The Dugout (Short Story) Copy
Nicky sighed as she walked into the girls locker room. She got into her locker and pulled her
uniform out. It was her last softball game. A part of her felt bad about it, but another half was
excited for why.
Nicky started to get changed. She put her socks on, then the stirrups, and pulled her nickers up.
She gave a small sigh as she heard the other girls starting to come in. She grabbed her jersey and
belt and walked to the bathrooms. In the locker room. She stood there for a second and gave a
small sigh. She was the oldest on her collage team— mostly because she was studying law. But this
was it. Midway through the season.
Nicky looked at her hand and smiled at the two rings. Her engagement ring… that was a funny
story. Griffon had dropped the ring. He had undid the straps around his legs on the wheelchair and
face-plated into the ground.
Her wedding was probably the best day in her life. Not because it was her wedding but because of
what Austin and Kevin did for her. The two had strapped themselves to Griffon and helped him
stand so she could kiss him. Then the two had helped Griffon dance with her and his mom. Nicky
had cried.
Nicky have a small smile and out a hand on her swollen stomach and sighed. She was pregnant.
Her and Griffon couldn’t have kids on their own because… well it’s Griffon. Paralyzed.
It was his idea to adopt Cain after fostering him for a year. He just had his fourth birthday party.
He called them Mom and Dad. It was amazing.
A few weeks later Griffon asked about trying to have a kid with the ‘shots Method.’ It was just
shots. Nicky had ran away like ‘a chicken with its head cut off’ (by Griffon) when the doctor told
him to give Nicky the shots.
Nicky still doesn’t trust Griffon with needles. Who would?! They guy is a menace with knifes and
turns into Chucky with his smile of insanity while holding one.
He was nuts.
Eventually she got pregnant. When her and Griffon told Cain he responded with, “So mommy is
getting fat?”
Nicky didn’t know how to respond and before she could Griffon smiled and said, “Heck yeah! And
that means we get sweet treats.” And went on to explain cravings to a four year old with a sugar
addiction.
Her coach was excited for her and understood why she couldn’t keep playing. Nicky was okay with
that. She hadn’t told her team even though it was starting to get obvious. Almost five months. The
only person who knew was Tayler. She was training to be catcher with Nicky.
“HEY NICKY?!” A girl called.
Nicky freaked out, and put her jersey on, and put her belt on. She went to zip up her pants but the
zipper didn’t go up all the way.
“Just a sec!” She called back.
Nicky un did a strap on the inside to loosen the pants up. She pulled up the zipper, un tucked her
jersey— so nobody could tell—, and ran out.
The girls stared at her and raised an eyebrow.
“Why are you running around like a dog?” Kayla the third basemen asked.
“Uh… just getting excited!” Nicky lied.
“Okay…”
Nicky gave a fake smile, she grabbed her catching gear, and her softball bag and ran out. She
walked to the fields and put her stuff on the bench. She stood alone in the dugout and tried to
catch her breath. She sat down and out her hand on her stomach and kept trying to catch her
breath.
“Well look who it is.”
Nicky looked up and smiled at her coach. She gave a small wave and sat up.
“Nicky, you look like you just ran a marathon. Do you think you want to do this today?” Coach
Sawyer asked sitting down next to her.
“Yeah. If I didn’t I wouldn’t have done what I needed to do— and Griffon would be very
disappointed.”
Coach Sawyer nodded her head and shave Nicky a smile. “It’s your last year of collage. Relax.
Nobody would be disappointed. You just looked… well, you looked ready to pass out. Your my
player and I want to know.” She explained carefully.
Nicky gave a small smile as the other girls started to come in. “I’m playing.”
The coach smiled and turned to the girls. “Stretch, and get throwing!”
The girls groaned and Nicky jumped up and joined them. They ran there laps and did some
stretches before going into their ‘Circle Stretch’. The girls all talked about stuff, before Kris
(Kristin) the pitcher for today looked at Nicky.
“Your warming me up right?”
“Yup!” Nicky said softly.
“Hey Nicky!” Heather the shortstop called. “You missed a stretch.”
“I-I did?”
“Yeah. You missed the knee pull. You said that it’s your favorite one.”
Nicky wanted to jump out a window.
Problem 1: there was no window
Problem 2: She did say that
Problem 3: Nicky did that, that morning and couldn’t pull her leg up because of her stomach.
Nicky gave an awkward chuckle and looked down. “Oops… I’ll do it when I warm Kris up.” She
explained quickly.
“Alright.”
“I’m ready when you are Nicky.” Kris said simply. “Also, don’t forget to tuck your jersey in.”
Nicky nodded and looked at her jersey that was doing pretty well at hiding her stomach. “Will do.”
The two walked out the dugout and took jewelry off. Nicky put her rings in her pocket and grabbed
her gear. She walked to the bullpin and waited for Kris.
“Well if it isn’t the most beautiful lady in the world.”
Nicky looked up to the bleachers near by and saw Griffon. He gave a small smile and Cain poked his
little head up.
“MOMMY!”
“Hi.” Nicky said softly.
Griffon scooted into his wheelchair and came over with Cain following. Nicky tucked her shirt in,
and pulled her Chest Protecter on. It was actually pretty good like her jersey.
“Griffon your taking me shopping later.”
“I am?”
“Yes. I need new clothes.”
Griffin nodded as a bug flew into his hair. He shook his shaggy hair around and Cain slapped
Griffon in the head.
“Ow! Thanks.”
“No prowbwem!” Cain smiled.
Nicky rolled her eyes and reached into her pocket and handed Griffon her rings.
“Your divorc’n me?”
“No idiot. You know I can’t wear jewelry.”
Griffon smirked and put the rings into his pocket. “Safe and sound.”
Nicky smiled and leaned over and kissed Griffon. He smiled and put a hand over her stomach and
smiled again.
“Mommy fat.” Cain said pointing.
“I’m not— oh… hiiii.”
Nicky locked eyes with Kris. Her eyes were wide and she tilted her head.
“Your…”
Nicky gave an awkward smile, and Kris turned to Griffon.
“You better roll butt away on that wheelchair dude.” She said firmly.
Kris and Griffon already known each other. Griffon knew the whole team. It was ‘Cain’s Perk’ for
his mom being married and taking extra collage for law school.
“Kris, you ain’t tell’n me to go.”
“Your not allowed over here.? Kris snapped putting her hands on her hips. “Cain is. Not you.”
“Hi Kris!” Cain said happily running to her.
“Cain! Go with your dad!” Nicky told him, holding in a laugh.
“Okay.”
Cain ran over to Griffon who had a eye roll ready for Kris.
“Whatever. I’ll be back though!”
“And the team will beat your butt up.” Kris snapped.
“Okay! I can’t feel under my bellybutton so go right ahead!” Griffon said leaving.
Kris eyes him and she grilled the softball in her hand. Nicky shook her head as Kris shrugged.
“Whatever. Let’s just get ready… this is your last game… isn’t it?” Kris asked carefully.
Nicky gave a small nod. “Just dint tell anyone okay? I wanted to tell them.”
Nicky sat on her but behind home plate in the ninth inning. She stretched her legs into the batters
box as Lily— teh relief pitcher practiced.
“And then I was like, NO WAY!” Lily said with a grin.
She latched the ball down the middle and the umpire gave his call for the inning to start. Nicky
struggled to get back into her squat and sighed.
Just three outs.
Nicky slammed the ball off of her bat and sprinted as fast as she could to the base. Teh left fielder
ran to the fence, jumped up, and caught the ball.
Nicky wasn’t disappointed.
She practically skipped to the dugout and sat down on a bucket. She grabbed water and chugged it
down as her stomach pained her. She put her catching chest protecter back on.
“Your not mad?”
Nicky looked up at some of the girls. Nicky normally hated it when it’s almost a home run, but it
gets caught.
“Nope.” Nicky said catching her breath.
Kayla nodded. “Your getting slow there behind the plate.” She teased playfully.
“I know.” Nicky said with a smile.
The girls gave ‘oos’ and ‘ahs’. Kris gave a small smile and winked to Nicky who winked back. Kris
reminded Nicky of Ashlyn.
Man she missed Ashlyn. She was on her honeymoon with Austin in Costa Rica. Yeah, they got
married. Nicky had handed her the bouquet at her wedding. She raised an eyebrow as Austin
tapped her shoulder and proposed.
It was fun.
Austin was probably surfing his Australian butt off, and teaching Ashlyn.
The game ended, and the team made there way to right field. They all took a knee and had their
gloves by there side— except for Nicky. She was sprawled out in the grass with her catching gear
still on as the coach talked. Nicky sorta zoned out and thought about a hot brownie with cookies
and cream ice cream on top.
Huge craving.
Griffon had actually taught himself how to bake brownies and make ice cream for her. Best
paralyzed husband ever.
“… and Nicy wants to tell you guys something.”
Nicky looked up as all eyes fell on her. She forced herself up, and smiled.
“I uh… well I’m going to miss you guys.” She said softly.
“What?!
“Why?!
“Yoru leaving?!”
“NICKY NO!”
“I can’t believe you right now!”
Nicky gave a small smile as the girls started to yell at her. She loved this team.
“Well, I kinda shouldn’t keep playing. Like you said Kayla, I’ve been slow behind the plate. I’ve
been slow on running… I’m just slow right now.”
“IT DOENT MEAN YOU LEAVE US!”
Nicky gave a grin. Eh looked behind her alto see Griffon waiting. He somehow found his way onto
the field and gave her a smile as Cain ran over yelling, “Mommy fat!”
The girls looked to Nicky who gave a small smile as Cain came running over. She then proceeded to
jump into her.
Nicky yelled in pain and shoved him off. “NO! Cain I told you not to do that anymore!”
“Sowy.” He mumbled. “Mommy fat!” He said again.
Nicky rolled her eyes and put him on her lap. “I’m not fat, I’m pregnant moron.”
A girl squealed.
Nicky looked up as the team had her in a dog pile. Nicky couldn’t help but smile and tear up. The
girls helped her up and Nicky took jet gear off.
“YOU ARE!”
“Yeah.”
They all hugged her, and Nicky cried.
“Well girls you know what we must do.” Kris said simply.
The girls looked up as Kris pointed too Griffon.
“Get him.”
“WHAT?!” Griffon yelped from the clay field.
The team jumped up and grabbed their gloves and ran at Griffon. They threw their gloves at him
and started beating the guy up.
“THIS IS ASOULT!” He screamed.
Cain burst out laughing and ran to join in on the fun. Nicky smiled as she looked up at Lily. She
smiled at Nicky and extended a hand, and pulled her up.
“Thanks for listening to my rants.” She said hugging Nicky.
Nicky smiled and hugged her back. “Anytime. Just give me a call.”
Lily hugged her tighter and smiled.
“Now if you excuse me, I will go beat up your husband.”
“Go ahead. He needs it.”