little on edge. When my nose started running and I was really tired I took notice. Then the fever and vomiting came and I crashed like a little kid after his first Red Bull. Then I knew I was in it for the long run and that if I don't get better soon I might have my parents fly out to help me get better.

Instead I end up staying home and Kelsey takes a few days off to help take care of me since I was so weak and so tired. I felt awful for taking her away from her job and getting money to help her family, but she assures me she's always been good with money and that everything outside of here is taken care of. She insists she wants to be here to taking care of me and I sure as hell wasn't going to say no. I probably wasn't going to be able to take care of myself and this is the longest in terms of consecutive hours we've got to be together since we started dating.

"Here. My dad always made me this when I was a kid and I got sick" she says placing a bowl in my lap.

"What are you trying to say" I ask through a stuffy nose.

"Shut up and eat your food" she demands. I laugh as she picks the spoon up and gets a spoon full of food for me. She moves it over to feed me but the bowl starts to drop off my lap. She catches the bowl but spills the contents of the spoon onto her lap.

"Hijo de puta que está caliente" she yells and my eyes go big. She sits there and tries to get the soup out of her shorts and clean up the mess I accidentally made.

"Wait wait wait... you speak Spanish" I question a bit surprised to learn something new about my long time girlfriend.

"My dad came over from Brazil not speaking a lick of English, of course I know Spanish" I insist.

"How did he fall in love with your mom so quickly if he didn't even know what she was saying" I wonder.

"He says he understood what she said because of her eyes. And that was enough for him to know that she was the one" she explains.

"I know the feeing" I admit and she smiles.

"Alright, I gotta clean this up. Eat" she insists.

"I like it better when you feed me" I insist

"Well you're gonna have to be a big boy and do it all by yourself while I get this all cleaned up" she tells me. I let out a loud huff but properly feed myself and make sure I keep the bowl on my lap this time.

She cleans it all up and gets me a drink to take with my medicine. After I take it I lay down on the couch and lay my head in her lap. She runs her fingers through my hair and I smile.

"Can you sing me a song to make me feel better" I ask.

"Is there a "toughen up" song" she asks.

"Noooo. I want something sweet. Did your dad sing to you when you were sick? Because hearing you speak Spanish is kind of really hot" I admit and she laughs.

"No. But my mom sang me a song every time I was sick or sad or scared. And it always made me feel better" she insists.

"Please sing it to me" I beg.

"Alright. But you can't say anything about my singing voice" she threatens.

"Well you can't be worse than me" I assure her.

She clears her throat and I roll over so I was looking up at her. She closes her eyes and I had a feeling that this was probably about to cure me.

"Fly me to the moon
Let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On a-Jupiter and Mars

In other words, hold my hand
In other words, baby, kiss me
Fill my heart with song and
Let me sing forever more."

I feel the tears start to form in my eyes as I listen to her angelic voice passes my ears. I don't know what she was talking about when she said not to judge her singing, if Simon Cowell heard her he would have signed her to a contract himself on the spot. I swear I have never heard anything so powerful and so pretty. So far today I've learned that my girlfriend is bilingual, at least with the cuss words, and a gifted singer. And it wasn't even noon yet.

"You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you

Fill my heart with song
Let me sing forever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and I adore
In other words, please be true
In other words
In other words, I love you."

I wipe away a tear that fell and she finally opens her eyes. She looks down at me in my emotional state and she starts to giggle.

"Were you crying" she asks.

"Maybe" I whimper.

"Why are you crying" she questions.

"Because that song was really beautiful and your voice was the most amazing thing I've ever known" I insist.

"That's not true" she accuses.

"It's very true. That was the first time I could hear clearly all week and my head feels better. You're so good at singing that you're curing me. Sing again" I demand.

"I'm not gonna..." she trails off. I give her puppy eyes and she lets out a long sigh. "Alright, one more time but that's it" she insists.

"Deal" I smile.