The Game Changer The Final Score - By L.M. Trio Page 0,50
good things happening in my life right now. My pitching has been looking pretty impressive since I’ve been back. I feel good about having that one part of my life under control. My future plans consist of working hard at having it all back.
After my work out, I spend a good amount of time driving around and thinking about my future, our future. I arrive home mid-afternoon while Mikey rests up on the couch.
“Hey, what time did you leave this morning, I didn’t hear you?” he asks.
“It was early. I had to get out,” I answer, sitting on the chair across from him. “David leave?” I ask, looking around.
“Yeah, he was meeting Cheryl for breakfast. He said he’ll text you later about the game.”
“How was he? I guess he’s pissed at me.”
“Nah, you know David, he’s just worried about her. He’ll get over it. It’ll be fine.”
I hope he’s right. I change the subject, trying to get my mind off of JJ. “Fill me in on this Cheryl chick. What’s she like? I’m surprised David is seein’ someone. Well, then again, it’s been about five years since Olivia passed away. God, I can’t believe that much time has passed.” I think back to when I first met JJ and it was all so new to her, being without her mom. I feel as though I had known Olivia from all of the stories I heard from JJ and David. Mikey gives me the details about Cheryl and her relationship with David.
“Huh. What does JJ think about it?”
“She’s happy. She doesn’t want to see him alone, especially since she lives here now. It bothers her leaving him alone.” I nod my head in agreement, once again, reminded that I’m the reason she never went home to visit. Mikey picks up on my guilt. “She likes Cheryl. She really helped JJ with the fundraiser this year. They really get along.”
“Good,” I answer, hating that I feel completely left out of her life.
“Yo, I want you to take a ride with me. I want to show you a property I’m thinkin’ about buyin’. I want your opinion. We’ll swing by on our way to the game.”
“Cool,” I answer, happy to have the distraction.
We speed down the highway towards St. Pete’s. I follow Mikey off the exit ramp, and we head in a direction that is very familiar to me. As we get closer to the street, I pull over, waiting for Mikey to pull alongside of me.
“Yo, where are you takin’ me? Did you buy my house or somethin’?” I yell over the sound of our motors.
He laughs. “No, I didn’t buy your house,” he says, speeding off and taking the lead.
I haven’t thought about my house until now. I assumed he sold it since those were my instructions. We arrive on my old street. There is no sale sign and the lawn has been freshly cut at the house I once owned. I figure someone must be living there. Mikey parks on the side of the road about two houses up and I pull alongside him and turn off the ignition.
“What did you do?” I ask, figuring he was up to something.
“Why would I buy your house? It’s a money pit. It needs a ton of work,” he says, laughing.
He knew the plan was for me to surprise JJ with the house once she moved to Florida. I planned on taking our time and fixing it up together. Back then, I got a great deal, but it needed a lot of work. You can’t beat the location, though. It sits on the canal with a private dock in the back yard. The six other houses on the street also sit along the canal. However, the other houses have all been modernized and updated over time. My plan was to make this house look like the others, eventually. It was my first big purchase. As we stand on the sidewalk, looking at my old house, Mikey points to the immaculately kept modern home we are standing before.
“This is the house I’m looking to buy,” he says, walking up the driveway. It’s beautiful, just like all of the others on the street. You can see it was recently remodeled.
“I play for the Rays now. I can’t live in a house like that,” Mikey teases, pointing to my old house. “Besides, that’s your house.” He tosses me the keys.
“You’re kiddin’, right?” I ask, shocked that he kept my house.