Wes Wilson was present at the press conference and added, “The Boston Renegades have a long-standing tradition of excellence, not only on the field but in the community. I have big shoes to fill in the wake of Diamond’s departure and fully accept the challenges that face me. Right now, we have a winning organization, and I expect that to continue. Tonight’s game will be no different. Cal and I have already sat down and gone over the roster. The fans should expect to see the same Renegades they’ve come to know and love.”
First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. when the Renegades take on the Toronto Blue Jays.
Everyone at the BoRe Blogger would like to wish to Cal Diamond a speedy recovery and thank him for the wonderful years he’s given us.
The BoRe Blogger
Chapter 26
Ainsley
Her bedroom door mocks me every time I walk down the hall. Just when I think I’m ready, I can’t twist the doorknob that will bring me face-to-face with everything she left behind. It doesn’t matter that it’s been a month. I can’t do it. Dr. Sanchez suggested I donate all her clothes to a store that benefits cancer patients and their families, and while I think that’s a wonderful idea, I don’t know if I can part with her belongings.
Losing my mom has been hard. From the constant “I’m sorry” to the “It’ll get better” comments, I’ve had enough. I don’t want to be treated any differently or have people walk on eggshells around me. Her life should be celebrated. Laughter should fill her house, but as of now, it’s only dread. I can’t get out of my funk. My nights are sleepless, and I often find myself on the couch or staring out the back window. My days are lonely, and not even the television can keep my attention. Stella tries, but even her presence in my life seems to be forced lately.
Life needs to be normal again. My routine needs to go back to the way it was. I want to wake up to freshly brewed coffee, drive to work with the top down and the wind in my hair, and feed the animals. I want my job back working with the giraffes now that I don’t need to be at home all the time. I’ve always been told it’s there when I need it; I just don’t know if I can pull the proverbial trigger and ask for it.
There’s a knock on the door, and before I can bring myself to answer it, the door opens and in walks Stella. The smell of food makes me nauseated. I haven’t felt well since my mother died, but I had hoped it would subside by now.
“I brought wine,” she says, walking into the kitchen.
“Wine sounds good. What’s in the bag, though? It’s making my stomach roll.”
“Really? It’s just Caesar salads.” Stella busies herself with opening the wine while I get the salads out. Whatever was bothering me a minute ago has seemed to subside. I empty the salads onto plates and set them on the table with Stella following quickly behind me with two glasses of wine.
“Hmm, this is good.” It’s been a while since I’ve had a glass of wine, probably since before my mother went into the hospital. Hanging out with Cooper…my thoughts falter as I think of him. Since my mother passed, I haven’t paid attention to baseball, dismissing him completely from my mind. He hasn’t called me, not that I expected him to.
“It is. I had it the other night with dinner.” Stella pauses and catches my eye. For months, she’s been eating dinner with me, and by the reddening of her cheeks I know she’s been hiding something from me.
“Spill,” I say as I set my glass down.
She slumps in her chair, almost as if she’s been defeated. I know she’s hiding her happiness from me and I get why, but she shouldn’t have to.
“I met a guy,” she states. “And I didn’t want to tell you until I thought it might be serious.”
“When did you meet him?”
“About two months ago.”
“Jesus, Stella! You met someone two months ago and haven’t told me?”
“You’ve been busy, Ains. Preoccupied with your mom, and I didn’t want to burden you with my tales.”
The fact that she thinks she’s a burden to me causes me more heartache than I care to experience right now. She’s my best friend, and if weren’t for her, I’d be a pile of nothing trying to survive on crackers.
I reach across the table and take her hand in mine. “Stella, I love you, and I don’t care what’s going on in my life, yours is just as important, and I don’t want you to feel like you can’t tell me anything. I’m sorry I made you feel that way.”
She shakes her head and comes over to my side of the table to give me a hug. “I’m sorry for not telling you.”
“It’s good. We’re good,” I remind her. “So tell me about him.”
When she sits back down, her grin is electrifying. “His name is Zeb, and we met at work. He’s a horticulturist who has been dealing with an infectious bug we found.”
“Wait, we have a bug?”
She nods and takes a sip of her wine. “Nasty little shit, but anyway, Zeb has been dealing with it, trying to get rid of the creature and keep it away. I had to show him around the first day, and the next he came in and asked if I could kindly remind him where to go.”
“And let me guess, you jumped his bones?”