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LJ Idol- Pair Week- My prompt: Bat
Aug. 17th, 2025 05:01 pmThe other perspective to this story is here: https://autumn-wind.dreamwidth.org/5990.html
"Always keep your head in the game." That's what my dad always said. Mom always said while she was buying diapers and bibs, the main thing my dad bought for me before I was born was the smallest baseball tee he could find and numerous baseballs, the safety size, especially designed for t-ball.
"Never too soon to bat for the stars!" was his excuse. Mom would say, "Don't you mean 'shoot for the stars,' Burt? The saying is 'shoot for the stars."
"In this case, it's bat, Sonya. We're raising a baseball star not some hoop girl! Sheesh!" Dad didn't really have time for basketball, or football or soccer some to think of it. He often said, "Of course, THE SPORT, I bleed Dodger blue!" if the husbands' of any of mom's friends asked if he liked sports. Dad is more single-minded than flexible.
When Mom talked about how they met, he would chime in, "I knew I would win Becky's heart. It was just a question of finding out how." In early years, she would smile when he said that. But around 6th grade, she started to mutter, "I wasn't a prize, I'm a person, Burt!" if he told that story.
I noticed they weren't as happy as they used to be, but I figured it was all the busyness. I rarely saw both parents at the same time. Between their full time jobs, my school, my school practices, my travel ball practices, my pitching coach and my hitting coach, all the scheduling meant a lot of "Divide and conquer," Mom would say, with a sigh, as she wrote out our family schedule on a big markerboard calendar.
"So Burt, you can do Monday night, right?" she would say, poised with a marker in her hand.
"Uh sure, but not Tuesday or Wednesday this week. I have showings that night." (Dad worked in real estate, which often made it extra challenging. Most people wanted to look at property in the hours I wasn't in school.
"OK, but I'm not sure how we can swing Wednesday. They rescheduled her game due to rain last Friday, you know?"
"Oh man, that's true. Well, you can tape it, and I'll hopefully catch the ending, eh, Maddie, that works right?"
"Sure."
I always felt it was my job to be compliant. I knew Dad missed finishing college due to that knee injury. It was my job to uphold the family name. He'd always wanted a son too, but, if there was only going to be me then, "She'll just be the first female Dodger!" he'd tell the other dads firmly as he watched my games.
Dad was gregarious, he could spin anything that happened into a story. Most people seemed to love that. My 6th grade year, Mom said, a lot more often, "No stories, just get to the point, Burt!"
Dad would visibly wilt and try to comply.
I really wasn't surprised when they announced their divorce. "We'll still keep up with all your games, don't worry, Maddie!" he announced firmly, but his smile looked so fake.
That wasn't the part I was worried most about, but that was Dad, Dodger Blue 'til the end. And, to be honest, I couldn't imagine my life without baseball.
Dad moved to an apartment, but a lot of things about life stayed the same. I went back and forth and tried extra hard to not forget a bat, glove or helmet at one parent's house or another. They really hated going back to get my stuff!
We learned to live with the new normal. But one day in eighth grade, when I looked for Dad in the stands, he was sitting by some lady in a Dodgers shirt. Not just sitting by, it looked like...like he had his arm around her? Who was this bitch?
She looked nothing like mom. She was tall, way too tall if you ask me, and she had this really stupid red headband in her blond hair. The head band matched her red lipstick, ugh, lipstick? She didn't look like someone who knew how to pitch a baseball, that's for sure!
At the seventh inning stretch, Dad casually walked with her over the fence. "Hey, Maddie! Meet Audrey! I can't wait to tell you how we met!"
I waved weakly, but turned quickly to mutter, "It better be a good story" to my friend, Ben.
Ben said, "New girlfriend?" as he nodded towards my dad.
"Maybe," I replied. Quickly changing the subject, I reminded him, "You bat next" and we continued to chat about the game. I'd always rather talk baseball than about divorces and girlfriends and such. A ball, a bat, a throw, a catch. Baseball had clear rules. People and parents and dating did not, as far as I could tell. Who had time for that?
As time passed, I definitely met Audrey. I had to. Within a year, she and Dad got married. I didn't mind Audrey, it just took a bit of time to adjust to the fact that I was now a sister to Lewis. Having a step brother didn't concern me as a much as the fact that he was only a year older than me and also played baseball.
High school tryouts were coming up. Dad had convinced me to try out for the boy's team ("It's the law, Maddie, they can't exclude girls!") Lewis was also trying out this year though.
Lewis played as a freshman at his old high school, so I was pretty sure he'd make the team. He was the right gender, after all! But there had only ever been one other girl on the San Mateo Bearcats, and she graduated last year.
At least I had one secret weapon. My brand new teal Rawlings Icon 2 3/4" USSSA bat. Man, I had coveted that bat! Dad had promised it for years "when you make the Bearcats, Maddie" but I guess he felt guilty about how many games he missed dating stupid Audrey because on their wedding day, he gave Lewis and I each a gift and mine was my teal Rawlings Icon!
"You're not going to sleep with it, Maddie, seriously!" Mom said when I carried it to my room that night. Dad and Audrey were away on their honeymoon. Lewis was with his grandparents or something, I wasn't sure what, but I was sure that I was going to make this team, me and my Icon bat!
Maybe having a stepmom would be worth it after all!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To understand this story from Lewis' perspective, check out my partner's entry: https://autumn-wind.dreamwidth.org/5990.html
"Always keep your head in the game." That's what my dad always said. Mom always said while she was buying diapers and bibs, the main thing my dad bought for me before I was born was the smallest baseball tee he could find and numerous baseballs, the safety size, especially designed for t-ball.
"Never too soon to bat for the stars!" was his excuse. Mom would say, "Don't you mean 'shoot for the stars,' Burt? The saying is 'shoot for the stars."
"In this case, it's bat, Sonya. We're raising a baseball star not some hoop girl! Sheesh!" Dad didn't really have time for basketball, or football or soccer some to think of it. He often said, "Of course, THE SPORT, I bleed Dodger blue!" if the husbands' of any of mom's friends asked if he liked sports. Dad is more single-minded than flexible.
When Mom talked about how they met, he would chime in, "I knew I would win Becky's heart. It was just a question of finding out how." In early years, she would smile when he said that. But around 6th grade, she started to mutter, "I wasn't a prize, I'm a person, Burt!" if he told that story.
I noticed they weren't as happy as they used to be, but I figured it was all the busyness. I rarely saw both parents at the same time. Between their full time jobs, my school, my school practices, my travel ball practices, my pitching coach and my hitting coach, all the scheduling meant a lot of "Divide and conquer," Mom would say, with a sigh, as she wrote out our family schedule on a big markerboard calendar.
"So Burt, you can do Monday night, right?" she would say, poised with a marker in her hand.
"Uh sure, but not Tuesday or Wednesday this week. I have showings that night." (Dad worked in real estate, which often made it extra challenging. Most people wanted to look at property in the hours I wasn't in school.
"OK, but I'm not sure how we can swing Wednesday. They rescheduled her game due to rain last Friday, you know?"
"Oh man, that's true. Well, you can tape it, and I'll hopefully catch the ending, eh, Maddie, that works right?"
"Sure."
I always felt it was my job to be compliant. I knew Dad missed finishing college due to that knee injury. It was my job to uphold the family name. He'd always wanted a son too, but, if there was only going to be me then, "She'll just be the first female Dodger!" he'd tell the other dads firmly as he watched my games.
Dad was gregarious, he could spin anything that happened into a story. Most people seemed to love that. My 6th grade year, Mom said, a lot more often, "No stories, just get to the point, Burt!"
Dad would visibly wilt and try to comply.
I really wasn't surprised when they announced their divorce. "We'll still keep up with all your games, don't worry, Maddie!" he announced firmly, but his smile looked so fake.
That wasn't the part I was worried most about, but that was Dad, Dodger Blue 'til the end. And, to be honest, I couldn't imagine my life without baseball.
Dad moved to an apartment, but a lot of things about life stayed the same. I went back and forth and tried extra hard to not forget a bat, glove or helmet at one parent's house or another. They really hated going back to get my stuff!
We learned to live with the new normal. But one day in eighth grade, when I looked for Dad in the stands, he was sitting by some lady in a Dodgers shirt. Not just sitting by, it looked like...like he had his arm around her? Who was this bitch?
She looked nothing like mom. She was tall, way too tall if you ask me, and she had this really stupid red headband in her blond hair. The head band matched her red lipstick, ugh, lipstick? She didn't look like someone who knew how to pitch a baseball, that's for sure!
At the seventh inning stretch, Dad casually walked with her over the fence. "Hey, Maddie! Meet Audrey! I can't wait to tell you how we met!"
I waved weakly, but turned quickly to mutter, "It better be a good story" to my friend, Ben.
Ben said, "New girlfriend?" as he nodded towards my dad.
"Maybe," I replied. Quickly changing the subject, I reminded him, "You bat next" and we continued to chat about the game. I'd always rather talk baseball than about divorces and girlfriends and such. A ball, a bat, a throw, a catch. Baseball had clear rules. People and parents and dating did not, as far as I could tell. Who had time for that?
As time passed, I definitely met Audrey. I had to. Within a year, she and Dad got married. I didn't mind Audrey, it just took a bit of time to adjust to the fact that I was now a sister to Lewis. Having a step brother didn't concern me as a much as the fact that he was only a year older than me and also played baseball.
High school tryouts were coming up. Dad had convinced me to try out for the boy's team ("It's the law, Maddie, they can't exclude girls!") Lewis was also trying out this year though.
Lewis played as a freshman at his old high school, so I was pretty sure he'd make the team. He was the right gender, after all! But there had only ever been one other girl on the San Mateo Bearcats, and she graduated last year.
At least I had one secret weapon. My brand new teal Rawlings Icon 2 3/4" USSSA bat. Man, I had coveted that bat! Dad had promised it for years "when you make the Bearcats, Maddie" but I guess he felt guilty about how many games he missed dating stupid Audrey because on their wedding day, he gave Lewis and I each a gift and mine was my teal Rawlings Icon!
"You're not going to sleep with it, Maddie, seriously!" Mom said when I carried it to my room that night. Dad and Audrey were away on their honeymoon. Lewis was with his grandparents or something, I wasn't sure what, but I was sure that I was going to make this team, me and my Icon bat!
Maybe having a stepmom would be worth it after all!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To understand this story from Lewis' perspective, check out my partner's entry: https://autumn-wind.dreamwidth.org/5990.html
