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“Oh no, what have they done?” Lo questions.
“Making weird sexual innuendos none of us want to hear… do you expect any less?” Maddie answers for me as I start strapping Sophie into theErgo babycarrier Eli bought just for me.
“Well, you know whatwedid last night?” Wes asks the mini crowd standing around the truck, raising his eyebrows toward his wife.
The sly smirk on his face has Mama King smacking him in the chest and John leveling him with a look that could kill before he says, “No, and I don’t want to hear a single word about it.”
“Now you know how we all feel,” Sloan says with a nervous giggle as she looks from her dad to her husband with a warning. There are some things a girl just never wants to discuss in front of her father and getting rammed in the outdoor jacuzzi everyone else has been using is probably one of those things.
Yeah, I accidentally caught a glimpse of that.
I rub Sophie’s sweet little head as I get Addison out of the car seat and place her in the wagon-like stroller. Another item that Eli researched and got just for me to use on game days. In the two weeks of being around them, I have noticed that Sophie is much clingier, so I thought the carrier would be better for her. Addison likes to have a little more freedom, or she gets extra squirmy—unless it's bedtime, and then she loves to cuddle and listen to oldies with me.
I’ve always been into the classics, the ones that hit you right in the feels because they take you back to a different time… a specific memory. The songs that, no matter who the crowd consists of, the majority of people there at least know the chorus. In college, one of my teammates from Tennessee turned me on to the Country classics. Dolly, Reba, Martina, Shania, The Judds, and so many more. Addison vibes with those twangy feminine voices, and I secretly love that I was the one who figured it out.
Cindy was at her wit's end trying to get the girls down so they could nap during Wes and Sloan’s ceremony back in the fall. She didn’t want to take Eli away from Wes, so I asked if I could have a shot at soothing her. It took a few trials and errors until I gave “Jolene” by Dolly Parton a try, and with a little bouncing to the music, she was out like a light.
Eli and I have been trading off at bedtime just so I can get acquainted with their routine. Sophie is normally the first to fall asleep… with Eli, she just passes right out when he lays her down in the crib, but with me, I have to rock her. She loves to have her head stroked until she gets so tired I lay her down in the crib. Addison, on the other hand, likes to snuggle for a few minutes in the rocker, and then she’ll get in her crib and roll around until she gets comfortable. She reaches her little hand through the rail and wants to hold your hand for another minute before she will let you leave the room.
The joy these two little souls bring me is already beyond words. Doing everything for two at the same age is also very exhausting, and I really see just how much Eli has been doing on his own. It does nothing but fuel my hatred for that woman.
* * *
Halfway through the game,once both girls have been fed and changed, I finally relent and let Cindy hold her granddaughter. She reminded me several times about the month-long trip she leaves for next week, so I felt kind of guilty about hogging all her baby snuggles. Addison wore herself out clapping for the Bulls and bouncing up and down on my legs, so I was able to cover her with a thin blanket and get her to nap while Cindy held Sophie.
Now it’s the top of the seventh and our section goes wild as they putourguy in to shut things down in the last few innings.
The loud cheers scare baby Sophie, and she starts to cry. Cindy bounces her, trying to calm her down, but when Sophie reaches for me, a small piece of my broken heart begins to heal. The connection I feel with them is beautiful, yet terrifying.
Cindy passes her to me, and Sophie immediately starts rubbing my earlobe, which she normally only does to Eli. Her cries stop almost instantly. I have to look away from Cindy as she watches me with emotion in her eyes. Not resentment, but gratitude and adoration.
Sloan rubs Sophie’s back from her seat beside me. “They already love you so much, Q.” I can hear the emotion thick in her voice. She knows how hard this past year has been on me, even if she doesn’t understand everything. There were things I kept from her… things I knew would be painful for her as well.
“And I love them,” I whisper as I lean in and kiss Sophie on the head. Looking over to the wagon, I see Addison is still sound asleep. She’s that kid who could sleep through a hurricane.
“I’m going to miss you being in New York, but I feel it in my heart… this is going to be good for you. For all of you.”
I look out to the pitcher’s mound, where Eli gets ready to face his first opponent of the season.
“I think you’re right,” I say, watching his wind up. There is nothing sexier than watching that man doing what he loves… well, there used to be nothing sexier. Now watching him be a dad is top-tier ovary stimulation.
“I’ll miss you too. When I called Ava to tell her my plans, she mentioned flying out to Charlotte for a weekend once we’re there. Maybe you guys can group up and make a girls’ trip out of it.”
“Ooo, yes, that sounds perfect. Tres Locas at it again.”
We both giggle before she asks, “I have to know what Ava’s response was to your newest nanny position.”
Cocking my eyebrow at her. “Do you really want to know?”
She makes the same face I made at my dad earlier. “True. I’m sure it was something about extra-curricular nanny duties.”
I laugh. “Basically, she and Blossom want a group chat with detailed play-by-plays. Ava tried to bargain with me for more details since she agreed to pack up the mile long-list of things I sent her.” I shake my head, thinking back on how excited they both were when I told them. Ava has always been Team Eli, and even though Blossom came into our life later through Sloan, she’s also very invested in my love life with my best friend. I killed their hopes and dreams when I told them I wasn’t ready for anything like that with him.We are strictly friends.
Keep lying to yourself, then maybe everyone else will believe it too.
Our group goes crazy again, and I see the batter heading back into the dugout.
“Okay, hush, you made me miss his first strike out,” I playfully scold Lo.
