Page 73 of Rain Delay

“You look like shit,” she muffles into my shirt, a tiny laugh breaking through.

“Well, you should see the ground. Surprised my head didn’t leave a damn dent,” I joked and pulled back enough to look at her. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

She shakes her head. “It was out of your control.”

I draw tiny circles on her back. “Besides me, did you have a good day with your parents?”

She puts a finger over my lips. “I don’t want to talk about that right now. I just want to lie here with you.” She covered the two of us up with a blanket.

“Okay,” I whispered.

“Good,” she replied, leaning over and kissing my cheek gently. “Let me be the intense one for once. You need to rest and get better.”

“Yes ma’am,” I said quietly, allowing my eyes to get close and get heavy with sleep, wanting to sleep away the pain and injury as if it never happened.

* * *

TWO WEEKS WITH NO BASEBALL COULD DRIVE A MAN CRAZY.

I hadn’t been cleared for any activity yet, and I swear I was going to go insane if I didn’t get in a batting cage soon.

I had never been out of the game for this long. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I still attended the games, but having to wear sunglasses because the brightness was still sensitive was starting to piss me off. I wanted to be out on the field with my friends and play some god damn baseball.

It was the same shit, different day. Wake up, eat some breakfast, figure out what I was going to watch on TV, get a headache from watching said TV, nap, and then hopefully be well enough to sit up and talk with Eliana.

She still had work to do; she always made herself busy with something work-related. I don’t know what she all had to work on in terms of posting for me, I hadn’t provided much of anything in the last two weeks.

I did a little video a couple of days ago to give an update on my health and how the healing journey was going. I figured the fans would want an update – They would want to know what’s going on with me.

I hadn’t addressed anything regarding the night the injury happened; I’ll leave that to the PR professionals. I wouldn’t have the proper, professional words to say that wouldn’t paint me to look like the world’s biggest asshole.

I was itching to get back in the game, I was growing impatient. I loved being home with Eliana, and I loved she was helping me out a lot, I just wanted to get my cleats in the dirt again.

I sat in the kitchen, looking to my backyard as I went through another video of the guy that was temporarily filling my role with the team. He was a minor league player from Triple-A Nashville, and I wasn’t sure if I was a fan of him or not.

I think I studied his shit more than I should’ve. I didn’t want my spot to be jeopardized – The one thing I feared the most was I would come back from this injury and this new guy would have taken my place.

“You’re doing it again,” Eliana says softly as she sets a coffee next to me.

I just kept watching, rewinding, watching again. “Doing what?”

“Scouting. Studying the new guy that’s filling in for you. You do it a lot,” she moves into my space, wrapping her arms around me from behind.

I finally turn to face her and I just take a second to look at her, feeling myself warm up with this glow. I didn’t deserve El – She was too good to me. I don’t know what I did to even deserve it.

“I just want to make sure my spot is secure. From what I’ve seen so far, he’s not that impressive. They should’ve brought up someone else.”

“Is that you talking? Or is that the jealous Wyatt talking?” She asks, narrowing her eyes at me. “Because the Wyatt I know is a leader, and even though he’s not on the field, he’d be looking for things that player could do to improve.”

I sigh. “I feel like I’m going to come back and they’re going to want to keep this Triple-A guy as the everyday starter.” My breath shudders. “I can’t just sit at home and watch the games. I need to be playing.”

“You’re going to be fine,” she said with a firmer tone, stepping closer until she was pressed against me. “If anything, you’re sharper. You’ve spent two weeks breaking down the film. But it’s gotten to an obsessive point, I think.” She lets out a quiet laugh.

I sigh, feeling frustrated and defeated. “I just don’t know how to do this,” I admit, my voice just above a mumble. “This whole sitting off on the sides part of the game. I’ve spent all of my life moving towards the next goal, now I just feel like I’m being left on the sidelines while everyone else is getting their call-up.”

“You are definitely not going to be kicked to the sidelines, Wyatt. I’ve seen more of that dedicated Wyatt in the last two weeks than I did in the years before you left. I’m indifferent about this version of you, but still, I also know you’re itching to get back out there,” she smiles small at me. “However, I do love having you at home and being your honorary nurse.”

I set the tablet down, grabbing her hips and pulling her flush against me again.