“Good luck, sweetheart! Your dad and I are so proud of you!” Mom said and gave me a huge hug. “Don’t forget. If you meet a cute boy, don’t let him give you any cookies or homemade snacks. You are allergic to nuts, just like your dad.”
I shook my head. I didn’t have time to think about boys. It had been drilled into me ever since they found out I was allergic to nuts and shellfish, just like my dad, never to take homemade goods from anyone. Mom had never been happier to have an allergy-free kitchen since Dad, Lucy, and I are all allergic to nuts.We weren't sure if Mikey was allergic yet, or not.
I ran with Malcolm towards Lamade Stadium to pitch in the Little League World Series. With Malcom as my catcher, I knew we would be a hard team to beat. In the history of the Little League World Series, there hadn’t been that many girls to play, and I was honored to be one of them.
“So, we are playing the team with a girl!” one of the opposing players for the Dogwood Bulldogs said as we walked onto the field for warm-ups and tossing the ball. Malcolm and I were heading to the bullpen area to get my arm warmed up. “This is going to be an easy win!”
“I wouldn’t bet on it,” Malcolm said with a bite in his tone. “She’s our best pitcher.”
“Probably only on the team because of who her daddy is,” another player taunted.
I just ignored them and kept walking towards our bullpen. I had heard the same jabs before, and I just let them roll off me. I knew what I was getting into when I wanted to play baseball and not softball. Trust me, I had tried underhand pitching for softball, and it just felt unnatural. I had grown up around tons of Major League Baseball players and loved the game. I was born to play baseball, just like my dad had been.
Malcolm just shook his head and kept walking with me. It was a new voice that had me turning around. “Shut up, idiots. If you had seen Hazel Stone play before, you’d know she’s amazing. I’m scared to death of her slider, and I’ve been practicing how to hit it.”
I locked eyes with the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes I had ever seen. He had a few freckles on his nose, and his blonde hair was covered by his Bulldogs hat. He gave me a wide smile, and I liked how his eyes crinkled at the corners with his genuine grin. I felt the butterflies in my stomach that Mom told me I would feel when I finally found a boy that captured my attention.
Finn Reinhart wasn’t the only one who studied his opponents. I knew all about the athletic third baseman for the Bulldogs, who had the most home runs of any player in the Little League World Series. For him to be worried about my slider was the ultimate compliment.
“Hey, my mom makes awesome homemade pretzels, and it’s my tradition to eat some before every game. Would you like one?”
“That would be really nice…” I began.
“No!” Malcolm said. “Don’t you remember what happened to your dad when he took homemade cookies from your mom?”
I looked up into the stands where my mom was sitting with everyone who had come to support me. I knew exactly how my parents met, and I smiled as I looked back over at Finn. “Are there nuts in your mom’s pretzels?”
