Tommy stepped up to bat. Ginny was on the mound, looking straight at him. Mike was kneeling at the catcher's plate.

"Well, this is awkward." Mike said, his voice muffled by the mask and his customary gum.

"How so?" Tommy murmured out of the corner of his mouth.

"I don't know what you did, Miller, but she's been pissed all morning." Mike said. The first pitch came and it was her fastball. Normally he'd be able to hit it, but he was so thrown by Lawson's words that he didn't see it coming.

Strike one.

Ginny was frowning and he knew she probably thought he was going easy on her because of what happened the night before. He focused, this time went he swung it went too far to the side. He gripped the bat.

He managed to hit the next ball and make it to first base. He watched Ginny as she struck out the next batter. She struck out the batter after that. He tried to walk over to her, but she was over to the dugout in seconds and it would look bizarre for him to run over to the opposing team's dugout. He wasn't pitching this game so he sat in the dugout, wondering what he could possibly say to Ginny.

"Where's Ginny?" Jake demanded the second he came into the clubhouse after the game. The Cubs had beaten the Padres 5-4. Jake had run into the clubhouse. He was wearing Tommy's old Padres' shirt, causing a few raised eyebrows from his teammates that Tommy was sure would translate into a merciless teasing from them as soon as his son was out of earshot.

"No hi dad, congratulations on winning the game?" He asked.

Jake pulled Tommy out towards the door.

"GINNY." He shouted as he walked towards the side of the stadium where the Padres were. Ginny was walking out with the rest of the team. At the sound of Jake's voice, she turned.

"Jake." She gave him one her blinding smiles, the look faltered slightly when she met Tommy's eyes. "Miller."

"Baker." He replied. Jake went straight over to her.

"We're going to get ice cream." He declared. "Wanna come?"

Ginny knelt down so she was at eye level with him. "Ice cream sounds fun."

"Why doesn't your uncle Blip get invited?" Blip demanded. "I like ice cream."

Jake blushed and was about to give an answer when Lawson walked over. "I think it's because she's prettier than you, Blip."

"Now I'm really hurt." Blip muttered.

"Ginny's probably tired, buddy." Tommy said. Jake looked up at him, disappointment evident, but he nodded, and gave Ginny his best smile.

"I'll see you on the plane." He said, turning and preparing to walk away. Ginny bit her lip. She was tense and nervous, but finally let out a sigh.

"Hey Jake." She said. He whipped around, his eyes widened as he tried to contain his hope and enthusiasm. "How does chocolate sound?"


Jake dominated the conversation all the way to the ice cream parlor with a blow by blow recap of the game.

"And then Lawson hit the ball. And then he ran all the way to second base. And then Uncle Blip went up to the plate. And then you threw a strike dad. And then Uncle Blip hit your next pitch. And Lawson stole third. And then he made it all the way to home. And uncle Blip was on second. And...And...And..."

He only paused to shove ice cream in his mouth. Ginny was covering her mouth in an attempt to keep herself from laughing.

"Breathe, buddy." Tommy looked at him in concern, but a part of him didn't want Jake to stop. He hadn't been this happy since the announce of the trade. After the ice cream was eaten Jake yawned and put his head on the table. "Hey." Tommy poked him in the arm. "Where are your manners?"

Jake yawned. Ginny laughed as he looked at her sleepily. "I'm sorry." He murmured.

"It's okay." She said, smiling, as he leaned against her shoulder. Within a few minutes he was asleep, pressing his ice cream covered faced against her arm. Tommy grimaced.

"Sorry about the shirt." He whispered. Ginny shrugged.

"Nike gives me these for free." she looked at Jake. Tommy leaned back in his chair.

"Ginny." He murmured. "About yesterday."

She waved her hand in dismissal. "Look." She said. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did...It's just..." She picked at her empty ice cream cup. "I have a pretty big blind spot when it comes to Mike Lawson." She bit her lip. "I've been working through it with my therapist and... I'm not sure why, but your joke about it yesterday made me feel as though you knew more about my personal mess of feelings when it comes to him then I was willing to admit." She laughed nervously. "I'm not good with this..." she motioned between them. "Sharing thing...but I'm getting better."

Tommy swallowed the angry lump in his throat that formed when she mentioned feelings in reference to Mike Lawson. "I was just being an asshole." He said. "Look, it's no secret that Lawson liked you way more than me. He never mentored me the way he did you. So... yeah, when I get upset, I revert to asshole."

"Wow." Ginny tilted her head. "Who knew you were so introspective."

"You're not the only one who's working through things with a therapist." He sighed. "The move and separation...it brought up old issues." He hadn't admitted that to anyone at loud. Sadie had guessed, but she hadn't wanted to push. Somehow...telling Ginny didn't seem like he was making himself vulnerable; she understood. "So..." he met her eyes and found no judgment, only warmth. "Friends?"

Ginny looked thoughtful and a familiar mischievous spark entered her eyes as she tapped her chin. "I don't know..." She sighed. "You did make my team lose today."

Tommy laughed. "Nothing personal." He said. "It's just business."

"Okay, Don Tommy." She laughed as Jake began drooling. "I think this guy needs to go to bed.