Page 131 of Home Run


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The offseason hadn’t just been eventful for Tanner and me.

Holiday was fresh off a very successful awards season and now the proud recipient of an OSCAR, a BAFTA and a Golden Globe all in the category of best supporting actress for her movie, New York: Part One.

She’d been working her butt off since the second movie had wrapped, and for a couple of months her face had been everywhere. You only had to open a magazine, switch on the TV or walk out into the city to see Holiday on a movie billboard, or fronting the new Gucci campaign. As she said a few weeks ago, “I’m ready to hide for a little while, and be incognito.”

The English countryside seemed like the perfect place to do that.”

But then Brady had come along and she’d all but moved into our apartment.

I didn’t want to admit it but I was just as reluctant for Holiday to leave as she seemed to be.

Between her and Radley I’d had the most incredible support group the past few weeks after Tanner’s paternity leave ended at the start of the season and that wasn’t including my mom, Tanner’s mom, The SIMPSONFAMILY CHAT group, plus – and I can’t believe I was saying it – my brothers.

Unlike his father, who was nearly always late, Brady Peter Robinson Simpson had arrived bang on time at 11.58 p.m. on March 20th, during spring training just as Tanner had predicted. He’d flown back from Arizona at the first sign of labor, and arrived at the hospital at virtually the same time as me.

It was love at first sight – eyes the same intense blue as Tanner’s, but with a mop of dark hair just like mine. And while I was still getting used to the constant feeding, total lack of sleep and forgetting to get dressed / brush my teeth most days, I’d never been happier.

“That roof’s probably going to leak every time it rains.”

“No, it won’t. They’re not going to rent you a leaky cottage.” I replied. “What the town called again?”

“It’s avillagecalled Valentine Nook in Oxfordshire, though I’m not even quite sure where Oxfordshire is.” She added.

“Omigod, that sounds so romantic. It doesn’t matter where it is.” Added Radley.

“You’re going to have the best time.” I said, glancing down at Brady when he snuffled. “England, here we come.”

As I gently patted his back, my ring glinted in the sunlight.

I still hadn’t gotten over it.

My proposal might have been a surprise to Tanner, but he’d eclipsed it when Christmas Day rolled around, and he dropped down on one knee to present me with my ring.

Not just any ring, but one my dad had given to my mom – a pale sapphire which Tanner had reset in a band ofdiamonds. And because we were the most unconventional people we knew, we decided we didn’t need a long engagement.

A week later, on New Year’s Eve, we’d were married in the freezing cold of my parents backyard surrounded by our family and closest friends - Lux and Radley, Parker and Scout, Ace and Payton - who are planning their own wedding for when the season’s over.

It couldn’t have been more magical. The girls had spent the day decorating the trees around the pool with twinkle lights, candles and paper chains. We said our vows in front of Josh and Matty who’d gotten ordained on the internet (though we followed up at the courthouse a couple of days later, just in case), and Brinkley was our ring bearer.

Afterwards we headed to dinner in the penthouse suite at the Four Seasons which Tanner had rented. We’d spent the evening eating, drinking and dancing our asses off while we watched the fireworks from the National Mall light up the sky to ring in the New Year, and the rest of our lives.

Miraculously, I’d managed to stay awake for the whole evening, and it couldn’t have been more perfect.

A loud cheer rippled through the crowd and I looked up to see Jupiter Reeves passing first base, while the Marlins fielders scrambled for the ball. We still had a couple more innings to go, but if this game continued as it had started the Lions would be winning their fourth game in a row.

“Brady,” I whispered, “Daddy’s up at bat now. Let’s see what he can do today.”

Tanner got into position, shoulders back and bat raised.

The crack of the ball echoed around the stadium, and the crowds went wild. Fans in the bleachers all shuffled inplace with their hands in the air, desperate for the ball to come down within their grasp. Marlins fielders sprinted to the edges of the field, but they wouldn’t reach it.

It finally dropped as Tanner past third base. He was safe.

Home run.

“Magic.” He mouthed before disappearing into the dugout with a wink.

Once again, I decided the best decision I’d ever made was getting out of the rain and into Tanner’s car.

I glanced back at our sleeping son, my heart filling with so much love I could burst.

Brady Simpson.

Ourhome run.

The End