At church, Lael sent her people (Josh of Day #16) to talk with my people to coordinate calendars for a game of catch. Today was that day.
I was supposed to play catch with Lael while my daughter got her ears lowered, but the heavens opened up and 2018 had its first rain delay.
Lael is the same age I was when I first learned how to play catch. I remember working with Dad on a dusty infield at Meador Park that no longer exists. He used all the appropriate baseball aphorisms.
“Use two hands.”
“Eye on the ball.”
“Rock and fire.”
Though the gray clouds lingered and the wind was strong enough to blow hats off of our heads more than once, Lael and I survived the rain delay. She greeted me in full 2017 Royals Blue Crew regalia — jersey, hat, and glove. And then, by accident, I asked a pretty tricky question for a young Royals fan.
“Who’s your favorite Royals player?”
“Do we still have LoCain?”
“Uhm, no.”
“Moose?”
“Not looking good.”
“The Milkman?”
“Nope.”
We finally settled on Salvy. And then I asked another tricky question.
“So, what’s your nickname?”
“I don’t have one.”
We continued tossing the ball while we talked through possible nickname fodder — movies and foods and vocational aspirations. We eventually settled on one as a tip of the hat to LoCain, “LaKen.”
High fives exchanged, day 50 complete.
