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"We’ll bring Chance with us," Melissa offered and I enthusiastically agreed Soet a little break

After another round of hugs, Jack and I walked hand in hand out of the underground tunnels for the last ti by a lone reporter, Jack stopped to shake his hand, and dropped his duffel bag on the ground

"Jack, do you have a co to leave your fans with?" the familiar reporter asked

"Hey, Casey You remember my wife, Cassie" Jack introduced me to the reporter, but I couldn’t place hiain, Mrs Carter I bet you’re excited to have Jack home full-time now"

"You have no idea" I squeezed Jack’s arm and s you want to say to rew silent and I kneas deep in thought He took a deep breath before saying, "It’s one hell of a sledgehammer to the chest when your baseball career comes to an end It’s like you finally realize that baseball never loved you back All the sleepless nights, the hours spent at the gy, the mental preparation, the holidays et to make with your family … all for what? It’s not like baseball lost any sleep over you She didn’t stay awake for nights on end, trying to figure out how to make you a better player She didn’t care Baseball’s a business A sport A game And as much as my entire life has been wrapped up in it, it’s tio"

"So, is it safe to say that you’re quitting for your family?"

Jack squeezedfor me I want to knohat it’s like to have a life outside baseball while s I want it to, knock on wood I want to experience a weekend that isn’t filled with hitting, pitching, fielding, working out, ors and not worry about whether or notwell enough to stay on the teay to this sport, but now it’s tiive the same attention to my wife and son I’m ready to have a life that includes them all the time, not just three months out of the year"

My heart squeezed insidewildly inthis man did filled ratulations You’re a hell of a player"

"Thanks, Casey Thatfrom you"

The two men shook hands before Jack led e to cry as we pulled out of the parking lot for the last time

"It’s so weird to think of you without thinking about baseball"

He glanced at me "You think it’s weird for you, how do you think I feel? I have to figure out who I aain"

"You knoho you are"

"A ave him a mock frown "Jack, be serious"

"Part ofa baseball player If I’m not that anymore, then who am I?"

"Who do you want to be?"

"Harry Potter," he teased

I laughed out loud and grabbed his hand "Mission accomplished"

Two Months Later …

I didn’t knohat to do with ave le h I’d never admit that to Jack now It served no purpose I si to help

Longing to make up for lost time, Jack refused to letto drive him to school He even called Nora behind nments I had to tell Jack to "slow his roll" Yes, I wanted to work again someday, but not the second after he had stopped

"You’re trying to getthat he reached out to Nora

"I don’t want you to waste anynow that I’ here just like you did You put your dreaain"