Happily Ever After

Sixty Six~ Batting Cages

Kris

After a few weeks with me in Mesa, Jenna has to head back to Chicago for work. And of course Mary goes with because they can't be away from each other. Mary just started being able to spend the night without having a parent call Jenna to come be  picked up. Jenna was where her heart was and I can't blame the kid. She might love me but Jenna was her person and nothing I do will ever change that.

So that leaves me alone at training camp as the spring training games start up. It sucks because everyone else has their family here with them and I'm all alone. But I'm proud of Jenna and what she has been able to do. There's few people who can handle dating someone in the MLB and working their own jobs, especially considering a baseball season is forever long so she never really does have a off season. But if there's one person who can get through this and look good doing it, it's going to be her.

Since the girls were gone and I had nothing better to do I hit the batting cages in my free time when I know I can't FaceTime with Jen. Baseball was always my go to when I was down or didn't know what to do. So I find myself a cage and machine and load up as many balls as I can. I take a few hacks before I hear the door open and someone walk in. I see my buddy Anthony Rizzo come in with his bats hanging off his shoulder and smile. I know he is always down for a good workout and would keep me good company.

"What's up KB? What brings you here" he wonders as he stops the machine. He joins me in the cage as we catch up from earlier today.

"I'm by myself again so I decided to do one thing I know I'm good at no matter what and that's hitting baseballs" I explain.

"Can't go wrong with that" he admits.

"What about you? When are we getting you a girlfriend to keep you preoccupied" I question.

"I'm working on it! I keep trying to talk to this one girl, I don't think she likes me very much" he shrugs.

"Ohhhh, who's the lucky girl" I wonder.

"Emily" he answers.

"Like Emily the nutritionist" I gasp.

"Yeah, her" he smiles. "I've been trying to flirt and I have been trying to get her to give me a chance, but she gave me a fake number and insists she wants to keep things professional. But I really like her, I do" he insists.

"Don't force anything Tony. She's not some baseball game you can win by swinging a bat or flashing a glove. This is two people trying to find each other, let it manifest naturally" I insist.

"Oh, like you did when you showed up to Jennas work three days in a row? Or when you literally wouldn't leave her alone until she gave you her number" he teases as I chuckle.

"Alright, so maybe I'm not the best example for patience, but I am for fate. And if fate wants you together it will find a way" I assure him.

He just nods as he smiles at me. "It blows my mind that you're younger than me. I've never had much better advice than yours" he admits.

"What can I say? I love my girls and I love baseball. When it comes to those two I'm quite knowledgeable" I shrug.

"How are the girls? Hopefully they're not wallowing in sadness like you are" he smirks.

"I don't think they are" I admit. "Jenna has a lot of work to do so I know she will be keeping up with that. Mary is about to start piano and singing lessons along with doing some more t-ball this summer. Depending on how everything goes I'm going to have a pre schooler on my hands. I think they're keeping busy back home without me" I admit.

"So why are you really here" he questions.

My shoulders fall once I realize that I wasn't being as strong as I hoped to be. People like him can read me so easy and it's not hard to find out what I'm feeling. I wish it was just as easy for me to explain why I'm feeling like this.

"I don't know" I grumble as I shake my head. "It hasn't even been a year but I can't think straight without her. Every second I'm wondering what she's doing, and if she's missing me too. This feeling I have is scary, because I don't want to know my life without her, without the both of them. I just want to be the reason they smile, I want to spend the rest of my life with them" I try to explain.

"Those are marriage words" he warns making me laugh.

"Yeah, I know. It hasn't even been a full year and I'm ready to get down on one knee and promise the rest of my life to this woman. Am I crazy" I question.

He just shakes his head as he smiles big. "Not at all big man" he promises. "You got something that people would kill for. A Disney happily ever after if you will. Your girl is one of the strongest people around, you guys are learning more about yourselves and each other each and every day. You both aren't afraid to dream, and you're not afraid to do what you need to in order for those dreams to come true. And you guys have a little girl you can put so much of yourselves into. You have a good thing, it would seem more crazy if you didn't marry her."

"It's so soon though. I mean a year is chump change compared to a lot of relationships" I defend.

"But none of those people are you. You can't compare relationships because they're not the same. I look at what you have with Jenna and I would kill to have that. To know someone loves me so much that a lifetime of pain can seemingly go away. But I'm not you and my future wife isn't Jenna so I can't go out looking for that or expecting that. Only you know what will happen next" he insists.

"I want to marry her" I admit. "I want her to be my wife and I want to grow old with her. Show her we can make a family even though hers is broken and love her every day more and more until it kills me" I explain.

"You have the power. But you're stronger together and I hope it doesn't take you losing everything to see that" he says.

"I hope so too. I don't know what I would do without them" I sigh.

"You would be fine. But you're not fine with being just fine" he teases.

"You know me so well" I smile