I’m so far removed from the weak, sobbing woman who was crouched on the ground, trying to avoid blows. My children are more well-adjusted now than they ever were in a two-parent household. I told myself for so long that I had to stay and make it work with him, because he was my husband. Now that I’m sitting back in this spot, I can feel nothing but deep relief that I left.
It feels like I’m exorcising the last demon. I’m coming here today in such a better place emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I’m coming here not only as a guest of the team, and as Colleen’s friend, but as Walker’s fiancée.
At first, even though I have no ring on my finger yet, I’m afraid that people will judge me. We haven’t exactly gone public with the engagement, seeing as I’m not even divorced yet, but I know some of the WAGs have heard it through the grapevine. I hope no one says anything or makes some kind of comment.
The girls don’t know yet that Walker will be a permanent fixture in their lives, though they’re over the moon that he’s back. Possibly because he brought more Frozen presents to the condo when we got back to Packton. I told him he can’t always buy their love, but for now, Noelle seems to be loving that perk.
Over time, we’ll explain to them what’s going to change. That soon, we’ll find a place together. That someday, hopefully, Walker will adopt them. There are still so many details to iron out, but we’re definitively together, and that’s what matters.
The girls still don’t quite understand what has happened to their father. That he’ll no longer be a part of their lives. The guilt I thought that would come with taking away his custody never has. My daughters are so much better off without the man who created half of them. In time, they’ll learn that.
I was anxious, coming back to the stadium. I’d alienated almost all of the wives or family members by the time Shane was arrested. When you’re trying to hide pain and abuse, you shut off the rest of the world. A bunch of the wives would check on me, at the beginning when I began closing myself off. But after a while, that died out. I understood; they had lives and children to attend to. They couldn’t be pestering me all the time if I never even gave them a response.
But the moment I walk in, I’m pleasantly surprised. Amanda, one of the pitchers’ wives, comes straight up to me and embraces me in a long hug.
“You’re so strong. We’re in awe of you,” she tells me, then gives me a big smile and bends to ask the girls if they want to play with her kids.
Noelle and Breanna happily skip off, their memories of this place always great. Plus, there is an all-you-can-eat candy buffet, so this is practically their Disney World.
Another one of the longtime girlfriends, Becca, makes her way to me.
“I’m so glad you decided to come today. We were all so worried about you after the …”
She doesn’t know which word to use, and so I step in. “After the attack. I know. I got your messages, it just … it was hard for a while there. I’m glad to be back now.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself.” She leans in closer. “We’re all very happy for you, you know. Walker is a great guy. You deserve it after all you’ve been through.”
After we wrap up our conversation, my heart lighter than it’s been in this room in years, Colleen walks up.
“See? This isn’t so bad.” She has a smug smirk on her face.
“You were right. And I have missed the crab ravioli.” I rub my stomach, looking over to the buffet.
“I have Chef pack some up for me on nights when I forget to eat dinner. It’s my guilty pleasure. That cream sauce.” Colleen makes a to-die-for expression.
“How are wedding plans going?” I ask, a glint in my eye.
Hayes asked Colleen to marry him about two weeks ago. He proposed in their favorite coffee shop in town, got down on one knee while their large cold brews were being made. The town is buzzing with wedding planning, as the entire small community of Packton thinks they should have a say in where those two get hitched. It’s adorable, actually.
“I could be asking you the same thing.” She lowers her voice.
My head shakes back and forth. “Nope, not even thinking about that yet. We’ll do something small, though. I don’t care about any kind of dress or catering. I just … I want to be his wife.”
“Okay, if that isn’t the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard. But I don’t know about my own. Honestly, I was never a girl who dreamed about her wedding, who had every detail planned out. Talk to me about budgeting and ownership rules in the major league, and I knew that from my eighth birthday on. But what color flowers and which bows to tie onto the backs of chairs? Nope, I’ve got nothing.”
“You’ll figure it out. Whatever feels right to you is what you’ll do. And if push comes to shove, I think Hayes will be peachy keen on a courthouse wedding.” I laugh.
“Don’t tempt him. He keeps talking about going to Vegas.” She rolls her eyes. “Hey, I never asked, you okay about Dahlia leaving?”
I look away, trying not to get emotional. “Yeah, sort of. I know it’s what’s best … we shouldn’t monopolize her life anymore. But I wish she would stay close. I worry about her, too. And the girls are going to miss her so much.”
My friend nods. “I get that. But she has a life, too. And you have one you need to start planning, with your man. I’m so excited we’re going to be related.”
I haven’t quite wrapped my mind around the fact that I’ll be part of the Callahan clan, but it’s a little daunting. There are so many faces, so much money, and a lot of implications to joining a family that powerful. But Walker hasn’t asked me to do anything I’m not comfortable with, and he is so open to me still going back to school and accomplishing everything I set out to do.
“What is he doing?”
Someone has spoken up, an incredulous tone coming from the crowd of women and family members gathering by the big glass windows.
I look down at the field, and Walker is leading off of third, like he might just make a break for home. He’s known for stealing bases, led the league in it two years running. Watching him run the bases is a thing of art, and I had to hear bitching from Shane for years about how annoyingly good Walker is at turning a single into a triple.
“He’s going to try and steal home.” Colleen shakes her head next to me, but there is a grin on her lips.
I grin just the same. Because this move is cocky, it’s risky, and in the end … he’s sure as hell going to pull it off.
The man is too sure-footed to fail. He’s the same way with me. For years, he took his time, honing his emotions and waiting for me to be ready for all he could give. He pursued me, patience being key in finally showing me just how good we could be together.
And when that last-second decision of fight or flight came, he buckled down and took the perilous chance. Which paid off, clearly, as I’m sitting up in the family suite, my heart going out to him all these balconies above the field.
Walker makes a break for it, sprinting toward home plate.
He’s going to steal it, just like he stole my heart.
And I can’t wait to watch him do both of those things forever.