Thank you for everything. I love all of you!

I had a busy week at work and no days off until Sunday and Monday. The week is too long! Plus any day that the Cardinals don't win is a dreary one for me. Luckily they won when I was at the game last Sunday…hoping they'll do it again when I'm there next. How're your teams doing? The Cubs are totally blowing me away right now, but I've also got my eyes on the Giants. Hot damn, they're looking good.

We're speeding ahead a little bit, just a heads up. You'll see it in the dates : )

I hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think of the chapter.

… …

September 30, 2015

The first game of the doubleheader against the Pirates went horribly, but that was all forgotten when the team came back to win the second game 11-1, and therefore had officially won the title of National League Central Champions. The celebration was insane, and by the time I found Edward amidst all of the excitement, he was completely soaked in beer and champagne, but wearing one of the biggest smiles I had ever seen on his face.

"We did it," he said, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into an intense kiss. We remained like that for a while, embracing passionately as the celebration continued around us. He was sweaty and filthy, and his hair was dripping wet with alcohol as I ran my hands through it.

"You did it," I echoed after we parted, smiling up at him. "Congratulations. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you," he said before crushing me in another hug. "And thank you for being here. I love you."

I responded by tilting my head up for another kiss, and he happily obliged.

I stood to the side with Leah after that, watching as the team celebrated. The boys, even the veterans, were rowdy and excited, spraying each other with champagnge and dumping beers over each other's heads. Some of them wore protective goggles over their eyes, but none of them were safe from the freezing cold temperature of the alcohol they were covered with.

Edward's teeth were chattering as he gave interviews, but the smile never left his face. He reached out for me again every once and a while but mostly I was just content with watching him. I hadn't really seen him in this element before, at least not to this extent, and finally witnessing it just made me fall even further in love.

… …

October 5, 2015

Edward smiled languorously as I stepped out of the en suite master bathroom, clad in the lingerie I bought while we were in Chicago together.

"I was wondering when I'd get to see this," he said, resting his hands on my hips as I climbed on top of him.

"An end of the season gift," I laughed, but the sound died in my throat as Edward slipped his fingers under the lacy material of my skimpy underwear. He grinned wickedly when his fingers came into contact with my flesh, and I couldn't resist kissing him for any longer.

Our lips met, softly at first, but the kiss quickly became passionate. His hands were all over me, and I could tell how much he liked the red and nude lingerie set I had decided on. Eventually, though, it just got in the way, and the bra and panties were both unceremoniously tossed to the floor. He found his way inside of me quickly, stretching me and filling me until I thought that I couldn't take anymore.

He let me ride him until I was finished, then flipped me over and took control until he, too, had his fill. We were both breathing heavily when we rolled onto our sides to face each other, and we were slick with sweat despite the ceiling fan whirling above us.

"You'll be the death of me," Edward said throatily, running his hand over the bare skin of my stomach as he tucked me close against his side. "The things you do to me."

"I could say the same," I replied with a smile, pressing my cheek against his bare chest. "I'll never get enough."

"I hope that's true," Edward murmured, kissing the top of my head.

We kissed and held each close for a while longer, soaking each other up in silence.

The Cardinals had been swept by the Atlanta Braves to finish the season, but they weren't too broken up about it. The team was much more focused on preparing for their first postseason game of the year on Friday, which would be against either the Chicago Cubs or Pittsburgh Pirates. Luckily, the first two games would be in St. Louis and I already had tickets for both of them. I wouldn't be able to join Edward for the away games in either Pittsburgh or Chicago because of work, but he assured me that it was okay. He was just happy that I'd be at two of them, cheering him and the rest of the team on.

Carlisle and Esme would be arriving in St. Louis on Thursday morning, sitting with me during the games on Friday and Saturday, and would then travel to the away games, as well. I was glad that they could make it; it lessened the guilt I felt for not being to attend myself. Marcus would be at the home games, but so would Garrett, Edward's other younger brother that I had yet to meet. I was looking forward to meeting the last member of the Cullen family, but it was still a little nerve wracking.

"I promise that we'll make a trip to your parents place after our postseason run ends," Edward said, as if he could read my mind. "Hopefully that won't be for a little while…but still. I'm looking forward to it."

"I'm glad," I responded earnestly, grinning at him. "My parents will love you, and they're nearly as excited as I am that I'll be bringing you home. But you're right. We don't want the postseason run to be over too early."

"Definitely not."

"Are you nervous?" I asked. "For Friday?"

Edward had never played in a MLB postseason game before, a fact that I'm sure he was painfully aware of.

"I am nervous, but I'm also excited," Edward answered after a moment of thought. "It's a big deal, you know? Playing in the postseason, trying to help my team win- it's the dream. A lot of guys don't get this far, or even close to it. It's humbling."

"I'm sure. I'm so happy for you guys, though. And I can't wait to be at the game on Friday," I said enthusiastically. "Tyler is crazy jealous that I get to go, by the way. So is my dad."

Edward laughed, shaking his head. "Your dad? Isn't he a Royals fan?"

"He went out and bought a Cullen jersey a few weeks ago," I giggled. "No lie."

"Damn, now I'm really nervous," Edward joked. "That's a lot of pressure."

"They'll love you," I repeated, hoping that he sensed the honesty in my words.

My parents were beyond thrilled that I had found someone I loved so much, regardless of his profession. They already loved him just because I loved him, and he loved me so strongly. They saw and respected that, and were happy I had found something that the two of them had never really had.

October 9, 2015

Garrett seemed like the exact mixture of his two brothers. Sure, Edward was easy-going, but he was also very serious and deeply passionate about all aspects of his life. Marcus was a total goofball, and while he was a good husband and father, he definitely didn't have quite the same drive as Edward did. But while Garrett also goofed around like Marcus, he displayed a work ethic much like Edward's.

He had arrived at Edward's apartment on Thursday morning with their parents, but his head had been in his schoolbooks most of the night thanks to his upcoming midterms. His ears flushed pink, just like Edward's often did, when his brothers teased him about it, but he also spent part of the night horsing around with Marcus and his son, Austin.

The family gathering the night before had made me nervous before, but I quickly learned that there was nothing to worry about. The Cullen's had welcomed me into their family without a second thought, and I already felt like I belonged.

Edward had always made me feel like I belonged, too, and it was obviously a Cullen family trait. I had never felt so appreciated, loved, and cherished in my whole life. Edward not only took care of me physically; he also saw to my emotional needs and made sure that his family accepted me as well. Past boyfriends had been good to me, too, but I knew that this was different.

This was the man I planned to spend the rest of my life with, and the fact that he had always treated me like a goddess reassured me that I was with the right person.

… …

"I'm nervous!" Esme exclaimed, tightening her scarf around her neck. "And look at this crowd! It's unbelievable."

She was right about that- more than 45,000 people were crammed into the Stadium, with even more across the street at Ballpark Village and at the surrounding bars to cheer on the hometown team as they played the Chicago Cubs in the National League Divisional Series. Edward had gotten us tickets again, and while they weren't quite as good of seats as he had gotten during the regular season, they were still pretty impressive.

Esme and Carlisle sat to my left, while Marcus and Garrett were to my right. We had arrived at the game early, but after eating dinner and getting some drinks, game time arrived pretty quickly.

The game lasted less than three hours, but it was exhilarating. The Cardinals won 4-0, and Edward had done a great job. He had two hits, including a homerun, and two RBI's, plus two runs of his own. Busch Stadium was a mad house after the final out, and it would have probably been fun to stick around or go to the bars downtown, I couldn't wait to head home and congratulate Edward.

Luckily, his parents were already fast asleep when I congratulated him on his first postseason homerun late that night.

October 13, 2015

"Hey."

Edward's voice was weak when he answered the phone, and more than anything, I wished I was in Chicago with him right now. Although the Cardinals had won game one of the series versus the Cubs, that momentum had not carried on throughout the series. Tonight had been the fourth game of the series, and after the third straight loss, the Cardinals were officially eliminated from the postseason and were done for 2015.

"How're you doing?" I asked, not sure of what else to say.

"Fine, I guess. I'm just…disappointed," Edward said heavily. "I can't believe we lost like that. It felt like it was out of our hands…like there was nothing we could do."

"I'm sorry," I replied quietly.

"I just really wanted this," Edward murmured. "I wanted to prove myself…prove ourselves. I can't believe we lost like that," he repeated.

"Edward…" I trailed off, wishing I had the words to somehow make everything better. "I wish I was there."

"I'll be home tomorrow," Edward said morosely. "Just not the way I wanted to come back."

"You're young," I reminded him. "The team still has potential, talent. You'll be back in this position soon. Maybe even a year from now…and you'll still be able to prove yourself then."

"I know. Man…I wish you were here, too. You make me feel so much better. Just the sound of your voice helps. If I was there with you…you'd make this all go away, just by being you. Just by loving me."

"I do love you," I said. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, sweetheart. I hate to come home like this…but at least I'm coming home to you."

… …

Late night updates seem to be my thing. Not sure why, but I'll keep doing what works for me, I guess! I hope you enjoyed it; let me know!