Chapter 15: He's growing up
Rory, Lexie and Dan were all at the Fenway Ball Park watching Tristan playing a baseball game. The little boy who was now ten months loved it, right away. He could recognize his father and sat quietly watching the whole game. Lexie and Rory marveled at his attention span on the game. After the game Lexie along with Dan and Rory were down in the locker rooms waiting for Tristan to come out. "Hey!" he called out coming over to kiss Rory on the cheek. "He liked it!" exclaimed Lexie. "The game?" came Tristan's surprised answer. "He didn't cry even for second during the whole game," Rory explained with a grin. "And he didn't stop looking at the field Dad," Tristan smiled while ruffling his son's hair. He gurgled for a moment and then suddenly it came clear what he was trying to say. The rest of the family remained quiet watching Dan wondering if maybe he was going to talk, "Baseball," Lexie said quietly for him to copy. "Baseball," he repeated making Lexie start dancing in the hall. Rory smiled and Tristan grinned maybe he would keep the legend of the DuGrey family with baseball. "He's like you after all," Rory whispered and Lexie realized her little brother was growing up.
Fenway Ball Park-
Tristan and Rory had brought Dan to Fenway again while Lexie was at school. He was now fifteen months old, Rory sat in the stands reading a book while Tristan played with Dan, holding his hands and running around the bases. He sat him down at home plate and walked over to the pitcher's mound. Without saying anything to Dan he stood up and ran.not to his father but to first base. "RORY!" Tristan called out in surprise. "What?" was her lazy response. "Look like we've got a baseball player in the family after all," he said pointing over to Dan running to first base. "Guess so," was her happy answer glad that Tristan had someone to share his passion for the game with. She could picture it now the two of them playing the backyard with Fenway catching the run away balls. Their life certainly wasn't getting any easier with Dan and his new found walking.as he continued to run around the baseball field.
Learning Baseball-Age 5
"Hey Daddy," the little boy whispered as they sat in the family room watching a baseball game. "Yeah Dan?" came his reply, eyes still on the television screen. "Do you think you could teach me baseball?" Tristan looked amused for a minute but then saw the seriousness in the boy's eyes. "Of course come on, I have a glove that I think will fit you." he trailed off as he hurried into his and Rory's bedroom. Rory and Lexie were at Stars Hollow to help with some festival or another so it was just he, Fenway and Dan. They didn't really see each other often for Dan was busy with all his clubs at school and Tristan was busy with all the media coverage and baseball. Dan seemed to take more to Rory than to him and it pained him to watch Rory and Dan reading at night while laughing about that day. He'd try so hard to connect with Dan but it was so much easier with Lexie for some reason. He pulled out the glove from the back of the closet remembering the night before when Rory said she and Lexie were going to Stars Hollow for the weekend. He had tried to send Dan with them too but Rory had stubbornly refused telling him you need to remember you have Dan too, as a kid Tristan. He sighed and then brightened at how they were going to play ball just father and son, something that hadn't happened since he first started walking at the baseball field. "Have you learned how to play?" he asked Dan making him jump suddenly. "No," he said softly. "Why not?" he asked surprised. "I was waiting for my favorite baseball player to teach me," Tristan smiled and began teaching him the game. Over the entire weekend it was spent in the backyard playing baseball. When Lexie and Rory had come home they had been both surprised and delighted to see the two of them actually bonding. They had both given up hope that Tristan and Dan would ever be close like most father and sons but there they were playing baseball. Soon after, both Rory and Lexie joined the game making them have one true family moment.
Little League-Age 10
Dan's smile was all it took. If Tristan had refused to buy something for Lexie and Dan he would turn on his smile and BOOM! They'd have what they wanted. Did he use this to his advantage? Of course he did, any kid in their right mind would. Tristan had a game at one in the afternoon and Dan's first game of Little League with him as the star pitcher was at three. Tristan had to go to his game-but Dan pleaded and begged, which didn't work and then he smiled that hopeful smile of his-inherited from his mother, of course and he was going to the Little League game as well. Rory, Lexie and Dan all headed to the Little League ballpark a half-hour early because Dan needed to warm up with the rest of his team. It was two minutes until the game and Tristan still hadn't arrived. Rory was worried that he wouldn't make it and his son's heart would break. Tristan was Dan's hero, his everything. Sure, his mother and sister were great but Tristan was his best friend, the moment after he had taught him baseball. Lexie would tell her mother of tales with Dan standing in the middle of the playground at recess bragging about his father winning the last game. Tristan didn't know how much his kid loved him, and if he missed this game, well then poor Dan's dreams would become crushed. A minute left to go and Dan came over to Lexie and Rory still looking hopeful. "Don't worry, Mommy," Dan assured his mother. "He'll be here," Rory was unsure if he was trying to reassure her or himself. Ten Seconds were left and Rory hoped against hope that Tristan would show up. Five seconds, Dan was standing on the pitcher's mound looking forlornly past the stands Two seconds were left when suddenly Tristan appeared still in his Red Sox uniform and took a seat next to Rory. Dan's face lit up and Rory whispered to him. "You have no idea how much this means to him,"
"I wouldn't miss this for anything, Rory," he whispered back kissing her quickly. "Let's go Dan!" he called out making Dan's grin even wider if that was even possible. The game begun and Dan was doing fantastic glancing up between pitches at his father in his baseball uniform made him realize he knew exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up just like his father. When the game was over his team had actually won, Lexie and Rory congratulated him and he had nodded his recognition but then his dad said he was proud of him and wrapped him up in a big bear hug, well that was one of the best moments in his life and he cherished this moment forever.
Rory, Lexie and Dan were all at the Fenway Ball Park watching Tristan playing a baseball game. The little boy who was now ten months loved it, right away. He could recognize his father and sat quietly watching the whole game. Lexie and Rory marveled at his attention span on the game. After the game Lexie along with Dan and Rory were down in the locker rooms waiting for Tristan to come out. "Hey!" he called out coming over to kiss Rory on the cheek. "He liked it!" exclaimed Lexie. "The game?" came Tristan's surprised answer. "He didn't cry even for second during the whole game," Rory explained with a grin. "And he didn't stop looking at the field Dad," Tristan smiled while ruffling his son's hair. He gurgled for a moment and then suddenly it came clear what he was trying to say. The rest of the family remained quiet watching Dan wondering if maybe he was going to talk, "Baseball," Lexie said quietly for him to copy. "Baseball," he repeated making Lexie start dancing in the hall. Rory smiled and Tristan grinned maybe he would keep the legend of the DuGrey family with baseball. "He's like you after all," Rory whispered and Lexie realized her little brother was growing up.
Fenway Ball Park-
Tristan and Rory had brought Dan to Fenway again while Lexie was at school. He was now fifteen months old, Rory sat in the stands reading a book while Tristan played with Dan, holding his hands and running around the bases. He sat him down at home plate and walked over to the pitcher's mound. Without saying anything to Dan he stood up and ran.not to his father but to first base. "RORY!" Tristan called out in surprise. "What?" was her lazy response. "Look like we've got a baseball player in the family after all," he said pointing over to Dan running to first base. "Guess so," was her happy answer glad that Tristan had someone to share his passion for the game with. She could picture it now the two of them playing the backyard with Fenway catching the run away balls. Their life certainly wasn't getting any easier with Dan and his new found walking.as he continued to run around the baseball field.
Learning Baseball-Age 5
"Hey Daddy," the little boy whispered as they sat in the family room watching a baseball game. "Yeah Dan?" came his reply, eyes still on the television screen. "Do you think you could teach me baseball?" Tristan looked amused for a minute but then saw the seriousness in the boy's eyes. "Of course come on, I have a glove that I think will fit you." he trailed off as he hurried into his and Rory's bedroom. Rory and Lexie were at Stars Hollow to help with some festival or another so it was just he, Fenway and Dan. They didn't really see each other often for Dan was busy with all his clubs at school and Tristan was busy with all the media coverage and baseball. Dan seemed to take more to Rory than to him and it pained him to watch Rory and Dan reading at night while laughing about that day. He'd try so hard to connect with Dan but it was so much easier with Lexie for some reason. He pulled out the glove from the back of the closet remembering the night before when Rory said she and Lexie were going to Stars Hollow for the weekend. He had tried to send Dan with them too but Rory had stubbornly refused telling him you need to remember you have Dan too, as a kid Tristan. He sighed and then brightened at how they were going to play ball just father and son, something that hadn't happened since he first started walking at the baseball field. "Have you learned how to play?" he asked Dan making him jump suddenly. "No," he said softly. "Why not?" he asked surprised. "I was waiting for my favorite baseball player to teach me," Tristan smiled and began teaching him the game. Over the entire weekend it was spent in the backyard playing baseball. When Lexie and Rory had come home they had been both surprised and delighted to see the two of them actually bonding. They had both given up hope that Tristan and Dan would ever be close like most father and sons but there they were playing baseball. Soon after, both Rory and Lexie joined the game making them have one true family moment.
Little League-Age 10
Dan's smile was all it took. If Tristan had refused to buy something for Lexie and Dan he would turn on his smile and BOOM! They'd have what they wanted. Did he use this to his advantage? Of course he did, any kid in their right mind would. Tristan had a game at one in the afternoon and Dan's first game of Little League with him as the star pitcher was at three. Tristan had to go to his game-but Dan pleaded and begged, which didn't work and then he smiled that hopeful smile of his-inherited from his mother, of course and he was going to the Little League game as well. Rory, Lexie and Dan all headed to the Little League ballpark a half-hour early because Dan needed to warm up with the rest of his team. It was two minutes until the game and Tristan still hadn't arrived. Rory was worried that he wouldn't make it and his son's heart would break. Tristan was Dan's hero, his everything. Sure, his mother and sister were great but Tristan was his best friend, the moment after he had taught him baseball. Lexie would tell her mother of tales with Dan standing in the middle of the playground at recess bragging about his father winning the last game. Tristan didn't know how much his kid loved him, and if he missed this game, well then poor Dan's dreams would become crushed. A minute left to go and Dan came over to Lexie and Rory still looking hopeful. "Don't worry, Mommy," Dan assured his mother. "He'll be here," Rory was unsure if he was trying to reassure her or himself. Ten Seconds were left and Rory hoped against hope that Tristan would show up. Five seconds, Dan was standing on the pitcher's mound looking forlornly past the stands Two seconds were left when suddenly Tristan appeared still in his Red Sox uniform and took a seat next to Rory. Dan's face lit up and Rory whispered to him. "You have no idea how much this means to him,"
"I wouldn't miss this for anything, Rory," he whispered back kissing her quickly. "Let's go Dan!" he called out making Dan's grin even wider if that was even possible. The game begun and Dan was doing fantastic glancing up between pitches at his father in his baseball uniform made him realize he knew exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up just like his father. When the game was over his team had actually won, Lexie and Rory congratulated him and he had nodded his recognition but then his dad said he was proud of him and wrapped him up in a big bear hug, well that was one of the best moments in his life and he cherished this moment forever.