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Sam

T his homestand went way too fast. The first stop of our road trip would be Colorado, where we’d be meeting with Tom.

The anticipation of the meeting had both of us on edge.

Neither of us knew how we’d end up leaving the meeting.

We’d confirmed that Tom wanted to be involved with his son.

Since the paternity test results, he had been hungry for information, and Kelsey had done her best to appease his curiosity.

Kelsey had begun to take over our home; she’d become comfortable in the space, leaving traces of her and Crew everywhere.

We were surrounded by personalized touches, photos of us, Crew; his toys were everywhere.

She’d even tried to find healthier recipes for her favorite foods, finally understanding that my training included what I ate.

My strict diet was partly a result of watching my father’s career end too soon and my preference. I felt better when I followed the plan.

Crew would be five months old on my birthday, and while Kelsey said she wanted to wait, he’d become more curious about what we were doing when we ate. He had started to sit with support on our laps and in the baby seat. It was crazy to think about how much he’d changed in such a short time.

I flew with the team, and Kelsey and Crew flew separately.

When she landed, she texted me to let me know he’d been a bit of a bear on the flight.

She’d spent the entire flight entertaining him, with him only falling asleep when the plane began its final descent.

While I wasn’t pitching tonight, we had a game, and I needed to spend the night in the bullpen.

She’d texted after the game, letting me know she was going to bed.

Selfishly, I wanted to wake her when I got in, but I knew that she needed to sleep.

Our first meeting with Tom was early tomorrow.

I showered at the ballpark and took some time with the trainers to stretch out.

My last outing had stretched into the eighth inning, and instead of following a post-game protocol, I’d rushed home to spend time with Kelsey.

I was still paying for that decision. We had to find a better balance for the rest of the season.

Maybe I was being too selfish, having them travel with me all the time, but knowing they were asleep waiting for me at the hotel was everything to me.

I sat with Carlos on the bus. A few teammates planned to go out that night. Maybe a few months ago, I would have gone, but even if she was asleep, I preferred to get back to Kelsey.

“What’s the deal with the hot chick with the kid?” Our shortstop, Elijah Gomes, asked. ”I saw the reports about the baby daddy, but Sam, I thought you’d know better than to get involved with someone with a kid.”

“Not your business,” Carlos warned. “Treat her with the same respect you would a wife.”

“Hey, I was just gonna ask if she had a sister,” Elijah quipped.

“Her sisters aren’t interested,” I said, ending the discussion.

“Oh, come on, man. You can’t keep that all to yourself.”

“Shut the fuck up, Elijah. Start thinking about your wife and leave the rest of these women alone.”

Elijah had earned a reputation as a womanizer, but he was on his best behavior any time his wife was around.

He claimed she was okay with his discretions, but whenever Lindy came to a game, she tried to press the guys for information.

The man had a beautiful wife he’d been with since high school, and he couldn’t be faithful to her for more than a week at a time.

I pushed myself off the bus, wanting to avoid getting into it with the guys.

They’d never seen me with another woman before I signed or since the start of training camp.

We’d gone out for drinks enough for them to know I didn’t take random women home.

I didn’t feel like explaining my relationship with Kelsey to the guys, and I didn’t trust people with those details.

“Well, when all of you go back to your lonely beds, I’ve got Kelsey waiting for me back in the hotel room.”

“I never said I was going to my room alone,” Noah, our second baseman, said.

“Yeah, let’s see how long she’s willing to travel with you,” Elijah said. Then we’ll talk about who is lonely.”

“Well, at least Noah doesn’t have someone waiting for him at home,” I said. I never understood why men would stand around and joke as one guy insults his wife and blatantly disrespects her. “Lindy deserves better.”

Elijah stared down at his feet, “Yeah, man. You’re right.”

I hoped the reminder would keep him in check through this road trip, but I doubted it. When I returned to the hotel room, I slipped in quietly, brushed my teeth, and ditched my sweatpants and t-shirt. I curled in next to Kelsey, her body seeking my heat. “Hey,” she whispered.

“Shh, go back to sleep.”

“Okay,” she responded, falling back asleep almost instantly.