Page 9 of Taking the Pitch
Or not…
Lucy ended up only being able to sleep for 30 minutes before the urge to pee woke her from her slumber.
Now we’re sitting around my parents’ massive oak dining room table finishing up the pot roast Mom made. Nothing has been said about my ‘incident’ last night. Everything has either been about the party and how Lucy’s feeling today, or about the wedding. I’m guessing my parents want to chew my ass out in private.
As soon as Hudson finishes his second helping of roast and mashed potatoes, Mom stands and starts clearing the table to make room for the dessert she’s made. Lucy gets up to help but is immediately told to sit down by not only Mom, but Kessler, too.
“I’m pregnant, not an invalid,” Lucy says, crossing her arms and sitting back in her chair with a huff.
“We never said you were dear.” Mom tells her, in her reassuring mom voice. “I just know how tired you’ve been lately. The boys can help,” she adds, nodding to Hudson and I.
Taking the hint, we both get to our feet and start piling dishes on top of one another, clearing the table in record time so we can get to the good part, dessert.
Mom brings out not one, but two pies.
“I wanted to try some new recipes out before Thanksgiving.” She sets one pie down on the table that’s chocolate with dollops of white cream piled into mountains around the rim. “That is a peppermint hot chocolate silk pie with marshmallow whipped cream.” Setting the other one down, she says, “And this one is a pumpkin pecan pie with a caramel drizzle.”
My mouth floods with drool at not only the sight of these masterpieces, but at the smell of them, too.
Come to daddy.
I reach forward to grab a plate when Mom slaps my hand, making me jerk it back. “What the hell, Mom?” I say, rubbing my stinging skin.
“You don’t get pie untilafterour talk,” she tells me, giving me a pointed look.
Kessler snickers from across the table and reaches for the chocolate pie. I kick my leg out, my foot hitting my target. He lets out a groan, and a muttered curse and reaches down to rub his shin.
“Boys!” Mom shouts, giving us both a pointed look. “I will take the pie frombothof you if you don’t knock it off.”
“More pie for me,” Hudson comments, swooping in and taking a piece from both pans before anyone can blink. This kid fits right in with us.
Lucy barks out a laugh and hands her plate to Kessler. He dishes her up one of each and hands it back to her, placing a kiss on her temple while running his hand over her barely there bump. God, they’re adorable. I love it and hate it at the same time.
Mom watches them, a contented sigh escaping her.
Dad clears his throat and I turn my attention towards him. While Mom has been voicetress in her displeasure with me, Dad has been…quiet. He nods his head to the door that leads to the den and gets up from his seat. Taking that as my cue, I follow him in, Mom bringing up the rear.
Once all three of us are in, Mom shuts the door and takes a seat beside Dad on the well-worn sofa. I take the chair opposite of them and look around at the various pictures on the wall. Most of them are of Kessler and I throughout the years playing baseball. There’s some from the family vacations we rarely got to take because both Kessler and I not only played baseball during school, we both played on summer and fall travel teams. Our parents never pushed us to play, only nurtured our drive and love for the game.
I take my eyes from the wall and settle them on the people who raised me, who sacrificed everything to make sure we were able to pursue our passions. Guilt consumes me and suddenly, pie doesn’t sound so good.
How could I have done this to them?
Dad clears his throat again and sits forward on the couch, resting his elbows on his knees and steepling his hands. “Judd,” he starts, but I stop him.
“Can I say something? Before you give me a well-deserved ass chewing?”
Mom and Dad look at each other, then back at me, both giving me a nod. Mom loops her arm though Dads and Dad turns his hand over, taking her hand. They’ve always been so in love, so together. Their love reminds me of Lucy and Kessler, and I wonder if I’ll ever find something like that for myself.
Rubbing my hand across my chest to ease the never ending ache that has taken residence there, I take a breath and start, looking them both in the eyes. “I want to apologize to you both. I don’t have any excuse for what I did. You raised me betterthan that, and to disappoint and embarrass you the way I did is inexcusable. I hope you can forgive me because I know it’s going to take me a while to forgive myself for being that reckless.”
Mom’s the first one to break the silence that follows my apology. “Judd, Honey, we’re not embarrassed. Disappointed? Yes. But not embarrassed. We just want to know what’s going on.”
I wish I had an answer for them, but I don't. Mainly because I have no idea what’s been going on with me lately. “I’m, I, I really don’t know. I guess I’m just feeling a little lost.” And if I’m really being honest, lonely. But I decide not to tell my mom that because then it would be mission: Find Someone for Judd. And let’s be honest, the last thing I need is for my mom to set me up.
“It’ll happen for you too, Judd.”
My eyes snap to my dad’s. He’s sitting there with a knowing look after giving me an answer to my unspoken question.
