Slugger (Sequel to 'The Jet') Benny Rodriguez

Chapter 27

Benny noticed it an entire month before you did. The rapid weight gain, the change in appetite. He payed far more attention to your mood swings, and figured he knew what it all meant.

"Love, c'mere." One morning you'd been on the phone all day, arranging traveling plans for your up coming tour. "Why don't you sit down for a minute, your head looks like it about to explode."

"Sorry about all this, I know its been dominating life lately, and finding time for you and the girls... I just-"

"Need a break?" He raised his eyebrows as if ge was onto something, but a break was one thing you couldn't afford right now.

"Ha. I wish they'd let me have a break. Unfortunately this whole tour thing isn't really helping." You shook your head, running your fingers through your hair and pulling at the ends slightly.

"Well, everyone wants to meet the slugger. You're a superstar now, people love you." He came and sat beside you, wrapping his arms around your form and holding you tightly, trying to relieve you of as much strain as he could.

You laid your head back against him, closing your eyes and letting his embrace engulf you in warmth and comfort. Benny didn't want to out more anxiety on your shoulders, but he did have to find out if his suspicious were correct.

"Love, I wanted to ask and see if maybe you'd noticed a uh... change in you lately." He was very indirect, and you could only question him on what he was trying to get at.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want you to overthink anything, but I have noticed that you started eating a lot lately, and your modd swings are back." He added some detail, but without asking the exact question, you still didn't understand completely. Surely you had an answer for what was happening, but you didn't know why he would bring it up.

"Yeah I know. Its probably just all the stress of this tour. I'm probably stress eating, and my mood swings are all over the place and-"

"Are you pregnant?" He asked, interuppting your rant about the reasons why it was all happening. Truly you hadn't even though about that yet, but surely it could be a possibility.

"I- I don't know." You had to stop and think for a minute, try and recall shen your last period was. You couldn't remember. Months ago at least. Still, loss of period is another sign of stress. "I'm not sure, but I think it could still be stress related."

"Would you take a test? For me? Just so I can know for sure..." he pulled back and looked you in the eye. He held suspense in his features, as if he was nervous about asking you.

"If it will make you feel better, I'll pee on a stick. But you'll have to get me one because I have to make another call." You laughed, standing and heading to the phone. Benny smiled, shaking his head while heading for the door. He grabbed his keys and wallet and left the house with a smile. He already knew tou were pregnant. He could almost sense it in a way.

When he came back, tou were still on the phone with Adele, who had been playing phone tag with Cece and Aally to trh and set everything up.

He noticed the tired and stressed out look on your face, so he didn't interrupt you, but instead sat in front of you on the couch, waiting patiently for you to get done.

"Yeah, as long as she knows about the hotel in Chicago I think she'll be fine." You replied to your friend, who was listing off the last pf the arrangements for the day. It was nearly five o clock in the afternoon and the only productive thing you'd done all day was make calls. "Okay great, that's perfect. I'll call you tomorrow, bye."

You collapsed on the coach beside benny, your body sprawled out beside him, looking like a limp lump of flesh.

"I got you a stick to pee on." He waved the box in the air, making it sound like if was a gift of some sort. You gigled, grabbing the box and standing up to go to the bathroom.

"You are in luck Benny boy, it just so happens that I haven't peed in hours. Full  bladder ready to explode." You chuckled as you strutted to the bathroom slowly.

"Probably could've gone without that useful bit of information." He rolled his eyes and watched as you shut the door dramatically.

It took you only a minute to do tour business and come back to the living room when you were done.

"Alright, how long do we wait?" You fel backwards onto the couch, letting your hands stay on your knees. You leaned over his shoulder as he read the directions in the box.

"Two minutes." He droped the box on the coffee table and leaned back, bringing your along in his arms as he laid back.

In his arms it was loving, and gentle, and always warm and comforting. There's no place on this green earth you'd rather be than in his arms.

"I was thinking if it's another girl, then we name it after you." He said, breaking the slince in the air.

"What? No way... I'm not mean like my mother, I would never name my child Elzwerner." You complained, but he laughed shaking his head.

"I meant Mack." He said, smiling. You bit your lip in fake contemplation before quickly shaking your head.

"Nah, its still a boys name. How about Esmeralda? We could keep the E names going." You said. He seemed a little bored by that suggestion. He gave you the blank stare and you knew he didn't like it. "Okay fine, what about boy names?"

"Well, we could name him Mack...."

"Or Benjamin..."

Benny narrowrd his eyes at you. He'd always said he didn't want a kid to be named after him, he wanted them to have their own name, and to be their own person. 

"Hasn't it been two minutes already?" He suggested. You smiled and sat up with him, going into the bathroom to check the stick.

You both went in, sitting down on the bathroom floor against the wall. Benny went to grab the stick off the counter, but then stopped himself.

"You should do it..." he trailed off.

"Why, you too scared?" You taunted him, but he laughed sarcastically and shook his head.

"No, but you peed on it, you can pick it up." He shot back, watching you give him a blank look then reach out in front of you to grab the small item off of the counter.

You hesitated to turn it over and look at the outcome, for although you loved having babies with Benny, it was a little scary to think if you were pregnant, it wouod be three months before you would be able to be back in your home again after this tour. You weren't the slighest bit excited about this tour, for it had only brought you stress and anxiety, but you had to go through it to achieve your dream. You were getting closer to an MLB contract with every event you did. This was the life you wanted. To play baseball, and to have a family. A family with your true love whom you adored more than the universe itself.

You took a deep breath, flipping the stick over and reading the outcome.

"What does two pink lines mean?"