Train Wreck

sixty-nine

REMINGTON POV

**ONE MONTH LATER**

The summer heat was beginning to wane but we were making the most of every long day between Lissy and my jobs as well as all of Benji's activities.

He was unstoppable once he got a clean bill of health from Doc about a week after we returned from our Atlanta road trip.  Taylor went to the gym with us a few times as well, making sure we got the right muscle groups strengthened so Benji didn't miss a beat when practice started.

On his first day he was nervous, but once he arrived immediately felt welcomed by the team.  Taylor introduced him and told the guys about some of Ben's accomplishments in Atlanta which was the perfect way to make him feel special.

Lissy and I started helping with practices, taking snacks and drinks as well as giving all the players one on one attention with pitching, catching, or batting.  The bright grin on Benji's face when his sister threw a fastball to Taylor in front of the whole team was a memory I held close to my heart.

He was so proud of how hard she tried to be part of what he loved.

We decided to host a Labor Day weekend pizza dinner at the farmhouse for the baseball team and let the parents know they were welcome to stick around or use the time as a free date night for a few hours.  Most decided to slip away and get much needed couple time but we knew we would have no problem corralling the kids with the help of our friends.

"Are you sure the order will be enough pizza for the whole team, Taylor?" Alice asked, her nerves showing as we assembled picnic tables to set up a get together for Ben's baseball team.  Jesse and Rob shared a smirk while scooting another table to the flatter portion of our side yard, knowing this anxious Alice would fade as soon as the get together was underway.

It always did.  She would have moments of panic then remember how proactive we had been and suddenly everything would fall into place.

We had already mowed a decent size baseball field on part of the property and while it wasn't perfect, it was good enough for few scrimmage rounds with the team.  The space was a far cry from the overgrown mess that we inherited when my dad died.  Liss had the idea to set up the field near one of the old barns, giving us the chance to install a couple simple bathrooms and have electricity for a fridge that we kept full of Gatorade and water bottles.  She even thought to keep a fully stocked first aid kit stashed with extra hydrogen peroxide and gauze for those sliding injuries.

Life was so different than I ever expected but I was happier than I could manage.  Watching the boys arrive and jog toward the group of tables, each with some type of baked good or bag of chips made my heart soar.

Jesse and Rob grabbed cases of Gatorade and water as well as a few extra bags of ice, quickly getting them situated in coolers we set up around the back porch.

A single case of Grape Gatorade was our nod to my Dad, the previously disgusting flavor now a favorite of Ben as well as some of his new school friends.

The farmhouse had a lot of work left but we were planning to get the roof and plumbing redone throughout the fall after focusing on the deck and outdoor areas to eek out as much of the summer as we could. Alice had a plan for redoing the wood floors this winter and wanted to upgrade the bathrooms but we were taking our time.

We still spent most of our time at the small house she was renting, but most days we would work from home in the air conditioning then make our way to the farmhouse to get some projects accomplished.  Our jobs were so flexible that we could easily work at our own pace while also allowing time to relax together.