Page 109 of Last Fall

26

ERIK

Games Are More Fun When You Know You’re Going Home With the SecondBaseman

My motherand I didn’t talk everyday. She had too many kids for that. She was also too busy and so was I. But we traded messages almost everyday and had at least one good phone calleveryweek.

It had been a little over a week since our last one and I was feeling like a bad son. And not just because it had taken me longer than usual to callherback.

Oh no. I felt like crap because she knew I had fallen for the mystery girl at the unicorn party and I still hadn’t filled her in on the details. The fact the Jack and Belle had both met her was probably drivinghernuts.

So after my pre-game ritual of a run and shower I settled into bed for my nap and calledmymom.

“Hey baby boy. You ready fortonight?”

I didn’t know how she managed to keep all our schedules straight. I could barely handle my own. “Tonight will be fun. The hard work begins next week. Speaking of which, I have your hotel squared away.” She never missed a playoff game. My brothers and sisters came and went as their schedules allowed, but Ma was alwaysthere.

“Thank you. I’m closing up the house on Wednesday and heading up asscheduled.”

“How’s theisland?”

“Warm.”

One of the reasons she loved living on Mistletoe Key was that it never changed. It had that year-round tropical weather of the Keys, plus the island celebrated Christmas every month, so it was always happy, always warm, and, I think at the heart of it all, never sad. Because while she never let it show, I knew shemissedDad.

“So I have one big thing to catch you up on,” I said slowly. Even though I’d thought and thought about what to say I was still havingtrouble.

“Let me see if I can help you out,” Ma giggled. “Her name is Zoe Burke, she’s a writer, and she’s very pretty. Is she the one from theparty?”

“Yeah.” Of course Ma had gotten the details. “I love her.” It was the first time I said it out loud and even though my heart was pounding in my chest, it feltright.

Reallyright.

“I know. I knew the day of theparty.”

“How? I barely knew her.” But I knew better than to question her Mom-senses.

“I heard it in your voice. And I have a hard time believing you barely knew her.Somethinghappened to put that...I don’t know...awe? In yourvoice.”

“Maybe I just thought she was reallypretty.”

She laughed. And laughed. “Yeah. Because you’reso muchlike your youngerbrothers.”

I didn’t appreciate her sarcasm. It was true Roberto and Nacho we’re both horndogs who panted after women while Jack and I were more...one-woman kind of guys. Hell, Jack met Berlin in college. That was it for him. Even now with her hating his guts, the guy was still in love with her. Had eyes onlyforher.

“I’ve been kind of in love with her for twoyears.”

She stopped laughing. “What took you so long? That’s notlikeyou.”

I didn’t want to betray Zoe’s secrets but I also didn’t like keeping things from my mom. “Honestly? I thought she hated me but it turns out she and Belle have a lot more in common thanwriting.”

“Mmmm,” she hummed. Belle told her. Had to. “Your sister mentioned something like that. She also mentioned how well you two suited eachother.”

I really liked the sound of that. “Howso?”

“She said Zoe relaxes you. That you’re more fun and less of a pain in the ass when she’s around. She also said Zoe needs a rock to lean on and you’re the best rock sheknows.”

“Belle said that?” My pain in the ass little sister could be real sweetsometimes.