Epilogue

16 Years Later

The excitement in the air took me back to my days at the sandlot. How I wished I was thirteen years old again! Since then Scotty, Benny, I and the rest of the team moved on with our lives. The Timmons brothers invented outdoor malls, Kenny coaches a little league team with his kids, Bertram kind of faded out from our lives, Yeah-yeah went on to be a bungee jumping co-developer, Mikey grew up and married Wendy Perffercorn, Ham became a wrestler, Scotty became a baseball P.A.; and Benny and I were blessed to always be together. But still, Benny accomplished his dream of becoming a baseball player and I got my degree in pediatrics.

On July 4, 1968, Benny took me back to the home plate at the sandlot. He remembered it's where we had our first kiss, then he got down on one knee and popped the question. We were married May 22, 1969. Since then we had three beautiful kids: Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez Jr. (whom we called BJ), Sofia Josephine Rodriguez and Scott Pablo Rodriguez.

"Mama," my five-year-old daughter's voice snapped me out of my daze. "Where's daddy?"

"He's on third base," BJ told her. "I see him stretching over there."

He was right. There my husband was, prepping and waiting for his run. He looked so handsome in his Dodgers uniform, and he always did. Benny looked up at me, BJ, Sofia, and little Scott in my arms and waved. The three out of four of us waved back.

"Up on third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers," said the P.A. who happened to be Scotty, "Benny 'the Jet' Rodriguez."

"There's Daddy on third base," I told my children. As the rest of the roaring stadium cheered BJ joined in. Sofia clapped and giggled, and Scott slept through it all. I could never figure out how my one-year-old could be such a heavy sleeper.

"Come on, honey," I whispered to myself. "You've got this."

Right before the batter swung his bat Benny took off, and I realized he was doing his suicide move.

"And he's stealing home!" Scotty announced. "I don't believe it! He's stealing home and they don't see him!"

Just after the baseball was hit, my husband slid into third base, the stadium was filled with roaring excitement, and my children and I all cheered.

"Come on," I told my kids. "Let's go congratulate Daddy."

While carrying baby Scott in one arm I held one of BJ's hands, and he grabs Sofia's hand with other. I had taught them to this in large crowds at any of their father's baseball games so they wouldn't get lost. We made our way to the gate where security was standing. I showed them my pass and explained that the children were with me, and they let us through. I ran to where my husband was celebrating his victory with his team. When he saw me he broke free from the crowd and greeted me with a kiss.

"Wanna pitch, Dixie?" he asked.

"I think you should give pitching lessons to the kids," I laughed.

"I think I will."

"You were wonderful. Just like our days at the sandlot."

"Thanks, Jewel. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

BJ and Sofia ran into their father's arms and gave him a bear hug. When he released them the two of us looked up at Scotty in his P.A. box, and we exchanged a thumbs up.

Benny and I would always reflect on that summer of 1962. Our memories of him giving me pitching lessons, our first kiss on the Fourth of July, and our quest of trying to get a treasured baseball back would live on.

That's the end! I can't believe it only took a month to write. I really hope you loved it. PM me if you have any questions, and I'll gladly answer them. Also, I'll be writing short stories for The Sandlot. If you have a request, please PM me. Just make sure it includes Jewel, please. :)