After the lunch, there was only a couple of hours remaining until the first match of the Division series. By now, everyone had gone their separate ways, except for Ken who had tracked down his father.
“Got a moment to chat?” Ken asked, giving the man a nudge.
“For you, I’ve got a whole 2 minutes.” Chris said, winking.
The two walked to the backyard where it was quiet and took a seat at the gazebo. In winter, the thing was covered in snow, but during summer, it was the most peaceful place on the property.
Chris relaxed in his chair, placing his feet upon a chair nearby. “It’s much cooler around these parts.” He commented.
“Was this your idea?” Ken asked, ignoring the comment and going right into the details.
Chris turned to his son and raised an eyebrow, “Of course, who else would make such a decision?”
But Ken didn’t seem convinced. “You’ve wanted to coach for so many years, even when you were a scout back in Japan. Why would you throw it all away after only a few years?”
“It’s been almost 5 years since we came to America Ken. I think I’ve achieved what I came here to do.” He stated calmly, “why do you seem more upset than me about it?”
Ken shook his head, “I’m not upset dad, I just don’t want you to make a decision that you’ll regret in the future. There’s no way of going back in time after all…” he said, his voice trailing off.
“Regret? Why would I regret choosing to spend more time with my family?” Chris asked with puzzlement. “My goal coming here was to support my family, but now that we’re all taken care of, it’s time to take a step back.”
He reached over and placed a hand upon Ken’s arm. “Now its you and your brother’s job to look after the family.”
Ken’s eyes never left his fathers throughout the exchange. He could tell that while there might be other motivations in the background, there was no changing his mind.
“As long as you’re happy dad.” Ken said eventually, patting the man’s hand a couple of times.
“I have two brilliantly talented sons and some grandkids on the way, I’m the happiest man on Earth.” Chris said, letting out a jovial laugh.
Ken couldn’t argue with him, in fact, he hadn’t seen his father this happy in a very long time. In both of his lives, Chris worked hard to support the family, allowing his mother to stay home and look after him, even if it meant sacrificing time away from them.
So to his father who had sacrificed so much for them look so unburdened, what kind of person would Ken be if he couldn’t accept it?
But there was one thing he hadn’t yet clarified.
“Dad… Are you going to stay in America?” he asked softly.
When Chris didn’t answer right away, Ken felt his heart sink. He had always known that his mother had struggled to fit in here, hence why she had been staying in his house ever since news broke of Ai’s pregnancy.
This was what Ken was hinting at with his earlier line of questioning. He had thought that his father might have retired prematurely because his mother wanted to return to Japan.
“We plan to stay here… for a while.” Chris responded.
“How long?”
“Ken… Your mother is homesick. Ever since we went back for your wedding, she’s not been herself. You might not notice it because she’s essentially running your house, but she misses Japan dearly.” He said.
Ken took on his father’s words, nodding in response. He had thought that maybe with her grandkids coming, Yuki might finally settle in America, but that might not be the case.
He couldn’t blame her. Even now, Ken missed his home country of Japan. If the NPB ever got as big as the Major League, he would transfer in a heartbeat.
“There’s always a place for you here… Even if it’s a little crowded.” Ken said softly.
Chris chuckled, “Don’t worry, we won’t be leaving for a while. For at least a year, you’ll be stuck with us.”
Ken let out a sigh and nodded. He looked into the eyes of the man who raised him and felt mix of sadness and pride. Chris looked older, a little more frail than he remembered.
But he looked much happier than he did in Ken’s previous life.
“You can stay as long as you like.” Ken stated.
“So, are you ready for the game tonight?” Chris said, changing the subject abruptly.
Ken smiled, “Yeah, Daichi and I have been putting in the work this week. We’ll be going for a perfect game.”
“Don’t pitchers always try to throw a perfect game?” Chris replied with a grin.
“Yes, but this time it will happen. Just watch from your premium seats while I send a message.” Ken added a little haughtily.
The two laughed together for a while, enjoying each others company.
“Even after hearing about your retirement, I think the most shocking thing of all is your newfound friendship with Tetsu. Since when did you guys get so close?” Ken asked, raising an eyebrow.
Chris shrugged it off, “The guy was a little brash at first, but after you and Ai got married, I saw a different side of him. He’s actually a very good guy… But he has a terrible poker face.”
Ken blinked a few times in disbelief before breaking into laughter. He could already imagine his father taking all of Tetsu’s money at the poker table.
“Just don’t steal all his money, otherwise I’ll have to bail him out.” Ken added.
“Don’t worry, we decided to try golf. I heard its perfect for old men who don’t have any talents of note.” Chris quipped dryly.
“Are you ready?” Daichi opened the back door and called out to Ken.
“Yep coming.” Ken shouted back.
“Well, we should probably get going soon. I’m glad that you’re here.” Ken said to his father.
“Me too.”