In the waiting room of the obstetrician named Doctor Reynolds, Daisy tried to casually look around at the women waiting with her. Most of them had someone else with them. She sat alone.

While pretending to read a magazine, she kept glancing over the top at the couple across from her. The woman looked quite advanced in her pregnancy and kept showing the man beside her pictures in a catalog. He wore a business suit but had loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button. He kept looking at his watch and rubbing the back of his neck. She found him curious. Did he hum with nerves about the upcoming birth, about sitting in this room instead of in his office, or something else entirely? What was the source of his apprehension?

Forcing her eyes off the couple and back down to the open article on how to choose the right baby carrier, Daisy silently started lecturing herself on how she just categorized that man as someone who had something to hide simply because of her experiences with Jason. She immediately prayed that this specific brand of prejudice would not take root in her heart as if it pertained to all men.

Daisy knew good men. Her father, her brother, and her grandfather all came to mind. She had more experience with good men than bad and had no reason to assume all men hid some dark secret.

“Ruiz? Daisy Ruiz?”

She looked up and saw a nurse at the doorway holding an electronic tablet. She stood, grabbing her purse to take with her.

Sitting in the church nursery, she listened to two mothers nursing their babies while they chatted about their births. Both of them had Dr. Reynolds as their obstetrician, and both of them had nothing bad to say about her. That Monday morning, Daisy called the office the second they opened and requested an appointment. They’d scheduled one for a few weeks from now but called her this morning after a cancellation.

After examining her and taking some blood and urine samples for testing, Doctor Reynolds said, “Most everything looks great. Your due date is February twenty-sixth. We are sending a prescription for prenatal vitamins to your pharmacy on record.” She sat on her stool and propped the tablet up against her thigh. She had short silver hair, violet eyes, and a ready smile. “Do you have any questions?”

Uncomfortable and nervous, clutching an ultrasound photo of what looked like a little kidney bean, Daisy said, “I probably have a thousand questions, but I honestly just can’t think of anything right now.”

The doctor slipped her glasses off and put them in the pocket of her lab coat. “There’s something that my husband jokingly calls ‘pregnant brain.’ I want you to know that it’s a real thing. Start keeping notes. If you think of a question to ask me, write it on something you’ll have with you when you come to your next appointment. You’re going to lose track of details and forget things. That’s all perfectly normal. It’s all part of the fun journey of bearing children.” She smiled. “And I have staff on call at all times if you have any other questions you feel can’t wait until your next appointment.”

“Thank you, Dr. Reynolds.”

When she got in her car, Daisy closed her eyes and rested her forehead on the steering wheel. Loneliness crept through her, tightening the muscles in her neck and leaving a gaping hole inside her chest. The ringing of her phone startled her. Ken’s number flashed across her screen.

You have to tell him.

She stared at herself in the rearview mirror and said, “Not over the phone. I’ll tell him in person.”

She closed her eyes again, took a deep breath, released it, then answered the phone. “Hi, Ken.”

“Hi. I scored four Braves tickets for tonight’s game. Want to come?”

Thinking she just might need an energetic and fun baseball game, she said, “Definitely.”

“Great. My brothers can’t make it. Jon’s out of town for the weekend, and Brad’s working on his house. Know anyone who can use the other two?”

She thought of Camila. “Maybe. Can I call you back?”

“Sure. Game starts at six.”

“Give me ten minutes.”

Instead of calling, Daisy drove straight to Camila’s shop. She walked in and found her cousin carefully placing long-stemmed red roses into a silver box.

“Those are beautiful.”

“Twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Isn’t that nice?”

She thought back to her parents’ party for their twenty-fifth. “That’s quite an accomplishment these days, isn’t it?” She leaned against the counter. “Want to go to a Braves game tonight?”

“I always want to see the Braves. Unfortunately, increased insurance rates and fiscal responsibility.” She put the lid on the box and slipped a silver ribbon around it. “Why?”

Daisy shrugged. “Ken is taking me. He has two extra tickets. Would you like to come? Bring Homer?” She thought of Camila’s long-time boyfriend and how much he loved Atlanta baseball.

Camila raised an eyebrow and stared at her. Finally, she asked, “Did you tell him yet?”

Daisy sighed and said, “No. I was about to tell him, and Papi called about Mamá in the hospital. Like at that exact moment. So, no. Not yet.”

Camila cocked her head and said, “And that was three days ago. So, there’s a reason you haven’t said something in the last three days?”

“Being with him, it’s like a dream. It’s what I always wanted.” Daisy frowned. She knew exactly why. Maybe being honest with Camila would help her be more honest with herself. “I just know once I say something, this dream will end. I’m just clinging onto it as long as possible.”

Shaking her head, Camila said, “Daisy, it will only be worse…”

“I know. I know I know.” Unexpected tears sprang to her eyes. “I just have always wanted this. You know that.”

Her cousin leaned forward and said very softly, “It’s not right. If you really want this, you’ll do what’s right.”

Impatience had her snapping out. “Look, do you want the tickets or not?”

Camila pressed her lips together and said, “I will take them and bring Homer, but on the condition that you tell him by tomorrow.”

She set her jaw. “You say I need to do what’s right? I’ll tell him when it’s right for me.” She turned and started to walk out, then turned back. “Game starts at six. Come to my house at four, and we’ll eat first. Or don’t. Whatever.”

When she had her hand on the handle of the door, Camila called out, “I love you. I’m just worried about you.”

Daisy knew that, of course. She and Camila had a relationship like close sisters. She wouldn’t hurt her intentionally or try to steer her in the wrong direction because she did love her. However, Daisy felt like this thing with Ken had nothing to do with Camila, and she needed to keep out of it. She would not allow her cousin to pressure her into doing something she’d regret later. She already had enough regret to deal with for this lifetime.

Daisy set the platter of hot dogs on the table next to the buns. She’d chopped onions, diced pickles, and set out of a bowl of potato chips and a platter of sliced cantaloupe as well. Just as she finished examining her handiwork, the doorbell rang. She rushed to open it and grinned when she saw Ken on the other side of the door. “Just in time!”

She held the door wider, and he stepped into the house. When he put a hand on her waist and pulled her close, she readily lifted her face for a kiss.

For heartbeats that passed like hours, they kissed. Tension she hadn’t realized even existed simply evaporated from the small of her back and her shoulders. She wanted to keep kissing him, but he pulled back with a grin and a chuckle. Tell him. You have to tell him. She opened her eyes and said, “I made hotdogs. I thought we could eat before we go to the stadium. My cousin Camila is coming with her boyfriend.”

“I’m glad.” He wore a pair of blue shorts and an Atlanta Braves T-shirt and ball cap. He had turned the cap around backward. As they separated from the kiss, he flipped the cap back around forward. “My parents have had these tickets my whole life. When my brothers and I got older, we all thought about getting our own tickets, but it’s so rare for all of us to be free on the same game night, so we all just kinda share them.”

“I’m always ready for a Braves game.”

“You,” Ken reached out slowly and touched the collar of her shirt. “You look fantastic.”

She blushed and grinned. She’d selected a red skirt and a white Braves T-shirt. Copying Sami’s look from the Fourth of July party, she put her hair in pigtails and had used some face paint her mom had to put the red A logo on her left cheek.

She’d felt silly when she looked at herself in the mirror, but Ken’s compliment lit her up from the inside, and she was glad she’d gone to such an extreme. Especially when Camila and Homer arrived and her cousin asked her to paint her face as well.

Homer met Camila when he started going to her church. They both played instruments for the praise team. He stood tall and thin with shaggy brown hair and black-framed glasses.

He’d asked her out two Christmases ago, and the entire family waited with bated breath for the coming moment when he would surely ask her to marry him. Daisy and Camila had decided together that he probably wanted to wait for graduation before he popped the question. He had one semester of seminary to go.

Ken and Homer filled plates with hot dogs and fixings while Daisy painted the red A on Camila’s cheek. She wore a blue T-shirt and white shorts. “I’m going to do pigtails, too,” she exclaimed, then ran upstairs to the bathroom. Minutes later, she came back down, and Homer insisted on taking their picture. “You ladies look terrific.”

Excitement for this double date made it so that Daisy could barely eat. She managed a few bites of melon and half a hot dog before they had to leave. “Let’s just take my truck,” Ken said. “I have a parking pass.”

During the drive to the stadium, Daisy and Camila easily chatted, often bringing Homer into the conversation. As usual, Ken remained mostly quiet, but when he did speak, he interjected some quick wit and often had a smile on his face. Daisy knew he didn’t enjoy chitchat and rarely spoke unless he had something to say. His relaxed demeanor and easy smile made her less worried about drawing him into the conversation.

They settled into their seats, right behind home plate. “I like night games,” Ken said. “Never too hot, and the sun never gets in my eyes.”

The hum of excitement in the air was almost visible. The smile on Daisy’s face didn’t go away the entire night. They sat in the incredible seats and cheered, sang, booed, and completely embraced the spirit of the game. When the Braves won with a double play in the ninth inning, Daisy honestly felt like she’d just watched the best game she’d ever seen.

At the end of the night, they waited in their seats for the bulk of the crowd to dissipate. Homer moved, so he stood in the row below them, facing them. “Dude, any time you have extra tickets, I am your man.”

Ken grinned. “I’ll keep you in mind.” He put a hand on the back of Daisy’s neck and squeezed. She thought she might give him about an hour to stop that. It felt so good. “Glad you came tonight.”

“Me, too,” Daisy said. “I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a game more.”

“These seats were unbelievable.” Camila stood and slipped her purse over her head, letting it cross over her body. “I love the Braves, but it is so late, and I have an early flower delivery tomorrow. Do you think the crowds have thinned?”

Ken looked around. “Probably. Let’s go.”

Even though they had already waited for a while, Ken still had to battle a lot of stadium traffic to leave. It took nearly forty-five minutes to get from the exit of the parking lot to Daisy’s driveway.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Camila said, hugging Daisy. “Thanks, Ken!”

Ken just waved and nodded. Camila and Homer got into Homer’s car, and Ken walked Daisy to her door. He paused with one foot on the step and leaned against the brick wall. “I’m going to say good night here. My alarm goes off at four whether I like it or not.”

She raised both eyebrows. “No break for a late night?”

He shrugged. “Nah. I have a system. I get my Bible study and workout in before I head to work.”

Standing on the step put her at eye-level with him. She slipped her arms around his neck and leaned forward. “I guess we’ll say good night here, then.”

Passion flared in his eyes as she leaned into his kiss. As his arms came around her, it occurred to Daisy that she’d never initiated a kiss with him before. She loved the feel of the muscles moving under his T-shirt, the way he smelled like outdoors, and the popcorn they’d eaten. She thought she could just sink into him and kiss him forever. But, way sooner than she’d like, he put his hands on her hips and set her back away from him.

“Good night,” he insisted, his voice gruff and low.

She pressed her lips together, still savoring the feel of the kiss, then took a step back. “Good night, Ken,” she answered softly. “I’ll talk to you later.”