child on the way home.
âI saw you hit,â he said. âYou were great. You reminded me of me. Better. I couldnât hit like that. Youâre twelve, but youâre big enough and good enough to play with kids two years older, and those kids are the best around. This is going to work, Josh. I know it is. Itâs what I needed.â
His father looked over at him, and his face grew serious. âItâs what I never had.â
Josh sat quietly for a minute before he said, âThey said it wonât be so easy after lifting weights for an hour. I donât know about the weights thing. I never did that.â
His father waved a hand in the air as they pulled off the highway and turned up the hill into their north-side neighborhood.
âI talked to Rocky about that,â he said. âPeople used to think kids shouldnât lift until fourteen or fifteen; but all the experts are saying now that kids can start a lot earlier, especially with Super Stax. Josh, if I had what youâre going to getâthis kind of trainingâwho knows how far I could have gone? I guarantee I would have been in the Majors. You donât realize it because youâre so much better than the kids you play with, but thatâs the problem. You get out into the real worldâthe real world of baseballâand you realize you canât just be good. You have to be great.â
Josh said nothing until they pulled into their garage.
âIâd rather play with my friends, Dad,â he said.
His father shut off the car and stared at him. The engine ticked, and his fatherâs breathing filled the car. Finally, he said, âYou have no idea, Josh. You think friends are important? You want to be a pro player, donât you?â
Josh nodded.
âIn the big leagues?â
âYes.â
Joshâs dad gripped a handful of his sonâs shirt and pulled Josh close.
âThen youâll do what I tell you,â his father said in a tense whisper. âWhat happened to me isnât going to happen to you. If I had someone like Rocky, Iâd be in Toronto right now. No, I would have been in New York with the Mets. I didnât have the strength. I had all the talent but none of the training.â
Josh watched his fatherâs eyes, the yellow rings expanding and contracting around the deep brown irises that made Josh think of the black holes in space, holes so dense and full of mass that they suck in everythingâlight, planets, even suns and starsâfrom light-years away. For a moment Josh didnât recognize his father, so distant were those eyes. A shiver ran down his spine, and he realized his father was waiting for him to reply.
CHAPTER TWELVE
âOKAY,â JOSH SAID.
âGood,â his father said, releasing him and getting out of the car.
Josh followed his father out the garage door, across the driveway, and into the kitchen. The smell of beef stew greeted them along with the smiling faces of both Benji and, to Joshâs surprise, Jaden Neidermeyer. Joshâs mom had set out two extra places at the small kitchen table, putting him between Jaden and Benji. Benji ate dinner with them often. Since Joshâs best friend lived alone with his mom and she worked most evenings, Benji had his own place at their kitchen table. Jaden, on the other hand, hadnât even met Joshâs mom until twenty minutes ago.
âYour friends were worried about you,â his momexplained as she bent over the high chair to put a bib on Joshâs little sister, Laurel. âBenjiâs staying for dinner, so I invited Jaden, too. Benji, fill the glasses for me, will you?â
Joshâs father said hello to their guests, then plunked the Super Stax down on the counter.
âMake sure you get five tablespoons into your milk,â he said to Josh before disappearing to wash his hands. Josh washed his own hands in the kitchen sink before stirring the Super Stax into