June 3, 2021

I watched as my dad unloaded all of the suitcases out of the trunk, setting them on the sidewalk one by one. I couldn't stop thinking about how much I already missed Texas and how I wouldn't see any of my friends till school started back up again. I was especially upset that I wouldn't be seeing my boyfriend Jake, but we agreed to FaceTime as much as we could.

My dad and I are staying in California for the summer with Grandma Dina since Grandpa Eddy had just passed from cancer two months ago. Gran was at peace with the fact that he was in a better place now, so she never let it stop her from being happy. My dad had warned me before we left that it was a touchy subject for her though, and that I probably should try my best to avoid bringing it up.

"A little help would be nice." said dad after setting down a large brown suitcase.

"Nah, I'd rather watch you do it." I said staring at the concrete ground beneath me.

"Look," dad said as he knelt on the sidewalk next to me. "I know you'd rather be back in Texas with all of your friends, but your grandma needs us."

"I know." I said in a tiredly, "i was just really looking forward to the summer season."

He set a hand on my shoulder which made me look up at him.

"There's always next year," he smiled.

Before I could argue with that, I heard a door close behind me and quickly turned to see Grandma Dina walking down the steps of the house with a big smile across her face. She was short, about 5'4. She had curly light grey hair that stopped at her shoulders and her wrinkled skin was pale as snow. She walked with a limp but trust me she could still move pretty quickly.

"Well if it isn't my little pumpkin!" Said Gran with a smile.

Gran has called me Pumpkin ever since I could remember. I don't exactly know why she calls me this, but I'm guessing it's because I have red hair and freckles on my nose and cheeks.

"Hey Gran!" I said as I stood up to hug her.

"Oh! Danny my son. How have you been? I've missed you so much." Said Gran tightly hugging dad.

"Hey ma. We've missed you too." Said dad returning the hug.

She let go and looked at my dad.

"You two better hurry up and get your stuff inside." Said Gran in a bossed. "The sun is going down and I just baked cookies. Figured y'all would be hungry from the long trip here."

As soon as I heard Gran say "baked" my whole body filled with joy. Grandma Dina was one of the best bakers ever. Now I know that's what everyone says about their grandma, but Grandma Dina's baking was absolutely amazing. She owns her own bakery right next to Vincent's Drug store. She's run it ever since my dad was a little kid. Everyone in town loves Gran up at the Bakery, and I don't blame them.

Dad and I brought in all the suitcases until there was just one bag left out by the car. I went to get it since it was mine. As I walked back outside I noticed two boys walking in the street. They were both carrying baseball gloves but only one of them had a bat. One boy was tall and looked around my age with black hair and olive skin. He had on black jeans with a white t-shirt and an unbuttoned baseball jersey over it. The other boy was much shorter. He had blonde hair and was dressed a lot nicer than the taller boy. As they got closer the blonde boy waved goodbye to his friend and ran to his house which was about 5 away from Grandma Dina's house. The taller boy waved back then stopped at the house across the street from me. As I picked up my bag the boy looked over at me. I noticed his lips curving into a small smile so I smiled back, then threw the bag over my shoulder and walked back inside.

"Is that all of it?" Said dad as he stuffed one of Gran's cookies in his mouth.

"Yeah, mine was the last one." I said as I walked towards the stairs. As I ran up to my room I yelled "Don't eat all the cookies while I'm unpacking. You know you tend to get carried away!" Which made both dad and grandma laugh.

I opened the door to the room I always stayed in when we came to visit. My two other suitcases were already sitting on the bed. The room was just as I remembered. The bed was centered between two windows with grey curtains. The walls were still the same eggshell white as always, and the bedsheets were still a light blue with small white flowers. I thankfully have my own bathroom which is nice for when I feel like blasting music while showering.

I unpacked all my clothes and organized them into my closet, which was full of old books and blankets. I decided that since I'd be staying all summer this time, I would decorate the room to make it more comfortable. The first thing I did was hang up all of my posters around the room, then hung some fairy lights that, thankfully, were long enough to stretch all around the ceiling. Next, I set a picture frame of my softball team and I, and a smaller one of my me and my mom right next to it on the night stand next to the bed.

I brought my bat and glove just in case I found a place to practice with dad. I figured since I wouldn't be playing with my team this year, I could at least practice. I put the bat in the corner of my room and my glove on the dresser.

I smiled at the picture thinking about the day my dad took it. We had gone ice skating that day because it was my 6th birthday, even though none of us were good at it. It was my favorite picture of us together. My mom passed when I was 9 so I always carried the picture close with me wherever she went.

I looked out the window to scope out the rest of the neighborhood to see if there were any houses I should stay clear of. As I looked around I saw the tall black-haired boy from earlier sitting on his porch with a little girl who looked a lot like him. I stared at him until I jumped from hearing someone knock at my door.

"Come in"

Gran slipped through the door very carefully as if she was trying to not get caught by someone. She was holding something behind her back. I didn't know what it was until I smelled them. Cookies. She pulled out a plate with two chocolate chip cookies on it from behind her.

"I brought you some before your dad could get them all." She whispered. "He's just like he was as a kid. Always eating but never gaining weight." She laughed and shook her head.

"Thank you." I said while laughing.

She set the plate on the foot of the bed and then pecked a kiss on my forehead before walking towards the door.

"Hey gran?" I said just before the door closed.

"Yes pumpkin?" She said poking her head through the door.

"Who's the boy across the street? I saw him walking home with another kid earlier and they looked like they had just gotten done playing baseball."

Gran smiled. "That my dear would be Benjamin Rodriguez. He's quite a charmer I might say. He and his little sister come by the bakery a lot. Always gets the same thing. A piece of banana bread for the little one and a cinnamon muffin for his mom."

I smiled, I'm not sure why I did, but gran must have seen me because she said "you should come work up there with me. I'm short on staff anyways and could use the extra help." She put her hand up next to her mouth and whispered "I'll even pay you" then sent me a wink.

"That would be fun Gran. I'd love to work at the bakery with you." I laughed.

"Great. You can start tomorrow." She said as she quickly closed the door.

"Wait! But-" by the time I would have finished my sentence she would be long gone so I didn't even bother. Instead, I took a hot shower and decided to go to bed since it was already 10:36 p.m.

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The next day

I had slept pretty well last night. The bed was a lot more comfortable than I remembered. I got up and put on a white lace crop top and slightly ripped Jean shorts, then straightened my hair and put on mascara like I did every morning. I slipped on my favorite black and white checkered vans then walked into the hallway.

As I walked downstairs I smelled Gran making breakfast and a smile came across my face.

On the table, there was a pitcher full of orange juice, my favorite, along with pancakes, sausage, and eggs.

"Looks great Gran. Thank you for Breakfast!" I said while filling my plate. But to my surprise, I heard my dad's voice say "you're welcome" from in the kitchen.

"Dad? You made breakfast?" I said in shock.

He put his hand on his chest and his jaw dropped open. "I'm offended. Yes I made breakfast. Now eat it."

I sat down at the table and began to eat.

"So where's Gran?" I asked dad as he poured himself a glass of Orange juice.

"I dropped her off at the bakery this morning. She said you can start working there at 7:30." He said looking at his watch.

It was 6:58.

"Shoot! I have to go then!" I said while taking another bite of pancakes. "I'll see you later! Love you!"

"Love you too!"

I quickly ran out the door and got on my old bike that surprisingly was still big enough for me. I made sure I had everything I needed then took off towards the bakery. When I finally got there it was 7:25. I got off my bike, locked it in the bike rack next to the shop and started heading to the doors when I heard someone say "hey!"

I turned to see that it was him. It was Benjamin.

"Oh, hey!" I said, still tired from riding my bike which I hadn't done in years.

"You're Mrs. Dinas granddaughter aren't you?" He said as he held the door open for me.

"Uh, yeah. That's me."

"Mrs. Dina has told me a lot about you."

I gave him a confused look which I think made him nervous.

"I mean, when we have conversations in the morning she brings you up. She says you play softball?" He said scratching his neck.

"Yeah. I play on a team back in Texas." I said while walking behind the counter and putting an apron on.

"That's cool. Yeah, I play baseball with some guys at the sandlot."

"Ah! Ella, you made it. Good job." Gran said as she walked out of the kitchen into the bakery. "And I see you've met Benjamin!"

"Yes I have." I said still struggling to tie the apron.

"You can call me Benny, it's easier than Benjamin." He said.

Finally, Gran noticed I was struggling to tie the apron so she helped me, which was a little embarrassing seeing as Benny was a lot cuter up close.

I walked over to the register and Benny followed on the other side of the counter.

"Can I get a piece of banana bread and a cinnamon muffin please?" Benny said while pulling out a 5 dollar bill from his pocket.

I got what he asked for, put it in a bag then set it on the counter next to where Gran was working the register. He handed her the five dollars which she turned down with a wave of her hand.

"It's on us today hun." Gran said as she winked at him.

"Thank you Mrs. Dina." He started to walk out but stopped right in front of the door and turned to face us again. "it was nice meeting you, Ella." He smiled then turned out the door and left.

I had worked with Gran for the next 7 hours. I got coffee for customers, put their orders in the cute bags with the name "Grans" on them, and would occasionally work the register if Gran had to get something out of the oven.

At around 2:55 Gran let me go home and hang out with dad. While I was riding my bike home I heard the crack of a bat hitting a ball then a boy saying "That's going over the fence!" I slowed down as I saw the ball coming down above me. I waited for it to hit the ground then got off my bike and picked it up. I walked past the fence into an area that looked like a baseball field but was smaller and looked more like a Sandlot. There were a bunch of boys crowded around home plate celebrating the home run hit by someone I couldn't quite see.

"Is this your ball?" I shouted from across the field. I was holding the ball in the air with one hand and shading my eyes from the sun with the other.

They all stopped patting each other on the back and turned to look at me. Their eyes widened. They all looked about 12 or 13 except for two of them who looked about my age, 15. When the boys finally spread out I saw the one they were congratulating was Benny and he looked up at me.

I threw the ball back to them with ease and a short and chubby redhead boy caught it in his glove. His eyes went even wider as he looked down at the ball in his glove then looked back up at me.

"Nice throw!" A dark-skinned boy yelled, with his arms crossed and an impressed look on his face.

I smiled "Thanks!" I yelled back.

I turned and started to walk back to my bike when I heard Benny yell "Wait!"

I turned back around and saw he had started jogging up to me, along with the rest of the boys.

"You should come play with us." He said still slightly out of breath from hitting his home run.

The rest of the boys, besides the one I saw him with the other day, looked at him in shock.

"But Benny..." a short boy with dark hair and glasses said in a whisper that I could still hear. "...she's a girl. Girls don't play baseball."

"Excuse me?" I said staring daggers at the boy who said it.

The little boy's face turned red as he slowly turned his head and looked back at me.

"No offense but girls play softball, not baseball... You know, because it's easier than actual baseball." The chubby read head boy said in a know it all tone, taking a step closer to me.

"Yeah, yeah girls don't play baseball." Another kid standing next to him said crossing his arms.

"Wanna bet?" I said crossing my arms now giving him the same look as the other kid. "I bet five bucks I could hit a home run on first pitch."

"No way." The red-haired boy said rolling his eyes. "I'd like to see you try."

"I'll shake on it." I said holding one hand out in front of him.

"Deal." He said taking my hand and shaking it. "But if you don't, you owe me five bucks."

I looked over to Benny who just laughed quietly and shook his head.

"Alright." I said walking towards the field with the rest of the boys who took their places along the way.

I stared at the little boy with glasses as I tied my hair back in a high ponytail. His glasses started to fog so he took them off and whipped them off with his shirt.

I picked up the bat off the ground and did a few practice swings before stepping up to the plate. I bent my knees, my feet shoulder-width apart. I planted my back foot like my dad had taught me when I was little, and lifted the bat slightly over my shoulder, ready to swing when needed.

"You ready?" The dark-skinned boy said while standing on the pitcher's mound.

"Give me your best throw." I said my eyes already focused on the ball.

He looked at Benny who gave him a nod with a smirk on his face, then looked back at me and got in position. As he threw the ball everything felt like it was in slow motion. I carefully watched the ball, waiting for the perfect time to swing. When it got to just the right place, I stepped into the swing.

*crack*

I had hit the ball as hard as I could. It went soaring through the air and thankfully, over the fence. All the boys' mouths dropped. Their eyes stuck on the fence the ball went over.

I turned to face the boy who I made the bet with, who happened to be the catcher. He stood up, took his helmet off.

"Damn it!" He said throwing his headgear to the ground.

"I'll take that five bucks now." I said smiling at him just to make him even more irritated.

"I don't have five bucks." He said picking his gear up off the ground and dusting it off with his hand.

"What do you mean you don't have five bucks?" I said crossing my arms. "We made a bet!"

"Yeah but I didn't think you were actually gonna win it!"

I rolled my eyes and walked over to Benny to hand him the bat.

"Nice hit." He said still in awe.

"Thanks." I said smiling at him.

He took the bat from my hands and smiled back. "You should keep playing with us. We haven't finished the game yet."

"Sure, if it's okay with the rest of the guys." I said shrugging my shoulders.

"Hey guys! Come here!" Benny yelled while gesturing them over to us with his free hand.

They all did as he said and ran over to the two of us.

"Ellas gonna play with us, okay?"

They all nodded and high-fived me.

For the next three hours, Benny and I took turns batting. I quickly learned all the guy's names and we all got along pretty well. Even Ham, the catcher, was softening up to me.

When Benny finally decided to call it a day, they went over to the dugout and grabbed sodas from the cooler. DeNunez handed me a soda as a way of welcoming me to their game.

After about five minutes of cooling off, the boys started leaving one by one, Ham being the first to leave because his mom was making hotdogs for dinner.

Benny, Smalls (the blonde-haired boy from the other day), and I were the last ones in the dugout.

"You wanna walk with us?" Smalls asked as he put his glove in his back pocket.

"Sure" I said walking over to my bike, both of them following.

We kept a conversation about how my life was in Texas and why my dad and I are staying here for the summer. Sooner or later Smalls said his goodbyes and left us to go to his house.

"So you guys play every day?" I asked trying to break the awkward silence between Benny and I.

"Yeah. All-day, every day, every summer." He replied looking down at his feet with his hands in his pockets.

"Wow. That's fun. You guys seem to love baseball." I said looking over at him.

"Yeah. We do." He said still looking at the ground.

I think he was nervous. I mean it was obvious the other guys didn't have many friends that were girls, but I mean Benny was like really good-looking. I'm sure the girls must love him.

"You don't talk to girls much do you?" I said still looking at him.

He finally looked up at me and our eyes met. His were brown and sparkled in the sunset. Mine were a bright blue.

"How'd you know?" He said while laughing nervously.

"Just a hunch." I said smiling at him.

We both laughed then realized we were right between both of our houses.

"I'll see you tomorrow? 8 am?" Benny said walking back towards his house.

"Of course." I said walking my bike back up to the porch of Gran's house.

As I walked inside, I took my shoes off next to the door then laid on the couch next to my dad.

"Hey kiddo. How was your day?" He said while looking over at me for a second then returning his eyes to the remote and skipping through channels.

"It was amazing! I made friends with a group of boys on my way home from the bakery."

I realized what I had said when he paused the TV and quickly added "but they're all younger than me, besides two of them, but we all just played baseball together. It was really fun."

He took his attention off the TV and looked over at me with one eyebrow raised. "The two boys," he paused and sat up in his chair. "Are they cute?"

I rolled my eyes. "Dad, you know I'm still dating Jake."

"Right. I forgot about him."

After dad, gran, and I finished eating dinner, I went upstairs to take a shower then laid in bed.