Faith was Billie’s.
Marcie was Bud’s.
The sun rose and set for Marcie through her brother. This was also true about her father. Marcie adored the men in her life beyond reason.
Again, just like her Mom.
“Yeah, baby, it’s gonna start soon,” Mitch murmured.
She tipped her brown eyes to his and grinned a wonky grin.
Fuck, but he loved seeing his wife’s grin on his daughter’s face.
Mitch grinned back.
Then he felt Mara’s fingers on his hand moving to lace through his. They curled tight and his returned the gesture as his eyes went to his wife.
Her eyes were on the field.
Mitch followed her gaze.
Warm ups.
Bud was smiling.
Mitch smiled too.
* * * * *
Forty-five minutes later…
They were standing, all of them. Everyone. The entirety of Coors Field. The vast space was filled with applause and the roar of the crowd as the announcer excitedly announced, “His first at bat for the Rockies, Hometown Bud Lawson hits a two-run homerun! What a welcome home!”
Mitch watched Bud jog the bases and he felt Mara’s weight pressed into his side.
He heard the hitch of her breath over the ovation their boy was getting.
She was crying.
Mitch stopped clapping and wrapped an arm around her shoulders but he didn’t take his eyes from Bud.
He jogged down the third baseline to home, his cleat hitting home plate, the crowd still wild.
He accepted the high fives, low fives and fist bumps from his teammates as he walked to the dugout.
Five feet from the steps, he stopped dead, looked over the roof of the dugout and right at his family.
Then he lifted his arm, pointed at them and grinned.
That was when he heard four females’ loud hitched breaths.
They weren’t far away and Bud saw it. He dropped his arm, caught Mitch’s eyes and shook his head.
He, too, until recently, lived his life in a houseful of women. He knew Mitch’s pain.
Then his grin faded. He held Mitch’s eyes and thumped his fist to his chest over his heart.
Mitch lifted his chin to his boy.