When the Stars Align (Anthony Rizzo)

33| Walk Off

Anthony

After Kelsey and I finally make it to Florida I show her around my home town. Parkland wasn't all that big, there was plenty of other places around here that were way more interesting. But to me this was home, I got drafted from the one high school here and it's usually where I come back to when I'm done playing ball with the excuse of this off-season.

It comes time for the walk off for cancer event which was just a short 3k to raise money for cancer through my foundation. We've been doing this for two years now and we've done pretty good for ourselves. We're not over here single handedly finding the cure to cancer, but we're doing everything we can to help out these kids who are having their innocence taken away. Every cent helps and we make sure it all goes where it's needed. No one in my family sees a dime of the proceeds and I usually use my own money for the t shirts and renting places or things are donated to help us out. There isn't much I won't do or wouldn't use to help out the people who need it. My family instilled that mind frame in me at a young age and it's only grown since then.

"Alright, are all the helpers here" I ask and my mom nods. People were running around trying to figure out where they're supposed to be.

"Yep. The walkers should be arriving from now until 9 this morning" she explains and I nod too.

"Perfect. Where's my brother" I wonder.

"He and Kelsey went to the check in table to drop off the last of the shirts" she says and my eyes go big.

"You left him alone with Kelsey" I whine as she just blows me off.

"You're going to be fine. There's nothing that boy can say that was worse than what your idiotic father said to her" she insists.

"Hey" my dad protests from beside her. His arms crossed over his chest as he sends his wife a innocent glare.

"Oh sweetie, you know I love you. But you almost broke up a happy couple because of something none of us can control. That was pretty idiotic" she insists.

"She has a point" I agree.

"Alright, alright. I get it. Why is Kelsey the only one who has let that go" he mumbles.

"Because she's a great girl who doesn't like holding grudges. But I have nothing better to do" I tease as he rolls his eyes.

I finally find my girlfriend and join her in handing out shirts and checking people in. We had about 500 people here today which is exciting. This little old town just got a little more exciting as people poor in to support me and my cause.

Eventually some of my hometown friends come out to help out. I introduce my friends to Kelsey who they already knew all about. I haven't stopped talking about her since we first started dating so literally everyone knew who she was. But this is the first time they all met.

"Holy hell dude, that is one sexy girl" my friend Thomas whistles as we watch her help someone find something.

"Don't I know it" I agree.

"So what's the catch" he asks and I look at him weird.

"What do you mean" I wonder.

"Like what's wrong with her? Does she snore? does she not know how to do laundry? Is she allergic to chocolate" he spit fires but I just laugh.

"No, none of that. She's kinda perfect" I admit and he scoffs.

"There's no such thing" he accuses.

"There's not. But everything she's not and everything she is, is perfect. Everything she does is perfect. She tries harder than anyone else I know and there's not a soul on this earth that I know who doesn't love her. She gives more than she will ever receive and she always does it with the biggest smile on her face. There's not a thing her eyes couldn't see for the better. I couldn't say a single bad thing about her if you paid me to" I assure him.

"Damn dude, she's got you good" he insists and I nod.

"Yeah, she could ask for anything in this world and I would give it to her. But all she ever wants is my love and my time" I explain.

"Where can I find me one of those" he jokes.

"I hit mine upside of the head with a baseball so I wouldn't take anything out of the equation" I insist and he laughs.

"I still can't believe you did that. And that she's your girlfriend now" he claims.

"It's pretty crazy. But this world works in mysterious ways. I never thought I would meet the girl of my dreams in a training room after knocking her unconscious, yet here I am" I shrug.

"Well I'm happy for you. You guys seem really happy" he admits and I just smile.

"We really are."

It comes time for the walk to start so we head to the starting line. Everyone had their shirts on and was ready to raise some awareness for pediatric cancer. I get handed a microphone and I have my family around me as we address the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming out for such a good cause this morning" I start. "Never did I think that I would be able to make a difference in this world. Not in basbeball and not outside of it. But this is the greatest thing I've been able to achieve. And I'm lucky because I get to do this with the greatest people I've ever known in my family and my girlfriend Kelsey. I can't thank you all enough for helping me make a child's life a little bit better and a little bit longer. I can't do this without all of you" I say.

We start to walk and I walk hand in hand with Kelsey. I talk to some of the families I've gotten close to down here and we talk about how great of a turnout this was. After walking people were free to help themselves to the food that we provided then they can go off to their regular days. I decide to help my mom out in cleaning up and seeing just how well we did.

"I'm proud of you" she says randomly and I look at her weird.

"What did I do" I question.

"Its not of what you do but of who you are. You are more than a baseball player, more than a cancer survivor. You're making a difference in the world and you're doing it with your heart. And for that I am proud of you" she claims.

I pull her into a sentimental hug and just smile as big as ever.

"Thank you momma. That means the world coming from you" I admit.

"Any time, big man."