Third Strike Rule

Pray for You

Nolan gets into the passenger seat of Cy's brand new G Wagon that he had bought the day after he had won the MVP Award. Cy pulls away from UCLA Medical Center and gets onto the 405 freeway north towards Westlake Village. Thanksgiving Day had already been shit for the Bellinger boys and had been for about ten years now. Their mom had passed away on Thanksgiving day...

"How'd it go for you?" Cy asks. They had been sitting quietly in traffic for awhile as music hummed in the background, but it was radio silence between them.

Nolan shrugs, "I don't have any early signs, I don't have the gene, but I already have arthritis in my feet and starting in my hands."

"Same fucking shit they told me," Cy mumbles.

"I'm tried of getting blood drawn every fucking six months," Nolan sighs.

Cy nods and flicks on his blinker the exit for the 101 freeway comes up, "me too Nolan, but we gotta make sure-"

"We don't end up like mom," Nolan finishes because he's heard it before. "I miss her."

Cy takes a glance at his younger brother and quickly looks back to the road. Nolan had always had the hardest time with Sabrina being gone. He didn't get as much time with her mostly because she had been sick for so long. Cy remembers their mom vividly like she had only left them yesterday, but their dad never got over it, he just covered it up. That's what was hardest on Nolan the only person who would talk to him about Sabrina was Cy.

Nolan wipes under his eyes and Cy puts a hand on his brother's shoulder, "I miss her too."

"We should have gone home this week..." Nolan admits.

Cy nods, "yeah, but dad really didn't want us to. We owe him this space."

"We owe mom a visit," Nolan counters.

"And we will when we go home for Christmas," Cy says.

Nolan goes silent again and it remains that way until they get to the Yelich house. Cy relays their names to the front gate lady who congratulates him on the MVP and lets them in. He then punches in the code at the second gate and parks his car by Viv's challenger and they get out. Cy grabs the case of wine he was instructed to pick up and they head into the already busy house.

Cy is headed in while Nolan sits with his head in hands for a few more moments as he tries to get himself together enough to deal with the Yelich family. He prepared to watch Viv and Kat snap at each other all night and for Christian to ignore it. He knew he would talk to Zana for the first time in ten years and meet the great McCoy Mayfield. He was ready to have CJ make jokes under his breath all night and commentate the expressions during dinner. In just four months Nolan had completely figured this family out. He also knew that no one but him and Cy would see all the dysfunction between the Yelichs'.

Nolan takes one last deep breath and heads into the chaos. To his surprise everyone is happy and at ease. He daps up a few of Cy's teammates and some of the guys from the USC football team. Luckily no one from the baseball team was there.

"Is that Nolan?" Zana asks and walks towards him with open arms. "I've literally only seen you on TV the last few years," Zana gushes and wraps her tiny body around his massive one in a friendly hug. Zana's hug makes him feel all warm and happy inside.

"Hey Zana," Nolan greets. "Congrats on engagement."

"Thank you and this is McCoy," Zana introduces the two athletes to each other.

McCoy sticks his hand out and grips Nolan's in a firm handshake, "Hey man."

"Hey good to meet you," Nolan greets.