Chapter 16

Life Lessons According to Camryn:

The old saying is wrong. Life is easy, it’s the darn people who make it difficult.

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Around the breakfast table, everyone chatted about making plans for the day. Camryn sat sipping her coffee, thinking about running away from the herd and going on a hike or taking a solitary swim in the pool. She could use some alone time. Large family aside, she needed a little breathing room.

One of the staff came by and filled her cup. She smiled politely and nodded her thanks to the woman.

Staff. She wasn’t used to people waiting on her, even if they were silent and hardly noticeable. There were only a couple of ladies here now, unlike when they'd first arrived. One did the cooking, the other served and cleaned. Bernice had said she'd wanted to be free to spend time with them instead of worrying about those things. More staff were coming later in the week for the rehearsal and wedding itself.

When the discussion of Mile High Gliding came up around the table, Camryn tuned back into the conversation. She didn’t know what that was, but it sounded like an ambulance would be required.

“Ha,” Dad shouted, setting down the newspaper. “The Brewers beat the Rockies last night.”

Justin was obviously displeased, judging by his flatlined lips. “I could’ve played for them if I hadn’t blown out my knee. We would’ve whooped you then.”

“That’s right,” Troy said. “I forgot you played ball in college.”

Heather grinned and kissed Justin’s cheek. “Full scholarship.”

Troy leaned back and crossed his arms. “Fisher was on varsity in high school. Do you still have your equipment?”

Justin nodded. “In the garage, collecting dust.”

Fisher bounced Emily on his knee. “What do you say, Em? Want to play baseball today?”

Around her colorful, no-nutrition-involved cereal, Emily nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah!”

Bernice stood and cleared her place, only to have one of the staff take it for her. She obviously wasn’t used to staff either. “I’ll let you guys go ahead. I’m going to work on Camryn’s dress.”

Mom stood. “I’ll help.”

Troy looked at Camryn, brows wrenched. “What’s wrong with your dress?”

Before Camryn could open her mouth, Baba interjected herself into the conversation. “Chubby here doesn’t fit into her bridesmaid dress. It’s a good idea to play ball today. She needs the exercise.”

Ever the tactful one, her Baba. All aboard the humiliation train.

Heather stood, dragging Justin with her. “Let’s go pull the stuff from the garage. We’ll meet you all outside.”

Camryn sighed and stood, averting Troy’s questioning glare about the dress. Baseball had to be better than this Mile High nonsense. “I’ll go get changed.”

After running upstairs to put on a pair of shorts and a tee, she went out in the side yard in the grassy area between the house and the woods to meet everyone.

Raising her face to the cobalt sky, she shielded her face from the sun and breathed deep before heading over a small hill, the lawn shooshing under her shoes. The Horton’s little pocket of Boulder was quite amazing. The mountains cut through the horizon to her right, seemingly so far, yet it was as if she could reach out and touch them. The base, now that the day was more clear, had intermittent pine, spruce, and Cyprus at the base. Tiny flashes of red and yellow indicated there were probably wildflower patches just this side of the tree line. Ahead, the forest created a wall where the neatly cute grass ended, small animals scurrying. The humidity wasn’t as heavy here as it was at home, but the altitude made up for it. Though the temperature was almost eighty degrees, the air smelled like snow.

Baba had parked herself in a lawn chair along the first base side to watch by the time Camryn had made it to the pack. They’d set up Frisbees as bases and a stack of wooden bats rested behind a makeshift home plate.

Heather tossed Camryn a glove. She bobbled it until finally securing it against her chest. She’d never been very athletic, so this excursion was bound to be fun. Heavy on the sarcasm.

Justin grinned. “Rules. Emily doesn’t count as an out. Four balls, three strikes, no infield fly. Two fouls is an out. Yjaka Harold is ump and catcher.”

Heather pursed her lips at Kuma Viola, who was applying lipstick in a gruesome shade of plum while checking the results in a compact mirror. “This is baseball, Kuma. Put the makeup down.”

She capped her lipstick, pocketing both items. “I’m too old for this.”

“As am I,” Tetaka Myrtle agreed.

“Quit your belly-aching and play,” Baba professed. “I’m not getting any younger.”

Fisher and Justin called out teams.

“Troy,” Justin said.

“Heather,” Fisher countered.

“Anna,” Justin challenged.

By the time they got through the dads, aunts, and uncles, it was down to Emily and Camryn. “Emily,” Fisher said.

Camryn sighed and set her hands on her hips. It was gym class all over again. “You picked Emily over me? Come on!”

Troy grinned and looked at Fisher. “We picked first, so you bat first.”

They ultimately put Camryn in right field, which was for the best. No action out there.

Heather stepped up to the plate and swung at the first pitch. Dad caught it from second base. Justin’s father hit a ground ball right back to Anna after she pitched it. Dad ran to first to get the out. At her turn, Kuma Viola swung so hard the bat flew from her hands, causing Yjaka Harold to hit the dirt. Err, grass. Baba laughed so hard she burst out in a two minute coughing fit.

“And you picked her over me!” Camryn yelled.

Anna walked Kuma on the next three pitches, probably to save the others from bodily harm.

Fisher stepped up to the plate and hit the ball right to Camryn. She threw her glove up, going backward, running forward, until she completely lost sight of it in the sun. The ball landed on the grass next to her foot with a plop. She stared at it, and as everyone screamed orders at her, she jerked to react. She picked it up and wildly threw the ball to Anna. Well, nowhere near Anna, actually. It wound up closer to Baba.

By the time the yelling stopped, Fisher and Kuma had scored. Yjaka Mitch struck the third out. Camryn headed toward the sideline.

Halfway there, Baba shouted, “Move it, missy.”

This was so not her idea of fun.

Anna and Tetaka Myrtle struck out in succession. Justin, Dad, and Troy were all on base.

Camryn stepped to the plate, dragging her bat behind her. Heather pitched her two strikes. Camryn didn’t swing at either.

From her lawn chair, Baba huffed. “You have to swing to hit the ball.”

Was that how this worked? Hashtag: NoKidding.

As Heather brought her arm back to pitch Camryn her third strike, she decided she was going to swing no matter what. They couldn’t get mad at her if she actually tried. She brought the bat forward, connecting with the ball.

Camryn pictured herself doing a happy dance until she realized her hit was flying foul. Not just foul, but toward Baba.

As if in slow motion, the ball sailed right into the center of her grandmother's forehead, propelling the eighty-five-year-old woman backward off her lawn chair and onto her back, arms and legs spread in the grass.

Everyone froze.

Camryn dropped her bat, terror ripping her gut in two.

After a long pause of disbelief and shock, the family hurried en masse over to Baba, screaming a thousand things at once.

“Jesus, Cam. You killed her!” This from Yjaka Mitch.

Well, it wasn’t on purpose. Oh God, she sure hoped not. Guilt and fear threatened to strangle her.

Anna pulled the collapsed lawn chair out from under Baba and set it upright. Troy and Justin helped Baba to her feet and gingerly set her back in the chair, which meant her grandmother was okay, right? Breathing. Conscious. She hoped. Someone sent Emily to go get ice. The little girl rushed toward the house.

Camryn stood to the side, shaking. The only thing she could see when others cleared the way was Baba’s deadly glare aimed right at her and the large, reddened bump forming between her eyes.

“How many fingers am I holding up?” Yjaka Harold asked.

“She can’t see that,” Tetaka Myrtle insisted. “She’s nearsighted.”

“No,” Kuma Viola argued. “She’s farsighted.”

Emily came running back, cupping her hands. “Here’s ice.”

Anna looked down, picked up Emily, and walked toward the house. “Let’s put that ice in a bag, sweetie.”

“Get off of me!” Baba angrily waved her arms. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Heather frowned and jerked her chin at their grandmother. “You have a big knot.”

Baba’s hand flew to her head. Two seconds passed that felt like two years, then she bared her teeth. Well, her dentures. Same effect. “She hit me on purpose.” A wrinkled, bony finger pointed at Camryn.

Everyone turned to look at her.

“Oh, come on. I did not! It was a total accident.”

Emily and Anna returned, Mom right behind. “Camryn Covic, you hit your grandmother with a baseball bat?”

Lord have mercy. “It was a ball, not a bat. And it was an accident.”

Perhaps Mile High Gliding would have been a better idea.

Anna, voice of reason, crouched in front of Baba. She put the ice pack on Baba’s forehead. “Does anything else hurt? Your hip? Your back?”

Baba shook her head.

“Do you feel sick? Blurry vision?”

Baba shook her head again.

“Game over,” Fisher declared. “Let’s get her inside.”

“But I didn’t get a turn!” Emily stomped her foot.

Justin took Emily by the hand over to home plate to let her have a swing before calling it a day, while the others walked Baba inside like bodyguards.

“I think she should go to the hospital.” Mom held the door for everyone.

Baba sniffed. “I think you should shut it and mind your own business.”

Again, everyone piped in at once, so Camryn trailed the pack to head inside also, keeping mum.

“Guys,” Fisher interjected. “Camryn hit the ball. It couldn’t have been that hard.”

Thanks, brother.

The door closed in her face.

Camryn stood outside, wondering if that had been on purpose. For a few moments, she stared at it before deciding to take that walk after all. Maybe she’d complete this perfect day by getting bitten by a poisonous snake.

She strode past Justin and Emily taking batting practice. Emily hit the ball two feet in front of her and cheered. Justin gave the girl a high-five.

Figured. No wonder they'd picked the three-year-old over Camryn.

“Where are you going?” Justin turned and faced her as if just noticing her presence.

She pointed west. “For a walk.”

“Can I come?” Emily asked.

Camryn looked at her niece and agreed, figuring the hoopla inside would be best without both of them.