Ever The Same

Week 25 - Anything Like Me

And I started wondering who he was going to be
And I thought heaven help us if he's anything like me
He'll probably climb a tree too tall and ride his bike too fast
End up every summer wearing something in a cast
He's going to throw a ball and break some glass in a window down the street
He's going to get in trouble oh he's going to get in fights
I'm going to lose my temper and some sleep
It's safe to say that I'm going to get my payback if he's anything like me

----Anything Like Me, Brad Paisley

Week Twenty-Five
Your baby is the size of an eggplant

January 29, 2022

Grayson got home in the afternoon, after playing a game in LA the night before. They didn't play again until Monday, so they hadn't flown out until this morning.

That had been frustrating, because he'd once again been away from his wife for well over a week. But that week had given him a lot of time to turn some things over in his head. And they were things that he wasn't certain that he was ready to talk to his wife about, so maybe it was just as well.

The baby shower was a week away, and Grayson knew that Cait would be a little distracted thinking about that. And she'd seemed to be distracted anyhow lately. Grayson had chalked that up to her being busy trying to balance this television bullshit with her job and being pregnant with twins. Not to mention that she was supposed to go on Connor's unofficial visit to West Point with him the day after the shower, which he knew would cause her some anxiety.

He and Cait only had a few days together, because Cait would be headed back to New York and he'd be headed back out on the road. He wouldn't see her again until the All Star break in New York. He wanted to just try to enjoy this.  And he wasn't going to ruin their limited time with his issues. He needed to try to work through his own thoughts and feelings first.

The fact was, the things that his parents had said to him about the twins had scared him a little. What if they were just like him? What if they were hated? Would he be able to live with that? With watching his children go through the things he had?

And how was he supposed to teach them not to do the things he had done? They'd no doubt be smart enough to throw all of that in his face. And rightfully so.

He suddenly wished they were girls. Maybe it was sexist of him, but he figured there was less chance of them being like him if they were female. But then again, Cait usually managed to find trouble of her own, so maybe that wouldn't make a difference.

Grayson parked his car and ran a hand over his face, before frowning at the grey, chilly day. He needed to set all this aside and enjoy a few days with his wife. He wasn't ready to talk to her about it yet.

*****

Predictably, he found her in the kitchen.  "Hey," she smiled at him.  "Welcome home."

"Glad to be home," he said, managing a smile in return and patting the head of the dog that greeted him.  "Please tell me that we have no plans for the rest of the day."

"Not a single one," she said.  "Connor had indoor soccer this morning, so I caught the second half of that after yoga."  Grayson knew that she'd flown back from New York the previous afternoon.  "I was just making dinner for tonight, so that we can eat whenever we want.  Other than that, I was hoping to spend lots of time cuddled up with you."

"That sounds amazing," he sighed out.  In addition to his anxiety over the twins, he hadn't exactly played great the last couple of games.  He'd have film and practice the next day.  But for today, he just wanted to relax.