Wildflower (Kris Bryant)

45 Home Sweet Home

Kris

"Wow it's warm" Serenity gasps as we get out the car. Even though it's early November, Arizona never really got that cold. Especially if you ask the girl who never left the state of Illinois until last month. I feel the desert sun hit my face and I let out a long, happy sigh.

I'm home.

After Serenity asked me a million times for me to show her around my home town I told her we can come only if we don't have to fly. I hated flying and this way we can come and go as we please. So her and I took turns driving all the way here. We listened to some audiobooks and had a great time on the way over. But I'm happy to be here finally and not be looking at the road.

"Woah" she gasps as she looks at the one house I lived in until I went of to college. "You have the most beautiful home" she insists.

"I already know that my mom is inside just dying to show you around. Of course there's the library and all the embarrassing picture of me growing up. You know, all the good stuff" I assure her.

"Oh goodie! I have some books for your mom too" she claims and I smile. Those two and their books, I swear.

So we grab what we need before entering my childhood home. I open the door and couldn't get the smile off my face. It smelled like I remember it, it looked like I remembered it too.

"Oh Kris sweetie! Are you and Renny finally here" my mom yells from on top of the staircase.

"We're here" I yell back.

She comes running down the stairs and right over to Serenity before pulling her into a hug. My mom goes on and on about how she was happy to see her and how she had so much she wanted to talk to her about. "I've missed you so much" she claims as she embraces Ren and I scoff. "Oh shush it, I had 23 years with you. Let me have this" she shuns.

So I let my mom fawn over my girlfriend before she comes over to me. She pulls me into a hug and I just roll my eyes.

"You saw us a few weeks ago" I remind her.

"I know, I know. I just missed you guys" she claims.

"Well we're here and I'm excited to see the house! But before we get into that where's Mike? I have something for him" Serenity insists.

"I'm here" my dad says as he comes from the kitchen. Of course he is in the kitchen.

He walks over and she hands him a bag. He opens it up and lets out a shout making us all laugh. "What is it" I wonder. I didn't even know what it is.

"It's some of the ivy from the Wrigley field wall. I said I wanted some last time we were in town but Wrigley was still undergoing construction and we couldn't get there. How did you get this" he asks her.

Even I was a little perplexed. "Well I know you said you wanted something special from Kris' first season here. I am still technically employed by the Cubs so I called in a favor" she explains.

"You are the best" my dad says as he pulls her into a hug. My heart just melts as I can tell he really really liked his gift.

So my mom steals Ren and they go up to the library. I'm sure they will spend a good amount of time up there just talking about books and their favorite stories. I hang back with my dad and we go to the batting cages he built at my house. Every ounce of respect I get in the world of baseball is traced back to this man. He quit his job to dedicate his life to my baseball career. And I want to do my best to make all the sacrifices he made for me worth it.

"So how has the off season training going" he wonders as he goes to his cart of balls. I pick up a bat and we do some hitting drills.

"Pretty good. I haven't been doing anything too crazy. I'll rack it up in December but I don't want to be peaking right now. Want to stay consistent but be ready for training camp in February" I explain.

"Good boy" he smiles and I smile back. He throws me a pitch and I lay into it. We watch it fly before he grabs another ball and turns back to me. "So how are you and Serenity? Is her heart doing good" he wonders.

"Yeah, she's doing real good. Besides the fact that every time she coughs I have a mild panic attack we're doing really good. We spend a lot of our time inside the house with our dogs trying the recipes mom sends over. We've been real good" I smile.

He stops messing with the balls as he turns to me. He puts on his serious dad face and I prepare for what comes next. "You love her a lot, don't you" he asks.

"More than anything" I admit.

"You know your mom and I adore her, right" he questions.

"Considering you call her as much as you call me, yes" I chuckle.

"Have you been thinking about making her part of the family" he asks and I freeze.

My bat drops to my side and I turn to him. I let out a long sigh as I think about it. "I mean, we've talked about having kids and we have a beautiful house so it would make sense to get married next. But I'm scared...we're both so young, she's starting her writing career and I'm about to embark on avoiding my sophomore slump that's taken careers of many good players.

I just want to do what's best for her. If it was up to me we would be married by now, but it doesn't seem practical. She never had much of a future when she was sick but she's got a new life in her. I don't want to worry her with planning a wedding" I insist.

"But you do want to marry her" he asks.

"Of course I do. And I know she feels the same. We haven't really talked about it but we know we're going to spend the rest of our lives together and that means getting married sometime in the future. I just don't want to surprise her and propose and her not know what to do. I want it so she can actually enjoy being engaged and not worry about a million different things" I say.

"Well I can't wait for her to be a part of the family" he claims and I laugh.

"You're just saying that because she brought you fancy leaves" I accuse.

He chuckles as he picks up another baseball. "I'm saying that because we've been through a lot with that girl. We watched her fight for her life, then we watched you fight for her life. We watched the love you two share help you over come the worst of situations. And we want to make sure you're going to be happy not just now but well into the future" he insists.

"I'm not going to let her go. If that's what your worried about" I say picking up my bat.

"Sometimes that decision isn't up to you. It's like a draft, you never know where life will send you" he claims.

"I don't care where I'm going as long as I go with her" I say.

"That's my boy" he smiles.