When the Stars Align (Anthony Rizzo)

74| The Way The Wind Blows

Anthony

We spend the day of the Fourth of July playing a good old baseball game and many days after that playing again. We have to wait for off day to throw a Independence Day party because the guys wanted to drink and doing that on days we play games or the night before isn't the best idea. So at 4 everyone has to switch to water for tomorrow's game, but other than that we're cooking out and listening to music and having fun all day today. Our backyard was pretty open and we're trying to get some things out on the deck but haven't gotten around to it quite yet. But no one seemed to mind, it made us all talk to each other and it made us closer. We just sit around and talk and no one had their phones out. We could just hang out for once, no baseball, just good friends and beautiful families.

"What do you know about grilling" Dexter teases as he comes over to me. I had just bought this beast of a grill and I was dying to break it in.

"I know a lot about grilling, actually" I assure him. I was a Florida man after all, I grilled three times a week back home.

"What do we got here" he questions as he sticks his face way too close to the grill. The hot dogs and brats sizzle as he wipes the greases that popped in his face.

"Food" I joke and he sends me a glare.

"Good thing you already got the dad humor" he accuses me.

"I gotta start somewhere" I smirk.

"Well you have that and the fact that your totally going to embarrass her every chance you have going for you. And you can't tell yourself you won't, but then you'll see her cheeks and just have to kiss them and you'll see her walking away and can't help but pull her back into a hug in front of her friends. It's inevitable" he promises.

"I don't even care. She's holding my hand until she's legal enough to drink. She's forever going to be my little girl and I will always kiss her cheeks" I insist.

"Yeah, you're going to be alright" he smiles.

I man the grill while I watch out over the backyard pretty proud of this life I was able to create. It's not every day we can get together like this. But with us being so close and always hanging out on the road it's great to be with our significant others and hang out here in Chicago. We can be normal for once and have some good wholesome fun together.

"Hey babe, I'm gonna take Naya up to the roof" Kelsey says as she shows me Dexters daughters hand she was holding. The little girl had the biggest smile on her face as she looked up at Kelsey. She was still just a toddler but quite popular around the guys. She needed help walking most times and doesn't know many words but she's such a firecracker. I loved her and I'm happy I could watch her grow up.

"You mind if I join" I ask and she laughs at me.

"You're actually going to leave the grill" she teases and I nod.

"For you and Naya and the sky I will" I admit.

"Awww. Look at you taking off your big boy pants" she smiles.

"Yeah yeah. Get Jon over here because he's the only one I trust behind my grill" I beg.

Jon takes over the grill and I grab Kelsey and take her and Naya up to the roof. The little girl finds a spot where she can have the best view and lays right down, like she knew exactly what to do. Kelsey lays down next to her and her belly sticks up in the air. I just watch them for a second because I knew how special this moment was for her. She did the same thing with her mom, she spent so many days out here like this getting lost in the clouds. And Naya was basically her god daughter with how much they hang out and how much she's taken to her with having a little girl of her own.

"You see that cloud" Kelsey asks Naya as she points to the sky. "That cloud is free. Right now it looks like a puppy and the next minute it's going to look like hammer. There's no mold for the clouds in the sky, they're forever changing, forever free, and always beautiful. You, Naya, you're a cloud. You don't know this yet, you don't understand what it means to be a cloud in this sky full of nothing but rain at times. But you're a cloud, you're going to change who you are as you will dance among the sky. And you don't mean to change, but the winds change and you have to change with them. People are you going to tell you that's a bad thing, that you're changing and that they don't like it. But those people don't want you to change because they're afraid that the person you're becoming is someone special without them. But there's no two clouds alike, don't try to be like some other cloud. They'll change too and all you're going to be is who they used to be. Be the best cloud you can be" she tells her. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I watched them. She was going to be such an incredible mother.

I take a picture of them before joining them on the ground in their gazing of the sky. Chicago always seemed to have the prettiest skies you've ever seen. And we had the best view in the whole city.

I reach over and softly grab Kelsey's hand. She takes no time lacing her fingers through mine and scooting in closer. She brings Naya with her and we just kinda exist together.

"What do you want to be when you get older" I ask Naya.

"Mommy" she says and I smile.

"You want to be a mom" I laugh.

"Yes" she answers assuredly.

"I like that, a lot. I think your parents would like that a lot too" I admit.

"Aliya for sure will" Kelsey admits.

"We should probably get her to her parents. Not sure how they feel about us spending forever on the roof with their kid" I insist.

"No, stay" Naya insists.

"Hey now" Kelsey starts as she pulls Naya into her side. "The sky will always be there for you. Every day, every night it is there for you. Your world will always have a sky and no matter how dark and no matter how cloudy, it'll be there for you. Even when it feels like no one else is" Kelsey promises.