Read It And Weep (Anthony Rizzo)

Twenty Two~ Bigger Than Baseball

Anthony

As it gets into the later parts of July the team was starting to really come together. Pitching was good, hitting was good. We were looking to add a few pieces but for the most part this was a new Cubs team with new standards. We expected to win and the fans expected us to win.

But there's more to life than baseball. There's so much more to it. I've seen it myself and while I might not have found my romantic partner to spend the rest of my life with, a lot of other parts of my life is fulfilled.

I lay in bed just going through my phone trying to keep up with the times. I don't really need to know about pop culture but it wouldn't hurt to try and stay with it. Especially with things that happen around the league.

I see my phone start to ring and it's a number I didn't have saved to my phone. Usually my agent handles all the important calls so whenever someone calls me and I don't have their number saved I don't often answer it. But something in my gut told me to pick up the phone.

"Hello" I grumble trying to wake up some more.

"Anthony" the person on the other line asks.

I freeze once I realized that I recognized the voice. "Hannah" I ask.

"Yeah, it's me" she says softly. "Are you busy right now" she asks.

"Umm no, I'm not" I admit.

"You know Manny is having surgery today. And I know you are going to hang out with him when's out later on tonight but I was wondering if you could come to the hospital for a little" she asks.

"Of course. Is everything okay" I question.

"Yeah. I just... I need someone and I didn't know who else to turn to. My grandparents think that he's dying and he's not going to wake up so I don't have a lot of people who I trust with these kinds of things.

I get if you don't want to-" she starts.

"I'll be there in thirty minutes" I cut her off. I sit up in bed as the line falls silent.

"Are you sure? Because I know you have a game today and baseball players are painfully unable to change their pre game schedules" she claims causing me to laugh.

"Yeah, I know. But this is bigger than baseball and I want to be there for you. Anyway I promised Manny to watch over you when he can't" I explain.

"I watch over him. I don't know what he's told you but that's not how that goes" she explains.

Of course she wasn't going to let me think he took care of her, she practically raised herself and him. "You might be the one who helped raised him and helped him through high school and college. But he's the one who reminds you that there is more to life than being good at what you love, so in a way he takes care of you" I say.

"Don't make me regret calling you" she threatens.

"Alright alright I'll lay off. Let me get changed and grab something to eat and I'll be there" I tell her.

"Text me when you're here and I'll let you know where I'll be" she explains.

We hang up and I quickly run to the bathroom. I brush my teeth and do my hair so it doesn't look like I just rolled out of bed. I pull on a cubs shirt and Nike pants before grabbing a bagel then heading to the hospital. I find Hannah sitting by herself looking out the window and sigh.

I didn't even know what to say to her. That's a weird feeling for me, I'm usually pretty good at this. But for a while she had nothing and didn't ask for anything. What do you tell a girl who doesn't want anything from you but still wants you? I didn't make any sense.

I finally walk over to her and sit down next to her. She turns to me and I can see the worry on her face. "How is he doing" I wonder.

"He was nervous but he got through pre-op pretty well. He went back not too long ago so now we wait" she sighs.

"Where's your grandparents" I ask.

"They're at home getting some rest. They didn't sleep at all last night they were so worried. They think he's giving up everything in his throat. I tried to explain to them it's just a gland but there's no explaining this to them. So Manny made them promise to stay far away from him today so they won't make him more nervous" she says.

"Well I'm here. Do you need me to do anything for you" I wonder.

She lets out the sigh she's been keeping in as she shakes her head. "No. I just needed someone" she admits.

I smile to myself because it was actually kind of sweet. She puts on this show like she's some big bad independent woman... and she is. But she's passionate like me and people need other people to confide in. And I feel lucky that someone as strong as her wanted me around to help her.

So I reach over and grab her hand. I hold it tight letting her know that I got her and I wasn't going to let her go through this alone. She suddenly rests her head on my shoulder and I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. If I thought I liked her before, I know I do now. And even if she had feelings for me I don't think she could ever tell me. Too afraid that it will mess up everything she's worked for. And I get it. Why she's so sheltered and why she doesn't let people in. I can't imagine how she feels. I can't think up the terrible things she must know.

All I know is that she needs someone.

And I'm that someone.

So we sit there for a while not saying a word. In our own little world we find a little bit of peace in this awful situation. I just try to be strong and be what she needs the most right now.

"Hey Anthony" she asks.

"Yeah Hannah" I reply.

"I'm scared" she admits.

She turns to look at me with tears in her eyes. And before one can drop I wipe it away. "It's okay to be scared. You're so used to having control and this is out of our hands. That's scary.

But sometimes all we can do is have a little faith in the world. Trust that things will work out as they should and that we will be able to keep moving on" I explain.

"I don't want to move on without him" she whispers. "He's all I have."

"He's not all you have" I argue.

She stares right through me as she starts to sniffle. "What are you talking about" she asks.

"I'm here for you whenever you need me. You got my number now so I want you to use it whenever you feel like it. I know you don't like to ask for help. But I hate to see you sad even more. So please... whenever you're feeling like you need someone call me" I beg.

"Why? Why do you care so much" she questions.

"I don't know" I shrug. "I just do."