Oh my God! I can't believe it! Over a thousand views in one day! In honor of the first time one of my stories reached a thousand views in a day, I decided to post a chapter today! Thank you so so much for reading, I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to me. I really love writing this story and I just hope you enjoy reading it as much as I love writing it!
Two on, two out in the bottom of the ninth. I glanced around AT&T Park trying to commit this to memory. The other wives and I stood with our hands linked as we watched Jace step up to bat. The Giants were down by one in the final game of the regular season. If they won here tonight, they would clinch their division and head to the National League Division Series in the first round of the stepped into the batter's box and the pitcher glanced behind him to check the runner on first. All he had to do was get a base hit and they were still in this.
The first pitch was thrown and Jace swung and missed. Strike one. My grip tightened on Kristen, a wife of one of the player's, hand. Pitch two was low and outside. Jace didn't swing and it was called a ball. He stepped out of the box to take a practice swing and calm himself down. I willed him to look up into the stands and when he stepped back into the box he did and I gave his my most reassuring smile. The pitcher wound his arm back to fling the ball toward home plate. Jace swung and that sound I love so much, the sound of the ball hitting the bat, rang out through the stadium. The crowd fell silent as we watched the ball climb higher and higher. Jace was rounding first when the ball flew out of the park. Thunderous applause rang out as he rounded third and made his way home. The dugout had cleared and his teammates were there to meet him in a huddle. They jumped around slapping Jace on the back and finally lifted him up into the air. They were going to the playoffs.
When they finally let Jace down, someone began passing out their t-shirts and hats. I was hugging all the wives and congratulating them when a representative opened the gate below us to let us on the field. I saw as the other players found their wives and families. I was just about to the pitchers mound when something grabbed me from behind and spun me around.
When my feet hit the ground, I spun around to face Jace and wrap my arms around his neck. "Oh my God," I yelled into his ear. "I can't believe it. You're actually going to the playoffs. This is a dream come true, Jace."
He pulled away to look at my face. "And you're the only one I want standing next to me." I jumped into his arms and wrapped my legs around his waist as he spun around laughing. He stopped abruptly when a field reporter and camera crew tapped him on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, Jace," the reporter interrupted. "Can we get a few quick words from you?"
He looked down at me in question and I just shrugged giving him permission. My feet hit the ground once more and Jace pulled me into his side. "Yeah, go ahead," he said to the reporter.
"Are we ready," she asked the cameraman and he nodded as she turned back to Jace. "So you're down one run with two on and two outs when you step up to the plate. What is going through your mind in that moment?"
""Swing hard," he chuckled. "In all seriousness, we have worked really hard to be here today and I wouldn't have been able to do it without the other twenty-four guys on the team."
"This is your first season. Has it been everything you've dreamed of?"
"And more. I worked for thirteen years to get to this place and this field. I never thought that one day I would be standing in the greatest stadium in baseball with my wife beside me as we make our way to the playoffs."
"You're playing Arizona in the division series. What are your thoughts on that?"
"Honestly, right now, I can't even think about anything past tonight. I think we're ready for them, but I'm not going to worry about it too much until next week."
"Thanks, Jace."
"Alright, thank you." The crew moved on to some of the veterans and Jace turned his attention back to me. "Where's Izzy?"
"She wasn't feeling well and decided to stay home," I explained. Ever since Isabelle had moved out of our apartment, Jace had become super paranoid whenever she wasn't at a game. "She watched on TV and I was texting her the whole time. I bet Simon really wants to get home though." I waggled my eyebrows up and down and Jace grimaced.
"Ugh, that's my sister." He shook his head at me trying to pull away and my grip tightened as I reclaimed my spot in his arms with my legs around his waist.
"Just imagine what's it like when I talk to her about you. She finally made me stop calling you by name."
"Um, I have a solution for that. Don't talk about me with my sister."
"Oh, babe, it's just something girls do."
"Well, now my sister can probably picture us doing it and I don't like that."
"Get over it." I smiled and kissed him. "Do you have to go to the locker room before you leave or can we just go home?" He grunted in frustration.
"I really should go down there. There's going to be a celebration and everything. Why don't you go home and I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Okay, but you're missing out."
"Trust me, I know," he said as he put me down and kissed me passionately before turning to head toward the locker room. "I'll see you in a little while."
"I love you! I'm so proud of you!" I yelled to his back as he jogged and turned to shoot me his signature smile he saved just for me. He didn't need to say the words because everything in his eyes told me he loved me just as much as I loved him.
o.O.0.O.o
I woke to Jace entering the bedroom. I started to sit up, but he stopped me.
"Jace, what time is it," I asked as he got in bed behind me and pulled my back against his chest.
"Two," he said into my hair.
"What took you so long? I thought you were going to get home as soon as possible."
"I know, baby, but there was a ton of stuff to do. We had to go over travel plans and get our jerseys for the games and just a bunch of stuff like that. I wanted to get back here to you so bad."
"I'm glad you're here now and you have a couple of days off."
"Yeah, I guess the honeymoon is going to have to be postponed further."
"I think that going to the playoffs are a little more important." I turned to face him and ran my hand across the stubble on his cheeks. "Are you guys doing anything superstitious?"
"If I told you, it would ruin it." He smirked and pulled my lips to his. I broke away wanting an answer.
"Oh, come on. Everyone knows that the Red Sox don't shave during the postseason and when the Giants were in the playoffs a couple of years ago, they made Hunter give his speech before every game." I gave him my sweetest smile as I waited for him to tell me I was wrong.
"Okay, fine. We're not supposed to be sleeping with our wives or girlfriends or anyone, for that matter, until we lose." I couldn't help it as I burst out in laughter. "Hey, it's not funny. Do you realize how hard this is going to be? We just got married and I'm used to getting it any time I want."
"Well, maybe I should have been a little more stingy if you think you can have me anytime you want."
"You know what I mean, but I can't risk it because what if we do it and we loose the next game? I can't handle that being on my conscience."
I was still laughing as I said, "Wow, baseball players and their superstitions. How did you guys decide on this?"
"Apparently it's an old tradition, like New York Giants old. I guess it keeps us focused because we know we either have to lose or win the whole damn thing to get what we want and getting it after loosing would hurt too bad."
"I guess that makes sense." He nodded and kissed my forehead. I breathed in his freshly showered scent. "So, I guess the whole baby thing is going to be on the back burner for a while."
"Yeah, I'm sorry."
"Hey, don't be sorry. This is your dream, Jace. You need to live it the best you can and when you're done, we can pick up where we left off."
"How did I get so lucky to have you as a wife?"
"I blame the USD academic system. If we hadn't been put in that class together, we may not be laying here today."
"I don't like to think like that. I would like to think that even if we didn't have that class together we would have passed by each other and our eyes would have met and everything would have fallen into place. I like to think it was fate, rather than luck that brought us together and that we would have found our way to each other no matter what."
"When did you become a hopeless romantic?"
"I don't know, I've just always felt that way." Silence fell over us as I drifted back to sleep. "Did you talk to Isabelle at all?"
"Yes, I actually went by her place before I came home. She was so sick. I don't know what's wrong with her, but I'm starting to get worried."
"I'm sure she'll be fine, babe. If I know anything in this life, it's that my sister doesn't let any sickness or injury bring her down."
"You're right. I want to keep an eye on her though." A thought came to mind, but I quickly pushed it away. Moments later, the thought resurfaced and I blurted it out to Jace. "Do you think she could be pregnant?"
"If she is, I'll kill Simon."
"Okay, mister overprotective big brother. It was just a thought. Isabelle hasn't been sick since I've known her. I just think it's a little odd. She's always pointing fingers at us, but maybe this time it's her who the fingers should be pointed at."
"I hope she's not. She still has two years left in school and she's only been with Simon for a few months."
I nodded against his chest in agreement and dropped the issue.
"I sketched in my book when I got home," I said with a small amount of nervousness.
"Oh, really? What did you draw?"
Instead of answering, I reached to the bedside table and opened my sketchbook to the last page that had a drawing and gave it to him. He was silent for a moment inspecting the drawing. When he looked up at me, he smiled.
"This is awesome, Clary," he said of my sketch of him being lifted in the air by his teammates. "You captured the emotions on all of our faces so perfectly. Thank you, so much for doing this."
"Thank you for being a great subject." I said with a small laugh. "Alright, seventeen games. We just have to get through seventeen games at the most, and then your first season will be over."
"Let's just get through these first five first," he said with a chuckle.
"Oh, sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Now I might have jinxed it." I placed my hand over my mouth and Jace pulled it away as he kissed my lips.
"It's okay, you're right. There are seventeen possible games left in the season and I want to be playing in all of them."
"Then you will. You always get what you want and I don't see this being any different. I love you and I'm so very proud of you."
"Seventeen games."
"Seventeen games."
