✨It Doesn't Even Matter✨

It's More Than Just Baseball

Our Living Room (Allie's Perspective)
"Alright, I have amazing news!" Mom said with a smile.
"Is it a surprise?"
"Well, not really. But it has something to do with a sport."
"Football?"
"No, not everything has to be about football August," I said while rolling my eyes.
"Allison, if you're going to have an attitude you don't need to be here." I left and went upstairs to my room. I never wanted to go down there in the first place. I had a project to do and I wanted to get it out of the way.
"This is so annoying! I don't even know who this person is and I can't find information on them. What the heck am I supposed to do?!"
"Hey, Josh? I'm doing the project for Ms.Wilson, yeah. Mhm." I smiled and I turned around to see my Dad and Mom standing in front of me.
"I have to go. I'll text you."
"What is up with your attitude?"
"Nothing. I already knew what it was and I don't want to go."
"Why don't you want to go? Tell me."
"Because I don't. You five can just go."
"I never said you were staying home. As far as I know, you're still going young lady." Why won't he just let me stay home? What's the point of forcing me to go if I don't want to? I don't understand parents at all. They don't get anything.
"You can stay in your room until further notice." I didn't mind staying in here, to be honest. My room is the comfiest place on earth. I actually just had it done again I'm not sure why though. But I love it. It's full of fluffy rugs and pillows. It makes me happy.
"Allie, I think you're in big trouble."
"What makes you say that Amaya?"
"They're talking about the oven downstairs again. Our ovens work fine." I laughed and she sat down on the bed.
"Why don't you want to go to baseball?"
"Just because."
"Is it an older girl thing? I'm older now you know?!"
"No, it's not like that. I'm just not really interested in going there. I'd rather watch it on tv or something like that."
"Is it because of the cameras?"
"Eh not really. At this point, they don't really bother me anymore. It's just a camera."
"Me too. I have to go do my homework now. Stay out of trouble!"
"Totally." She's nice when she wants to be.
*************
Levain Bakery (Mariska's Perspective)
"These cookies are to die for! Are they not?" Allison shrugged and sipped her tea.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She said coldly. She didn't even study the cookies I bought her and looked out the storefront as people approached our table.
"I'm so sorry is it okay if we get a picture?"
"Yes, it's okay."Allie smiled and then continued to drink her tea. I wasn't sure what was bothering her at the moment, but I'd find out sooner or later.
"Allie?"
"Yeah? I'm okay."
"No, you're not. Is this about baseball?"
"What about it? I don't really care. I'm happy for you but I don't want to go."
"Why?"
"It doesn't really intrigue me."
"We barely get to go out as a family hun."
"Yeah, I know. I'll go next time."
"You know Allie, one day you'll regret not going." She didn't reply and I just sighed hopelessly. What am I to do about this? Why won't she just talk to me about it? We wrapped up in Levains and started to walk towards Andrew's friends' house. Allie was listening to music on her phone as we walked there.
"What?"
"Nothing. Just keep listening to your music."
"I'm not sure what you want me to talk to you about. You make everything weird when you keep staring at me like that. That's why I don't want to tell you anything. You make everything weird." She admitted.
"Sounds like you've had that in your mind for a very long time."
"Because it's true! You keep treating me like some baby all the time, watching my every move, and staring me down waiting for me to answer the way you would when I was like 7. I just want you to leave me alone! I hate talking to you!"
"Allison, stop being like this and talk to me calmly."
"I'm not being dramatic you're so annoying and I hate it." I've never been so verbally attacked by my own child before and it hurt terribly.
"I just wish instead of you treating me like I'm Amaya's age, you'd treat me like the age I'm going to be!"
***********
Allison's School (Peter's Perspective)
Every single time there is a conflict between Mariska and Allison, I have to clean up the mess. You see, girls tend to be unintentionally stubborn towards coming to a resolution and usually I have to help them come to get her and move on.
"Hey, Dad."
"Hi."
"Where's everyone else?"
"After school activities. You don't have dance or therapy today, so I thought that we'd have a little father-daughter date."
"Sounds like a good idea. Where are we going, Dad?"
"You tell me." She stood and thought for a long moment before coming up with an answer.
"Can we just go to Starbucks and then get dinner?"
"Of course." We went in and she ordered for the both of us. We waited to the side for our ordered and I decided to start up a little conversation.
"So how was school?"
"Okay. There was an assembly because some of the grade is in the reds for their grades, and 7th grade is the most important year for high school."
"I hope you're not one of those people."
"I'm in the blue. I want to go to a good public school! Maybe, something like Stuyvesant or Brooklyn Tech."
"Hold your horses. I'm not sure about you going to a public school."
"Why?"
"I want you kids in a more controlled environment, some of those kids in public school are rowdy."
"Not all of them Dad."
"I know, but some of them are."
"Allie, Peter?" We grabbed our drinks and sat down at the table.
"You don't want a snack, honey?"
"No thank you!" She smiled and looked at me.
"I wanted to ask you what happened with your Mom the other day. Is everything alright?"
"Oh, that. Daddy, sometimes I feel like you guys treat me like I'm a baby and I'm almost thirteen! I'm not a little kid anymore!" She said politely.
"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but sometimes I don't want to be babied. I don't want you to talk to me like I'm a little kid all of the time anymore!"
"I hear you, sweetheart."
"You guys have been saying that to me a lot lately. Are you even listening?"
"I am listening. It's just that your Mother and I find it hard. We adopted you when you were about 8 years old. We haven't had many of those kid bonding moments we did with everyone else. It's going to take us a while but we will start to treat you more maturely if that's what you want. It's something that M and I will work on. Okay? But that doesn't give you any right to be rude to any of us either."
"I hear you."
"I'm glad that we could have a mature discussion about this. I'm proud of you." I put up my hand and she gave me a high five.
"Thanks, sweetheart. I love you."
"Love you too, Dad."
************
MetLife Stadium (Mariska's Perspective)
It hurt a lot to not have my eldest daughter here, but I made a commitment and I'm going to live up to it. I walked out to the field to deliver the first pitch. I had been practicing for a while to perfect this. 3....2...1 I threw the baseball and it was perfect. It was just right.
"Thank you, so much. God bless you."
"Mama, that was really good."
"Thank you, sweet boy."
"Yeah, we're proud of you!"
"These flowers are beautiful Amaya!" I gave my three kids a hug and Peter a kiss. Though Allison wasn't here and I was sad about that, I still managed to have an amazing time with the three kids that are with me and that's what matters. Allison's getting older and she needs privacy, and Peter and I need to give that to her.