Levi Read online

  A hand taps my shoulder and when I turn around Brody is signing to me. "Your friend is watching and I'm nervous."

  I sign back. "Don't be nervous. She knows nothing about baseball. She just wants to see you play."

  "Is she your girlfriend?"

  "No. She's my friend. She wants to be your friend."

  "I like her."

  Rolling my eyes I rub his head with my hand before signing, "Get your head in the game. We can talk about Kendall later."

  He sits down with the rest of the team and once I have everyone's attention, I sign and speak simultaneously.

  "When we played the Mustangs for the championship in the Memorial Day tournament we only beat them by one run. They're a tough team so we need to be focused out on the field and try our best. The starting line-up is on the clipboard hanging by the bats. Brody is our catcher in today's game and Colton will pitch. Remember the rules when Brody is out there. If there is a pop fly near the backstop make sure to see if Brody is going for it. If he does, back off and back him up. We don't want any collisions. Be prepared and alert. You're all a team–play like one.

  "The field is a little wet from all the rain we got last night. Coach Ryder couldn't make the game today so Isaiah's dad will be coaching on first. He knows the signs and if you have any doubts you can always check with me at third. Evan is pitching for the Mustangs and his first pitch tends to be wild so don't be surprised if I have you take the first pitch when you're up to bat. Other than that, remember to have fun. If you make an error, shake it off. Don’t let it get to your head because if you think about it too much you'll continue to make errors and it could cost us the game. Even the best players make mistakes. The difference between a great player and an average one is the ability to shake off your mistake and continue to try better.

  "Anyone have any questions?" None of the boys do so we say our cheer and I go meet the other coach and the ump at home plate to go over the rules. Brody, who is also our team captain, is by my side. The coach for the Mustangs has his captain with him, too, and when the ump tosses the game coin to decide which team is home and which team is away, the captain for the Mustangs yells, "Heads," and we watch the coin fall to the dirt. A tails sign is revealed, which means we get to pick if we're home or away. Brody signs home and then we're back in the dugout and my team is grabbing their mitts and running out onto the field.

  I take the brief moment I have before the game starts to peek back over to Kendall. I'm desperately hoping she's not bored. Her eyes are fixated on the field and she doesn't even notice me watching her.

  Yep, I definitely don't regret inviting her to the game. I'm glad she's here.

  Chapter Twenty

  Kendall

  I've never been a baseball fan. Before today the only sport I'd ever watched was basketball, and that's because I was hooking up with one of the personal trainers for the Knicks. Sports never excited me until today. Watching Brody catch felt like I was experiencing Vincent van Gogh paint for the first time. The way Brody guarded the strike zone was crazy. His position makes him a part of every play in the game. When he'd throw the ball with such force and precision back to the pitcher, he made it look effortless and kept me entertained every inning.

  When I wasn't watching Brody, I was watching Levi. He knows so much about baseball and he's an amazing coach. He balances instruction and discipline, while still nurturing these young boys. It's a side I've never seen of him before and it's hot. He's a sexy dad. A D.I.L.F. I know what you may be thinking but for me DILF stands for Dad I Love Fucking.

  Watching Levi take such an interest in Brody's life reminds me of what I missed out on with my own dad. When I was younger I envied kids whose parents were active in their life. My dad was never around. I was lucky if I got to see him once every few years. He sent my mom money, though.

  Once a year, usually around my birthday, my mom would get a thin white envelope in the mail with a check for five hundred thousand dollars. It was my father's way of contributing to my life. What he didn't realize was he was funding my absent mother's drug habit and alcoholism, leaving me to take care of myself in the penthouse suite he left her when he found out she was pregnant with me. I had every take-out menu within five blocks of my home memorized by the time I was ten. When my mother was home it was usually to sleep off the latest bender she went on, so I also knew how to get vomit stains out of carpet and cashmere by the time I was thirteen.

  I never played sports, or participated in any activities at school. Once I tried sex and liked it, I never looked back. Sex I was good at. Sex made me happy. Sex made me feel loved. While I was sharing that intimate part of myself it gave me the comfort I so desperately needed.

  Brody's life will be different. I see the way Levi looks at him and I know Brody feels it. His father loves him. His father will be there for him–always. He'll never go a day in his life wondering if there is anyone out there who loves him.

  When the game ends and the team stops celebrating their win, the boys find their parents and one after another, everyone leaves to go home. I'm not sure what I'm expected to do here. Should I wait for Levi and Brody to congratulate them on the game or will that look suspicious to Brody? I guess I could leave and send Levi a text once I get in an Uber.

  Just as I've decided that getting in an Uber is the best idea, two small arms wrap around my waist and Brody is squeezing me tight. I wrap my arms around him and squeeze him back. When I let go Levi is standing next to us and Brody is signing. I smile down at him, trying to look pleased but inwardly I'm frustrated. I have no idea what he's saying.

  "He's thanking you for coming to his game," Levi signs and verbalizes at the same time.

  "I should be the one thanking him. He was so fun to watch."

  "You can talk to him like you'd talk to me. I'll sign for him."

  Nervous, I look at Brody and say, "You were awesome. I loved watching you play."

  Levi signs and then Brody blushes and signs back for Levi to translate.

  "I'm okay, but I'm going to get better. Dad thinks I can play for the Dodgers one day. I'm a Yankees fan but Dad says there is no team better than the Dodgers."

  "Your dad is a smart man."

  Levi signs longer than I'd expect him to for a few short words, but then Brody runs over to the dugout and starts packing up the equipment.

  "Thanks for coming to his game. He was really excited to play for you."

  "I'm glad you told him I was coming."

  "I figured it was better if I got ahead of the questions since he's seen you before and would have been suspicious if you were in the stands and I hadn't told him you'd be here."

  "Smart thinking."

  "Did you really enjoy the game?"

  "Are you kidding? It was amazing. You guys slaughtered them and your son is a fantastic catcher. I liked seeing you two together."

  "Yeah, he's one of the best in his division. He's already been featured in the local paper, but I'm not sure if that's solely because of his talent. He's good but there are so many good players nowadays. He was probably featured because he's a deaf player or because of me."

  "Why would it be because of you? It's not like you paid them to write an article about him."

  "Yeah, you're right." He looks down at his feet and kicks the dirt around.

  "He's really good, Levi. It's amazing how in tune he is with the game."

  "You know so many players look at him as if he has a disability and it's crazy. He's deaf and they're hearing. It's just another part of who they all are. So many players see he's deaf and mistake it for weakness, and it's the biggest mistake a player can make. If anything, being deaf is an advantage. Brody isn't distracted by the sounds and noises around him. He's able to focus on the game without the other players getting in his head."

  Brody walks back over to us with his bag over one shoulder as he drags the equipment bag through the dirt with his other hand. Levi laughs. "Let me get that for you, buddy."

  As soon as Brody
's hand is free he starts signing fast and his face is animated with excitement.

  "Do you have lunch plans? Brody insists you come back to our place for lunch."

  Trying to hold back a smile I bite my lip and then answer. "Nope, no plans. I'd love to have lunch with you both."

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Kendall

  After a lunch of turkey and cheese sandwiches, we end up spending the rest of the day together in Levi's apartment. The place is kind of rundown and not in the best neighborhood, but Levi has managed to make it a loving home. Framed pictures of Brody cover the walls, along with some of his artwork. His latest report card is hanging on the fridge, surrounded by baseball cards and a Yankees pennant. There are stacks of baseball cards on the counter and flat surfaces throughout the apartment, and more sports magazines than any boy should have.

  Brody showed me his room and his collection of Legos, and then we sat down and watched The Sandlot–a movie I've never heard of. It's about baseball and that's all I know. I was hardly paying attention because Levi's thigh was pressed against mine as he sat next to me on the couch. It took all the willpower I had not to touch him. Thankfully Brody never noticed how close we were because he was too busy watching the movie and reading the captions.

  Since the boys made me lunch, I treat us to dinner by ordering a pizza that's large enough to feed six, yet somehow I was only able to steal one piece before the boys devoured it, and they still had room for ice cream!

  "It's time to wash up and get ready for bed," Levi says and Brody huffs in his seat. When Brody signs something back, Levi's laid-back attitude suddenly changes and his face becomes stern. "I've already let you stay up past your bedtime. Go wash up and I'll come tuck you in."

  Brody gets up but instead of going toward his bedroom, he walks over to me and picks up my phone. My instinct is to yank my phone away but instead I let him play on it for a minute. He sets the phone down, surprises me with a hug, and then runs off down the hall.

  "What was that about?" I ask Levi, since I was only able to understand his side of the conversation.

  "He wanted to stay up and hang out with us, but I told him he had to go to bed. He's not happy."

  "Does he normally go to bed at this time?"

  "On a normal Saturday he'd already be asleep by now and I'd be at work, waiting until I had time to see you." Pulling out his phone he looks at the screen and adds, "Speaking of work. Aren't you late?"

  "I texted Noah a few hours ago and convinced him to give me the night off."

  "Don't you think he'll get suspicious that you asked for the night off on the same night I had a pre-approved night off?"

  "Probably." I shrug my shoulders with indifference. "He'd have to prove it, though."

  The text alert goes off on my phone and I look down to read the screen.

  Brody: I put my number in ur phone so we can talk 2 each other. Good night.

  That sneaky kid. If I didn't like him already this would have been the moment I did. I send him a quick text back.

  Me: I didn't know you have a phone.

  Brody: It's good 4 video chats with my dad and friends. It also gives me a way 2 talk with hearing people who don't sign.

  Me: I'm glad we can communicate this way. Now go to bed before your dad yells at me for keeping you up late.

  "Who are you texting?"

  I set my phone down and reply teasingly, "Another man."

  Levi stiffens in his chair so I quickly add, "He's eight, shares your DNA, and is clever in the communication department."

  His shoulders relax but he watches me for a long time. His hands come up to his face and then rest back down on the table. "About that. There's something I should probably tell you about Brody."

  His words startle me. "What do you want to tell me?"

  He pauses for a moment and takes a dramatic breath before saying, "He's not my biological son."

  I'm confused. I feel like I've been punched in the gut as I try to understand what that means. How can Brody not be his son? They're so similar. They act so much alike, but if I really step back to look at the situation the signs are there. They physically look nothing alike.

  "How? What? I don't get it. You're so young. Why would you be raising a kid that’s not yours?"

  He gets defensive. "You don't get it. Brody is mine. He's my son in every way, we just don't share DNA."

  "Okay," I reply calmly as I verbally try to raise the white flag. "Explain it to me. I want to understand."

  He smiles dully and nods his head. Then he starts from the beginning.

  "Brody's mom was my best friend. We did everything together and when I got a scholarship for baseball she followed me to college. She had no family. We met when she was living down the street from me with one of her many foster parents. She stayed with this woman for three years before being placed in a new home, but we stayed in touch. We did everything together so when I went off to college on a baseball scholarship, she went with me.

  "College was great. We studied and partied together. I was dating this one girl pretty seriously and Torrance, that's Brody's mom, was dating another player on my team. Max Creaton."

  Where have I heard that name before?

  "Toward the end of our sophomore year Torrance found out she was pregnant, and Max wanted nothing to do with the baby. He even went as far as saying he never slept with Torrance and the baby wasn't his. I wanted to kill him. It was a hard time for me because I hated the guy for abandoning Torrance but he was my teammate. I was expected to get along with my teammates.

  "Torrance was devastated by his rejection, but she knew she wanted her baby. After living most of her life in foster care and knowing what shitty parents looked like, she was looking forward to giving her baby the life she always wished she had."

  He pauses and visibly begins to shake. I move over to him and cup his hands in mine, attempting to comfort him the best way I know how. Once he has more control over his body he continues to speak.

  "Life was going to be difficult for her but I was so proud of her and told her I would help her however I could. It wasn't easy because I had school full-time and baseball taking up most of my life. The girl I was dating broke up with me because I never had time for her anymore. All of my free time went to Torrance. I went with her to her doctor appointments and Lamaze classes, and when she went into labor I was there for her during the delivery."

  Levi closes his eyes and puts his head down and I react instantly. I wrap my arm around his back and lean my head against his shoulder.

  "We didn't know she was sick until a few days after Brody was born. Her blood counts had been off during the last several months of the pregnancy. She was tired a lot and bruised easily, but all of it could be explained. She was tired because she was pregnant and she always bruised easily. She was anemic.

  "When Brody was seven days old she was still in the hospital and we found out she had an advanced stage of a rare form of leukemia. The doctors tried their best to treat her, but six months later she died, leaving behind her son.

  "I guess this is the part where I tell you just how good I was at baseball. Brody's birth father, Max, had just been drafted to the Mets."

  That's where I've heard his name before.

  "I had been drafted to the Dodgers. It was supposed to be the best time of my life, and then I got the call from my mom that changed everything. Torrance had died after a complication from her chemo, and I wasn't there for her in her last moments. She had no family. I was her best friend, and she left me her son."

  I hold back the tears I want to shed and try to stay strong enough to hear the rest of the story. I don't want to break down and force Levi to comfort me when I should be the one comforting him.

  "I had two choices,” he continues. "I could be selfish and sign away my rights and responsibility for Brody so that I could focus on my career, or I could step up and take care of him. I'd be honoring Torrance's wish. She had just left her son alone in the world and trusted
me to take care of him. I couldn't break her trust now, when she needed me the most. So I chose to take care of him.

  "That decision changed my life. I stopped playing baseball and as a result my family stopped speaking to me. I dropped out of college and became an instant dad to a baby, and now I was missing the emotional support from my parents I so desperately needed. It was rough.

  "It was a few weeks later that I found out Brody was deaf. With everything going on with Torrance's health and being on the state's healthcare plan, somehow it was missed. I'm not sure if he failed the hearing test in the hospital and no one told Torrance, or if he passed and lost his hearing some other way."

  He's silent again and I'm not sure what I should say. He's opened up to me in a way I never expected and I want to be careful with my words. I don't want to say the wrong thing.

  "That had to be hard. Drastically changing the course of your life and giving up something you love to step into the role of someone's father. You dealt with those new challenges and then suddenly learned your new son is deaf."

  "It was extremely difficult, but I dealt with it like I dealt with everything. Head on. I filed the proper paperwork to adopt Brody and once everything was finalized he was put on my healthcare. Then I researched the best doctors I could find.

  "I immersed myself in deaf culture and spent every free moment I had learning sign language online. When I hired Laura she was able to help me in the areas I lacked with communication, and then free online classes filled in the rest.

  "As Brody got older I started looking for the best schools that would challenge him academically and that brought me to New York. We got lucky because Laura was already planning to move to New York to continue her education. I didn't have to find someone new to help with Brody. I worked a lot of odd jobs when I got here so I was elated when Noah offered me the job at the club."