She pulls out a cigarette and lights it. She inhales deeply, exhales, and repeats the process a couple of times before turning toward us. “My kid is nosey.”
“She’s inquisitive,” Hawk corrects her.
Annie flicks her ashes onto my concrete patio and chuckles. “You’re a lot alike, the two of you. I ask you to leave, you don’t listen. I tell her to mind her own business, she doesn’t listen.”
“I had no reason to leave, Annie. My family is here. My home is here.”
“Except you left for years and never came back. Then all these years later you show up here, acting like your shit doesn’t stink. Mr. Machoman throwing around his money around and questioning my husband about how he runs his baseball team, making him feel inferior once again.”
Hawk says nothing.
“All you had to do was leave, Hawk. But you couldn’t. You just had to stay and keep jabbing the knife in Brett’s heart.”
“Annie, I’ve done no such thing. I may disagree with him on how he runs the program, but let me remind you, those kids have a place to play because of me. I built those fields. Yeah, I’ve been absent, but that’ll change. What Brett’s been doing in town, bullying people — parents and children — that’s not okay.”
“
You’re trying to ruin him.”
“All I did was create a team to give twelve kids who had been cut by Brett an opportunity to play baseball. Nothing more.”
“You stole Matty.”
He shakes his head. “She came to me asking if I’d take her on my team.”
“You don’t get it,” she says, pointing with her cigarette between her fingers as him as she walks toward us. “You stole her from the get-go.”
Hawk takes a deep, shuddering breath. “Are you saying she’s mine?”
Annie scoffs but says nothing.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Would you have come back? Married me?”
I look at Hawk instantly, waiting for his answer. “No, but I would’ve taken care of my daughter.”
Annie shrugs. “Brett was there. He took care of us. And all I had to do was never bring your name up again.”
“All while keeping my daughter from me.”
“It was better for her, a full-time dad who loved her, nurtured her. I didn’t want her growing up and seeing you on TV, wondering when you were going to come visit her.”
“You know that’s not how things would’ve been, Annie. She has family here. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. I would’ve been here for her.”
“But not for me?” she asks.
Hawk sighs and I reach for his hand. He’s hurt, angry, frustrated and barely hanging on at the seams. This whole thing with Matty has been weighing heavily on him since he started putting the pieces together.
“Annie, for as long as I’ve known you, you’ve been in love with Brett. The two of you have the worst kind of relationship. He’s verbally abusive, a cheater, and yet you stay. For what, I have no idea. It can’t be for Matty because you’ve had years to pick up the phone and tell me, my parents, or my sisters. Had you knocked on their door, they would’ve opened it and welcomed you in.”
“You say that now.”
He shakes his head. “You know it’s the truth. My father tried to help your grandfather get out of trouble. You know this. My parents are good people, they wouldn’t turn their backs on anyone, especially their own flesh and blood.”
“Why’s she here?” Annie nods toward me.
Hawk’s grip on my hand tightens. “Because she’s part of my life and that means she will be part of Matty’s as well.”