Page 272 of Out of Left Field

His good mood evaporated as soon as the three of us piled into the truck together, but he didn’t say anything. Ev had practice and we were attending a giant birthday bash upstairs for Olivia. It was a full day of ballpark fun.

And then, as if the Universe itself really did have an agenda, we stepped onto the elevator at the stadium…

…and got stuck.

Just me, my dad, and Everett.

I started laughing and couldn’t stop. Ev was laughing just as hard. Out of the corner of my tear-filled eyes I could see Dad frowning.

“Why are you laughing? Should we call someone?” He started punching buttons. A shrill alarm pierced the air and a voice came over the intercom. “Hello? We’re stuck!”

“We have a maintenance crew on the way. Just sit tight. There’s nothing to worry about,” the disembodied voice said.

“Nothing to worry about?” Dad grumbled. “We’re stuck in a hanging box!” Then he spun on us, hands on his hips. “Why are you laughing?”

“Because,” I hiccupped, “this is what? The third time we’ve been stuck in an elevator?”

“All told?” Ev wiped tears from his cheeks. “Yep.”

Dad’s eyebrows shot up. “You two have been stuck on an elevator before?”

“I told you about this, Dad. Remember right before graduation?” I slid down the wall and sat because the Universe was just too funny.

“Oh. Yeah.” Dad frowned. “Then it happened again?”

Ev sat down beside me, his legs pressed to mine, and took my hand. “About a year later. Willa came out to watch us play in Duluth. We got stuck in the hotel elevator for two hours.”

“Seth says the Universe was trying to get us together.” I gave my dad a pointed look. “And now we’re together, but you’re not on board.” I waved at the elevator. “Therefore, here we are once again. Maybe you two should work out your issues. We’ll just get stuck somewhere else if you don’t.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“I thought so too. But it’s happened so many times. We even got locked in the same hotel room in England a few months ago. How many times have you gotten locked into your hotel room, Dad?”

He glared for several seconds. “Never.”

“Exactly. And then we got stranded on Flamingo Island and had to spend the night there. Have you ever been stranded on an island?” The signs were just too glaring to ignore.

“Huh.” Dad frowned. “That is a lot of times.”

“Not to mention the time the car broke down. Or the shark cage that got stuck.” Ev grinned at me; his eyes filled with love.

My heart skipped a full beat and I blushed.

“That’s…a lot.” Dad sighed. “Okay.”

“I love you, Dad. Being happy with Everett doesn’t change that. I’m not going anywhere.”

Dad’s scowl came back. “Of course you aren’t!”

But I could tell that I hit the nail on the head. His cheeks got just a little redder and his look became wary. “In fact, I’m hoping this makes us closer.”

“How so?”

I gave Everett a sideways look, wishing I’d had a chance before now to talk to him about my epiphany. “Everett’s part of our family.” I looked back up at my dad. “And I’m part of his. As you saw today, it’s a growing, wonderful family.”

Dad grumbled.

I kept going. “I’m not leaving you behind. I’m asking you to come with me. To be part of a big, happy family.”