Chapter Five

Nathan came over to talk to Ella to apologize for yelling at her the other day. Nathan stood on Ella's porch and Ella answered the door as soon as she heard the doorbell ring. Once Ella answered the door and she saw Nathan standing on her front porch.

"Hey," Nathan said.

"Hey," Ella said, disappointed.

"I'm sorry about the other day. I was just thinking that Milo likes Victor more than me." Nathan explained.

"Nathan, Victor will never replace you as Milo's father. You know that right?" Ella said.

"Yeah," Nathan answered. He sighed.

"Yeah. Um, Milo was wondering if you'd like to teach him more about baseball. Victor and I can't do it today, but I will be more than glad to have you teach him more about baseball. He has another game on Saturday," says Ella.

"Yeah sure," answered Nathan.
Nathan smiled at Ella.

"Yeah okay. Um, hey Milo, your dad is here!" Ella shouted from upstairs.

"Coming!" Milo shouted from his bedroom upstairs before he ran down the flight of stairs after running out of his bedroom in excitement. "Hey dad," Milo said once again.

"Hey buddy, I'm gonna go take you back to the park and teach you more about baseball before your next game on Saturday. Is that okay with you?" Nathan said.

"Yes! I'm gonna go get my glove!" Milo shouted before he ran up the stairs and headed back to his bedroom.

Once Milo headed up the stairs, Ella looked at Nathan, and in awkward silence before Nathan was able to speak to her.

"So I heard that you and Victor are going on a trip next week? I can have Milo that whole week if you want me to? I don't mind." Nathan said.

"Really?" Ella said.

"Yeah. I mean, who else is there to watch him besides me?" Nathan said, chuckling.

"Oh yeah. Sounds good. I'd appreciate that. I can't even find myself a nanny." Ella said, nodding her head.

"Yeah. It's no problem." Nathan said, nodding his head this time.

Eventually, Milo came running down the stairs once again and said, "Ready!" Nathan smiled at his son before he said, "Okay let's go." Milo followed his dad Nathan after he said goodbye to his mom and said he loved her.

"Bye, honey!" Ella shouted. "Be good!" Ella shouted once again. Ella walked back into the house before she turned around after shutting the door and heading up the stairs.

In the car, Nathan was driving his five-year-old son Milo around downtown and they were headed to the park's baseball field.

"Daddy?" Milo said.

"What is it buddy?" Nathan asked.

"Do you think Mommy will marry Victor? I don't want her to." Milo said.

"Uh, well it's up to Victor and your mom. I really don't know buddy." Nathan shot back.

"I don't want her to. I want you and mommy to get back together." Milo said, sighing.

"I know buddy. I wished that were true. But hey, Victor seems like a nice guy. I mean, do you really like him? You told me the other day you said you did." Nathan wondered.

"I don't know. It's just that I don't know if I do. I mean, he's not my dad. You are. I just don't want him ruining your relationship with mommy." Milo said.

"You don't have to worry about that, Milo. Your mom and I are good friends now. I think she's happy with Victor and someday daddy won't be around anymore if he ever gets sick or something like that. And Victor will take good care of you. I know he will." Nathan explained.

"You're not sick are you, daddy?" Milo wondered.

"No. I'm totally fine." Nathan said, looking at the road as he continued to drive.

Milo sighed and said, "Then I just wish you and mommy could get back together. I mean, I want mommy to understand that you still love her." Milo said.

"Your mom and I aren't getting back together, Milo. Our divorce was finalized. But at least you get to see me for a whole week next week while your mommy and Victor get to go on vacation. I hope that's okay with you." Nathan said.

"Yes. It's okay. I just missed seeing you and mommy getting back together." Milo said.

"I know buddy. I know you do." Nathan said.

Once Nathan and Milo arrived at the baseball field once again, Nathan was teaching Milo how to do the drop, step, turn & burn at the baseball field. He was already being taught by his coach, but Milo wanted to be a better player than anyone else on his team so he decided to have his father Nathan, a former JV baseball player, teach him more about baseball before his next game because he wanted to be better than his teammates.

Out in the middle of the baseball field—Nathan was showing his son Milo the drop, step, turn, and burn correctly at the pitcher's mound in the middle of the baseball field.

"Okay, buddy, now you're a pitcher. First, you drop the glove side foot, you turn your hips, and accelerate towards the ball. This eliminates false steps. To allow players like you to track fly balls. Okay?" Nathan said. In baseball, specifically during pitching or high-intensity throwing drills, Nathan performs a "drop, step, turn, and burn" (often called a "turn and burn" or drop step drill) while standing on the
balls of their feet in a balanced, athletic, and slightly crouched position.

Nathan showed Milo the beginning in a balanced, athletic stance with knees bent, chest over the balls of the feet, and feet shoulder-width apart. Nathan takes a small, controlled step backward with their glove-side leg (left leg for right-handers. Nathan rotates their hips and turns their back (or side) toward the target while keeping their chest over their feet for balance.

Nathan explodes off the back leg (the "turn and burn" part), driving toward the target while separating their hands and rotating their hips. Throughout the drill, the weight is kept on the balls of the feet to allow for quick movement and to avoid being on the heels, which causes drifting or poor balance.

The drill is used to help pitchers like Nathan feel the separation between their upper and lower bodies and to increase rotational power. Nathan aims to keep their chest over their feet, rather than leaning too far back, which can cause them to lose balance.

This technique is used to teach proper loading of the hips, prevent "flying open" too early, and maximize power through rotational movement.

"Okay, daddy. So I just hit the ball with the bat after you throw it at me?" Milo asked.

"Yes. Now go back up to the batter's box. After I throw the ball, you hit it really hard with your bat, okay?" Nathan said.

"Okay," Milo said.

"Ready?" Nathan asked.

"Ready, daddy," Milo answered.

Nathan did the drop, step, turn & burn before throwing the ball at Milo before Milo swung the bat and hit the baseball really hard, and then the ball flew up in the air and hit the ground from across the field.

"Ah, see? It's very simple. You just did a home run!" Nathan said, smiling at his son, before turning around, grabbing the baseball from the ground, and turning around, before walking back up to Milo.

"Daddy, I can't do this anymore," Milo said.

"What's wrong, sport?" Nathan asked.

"I want to quit," Milo said.

Nathan sighed and said, "Milo, you're getting so good at it. Don't quit now." Nathan said.

"I don't want to do this anymore," Milo said.

"Why?" Nathan wondered.

"Because daddy! I stink at baseball!" Milo said.

"Oh buddy, did someone tell you aren't good at playing baseball? Or are you just a quitter?" Nathan said.

Milo didn't answer this time and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Just keep playing. It took Daddy a long time too to learn to play this sport. But if you really want to commit to something—then it's up to you if you want to stick with it." Nathan said.

"Daddy?" Milo said.

"Yeah?" Nathan wondered.

"I'm not a quitter," Milo said.

"Then keep on playing. You'll get better at it. I promise." Nathan said.

Milo nodded his head without saying a word and he sighed.

"Okay, let's get back to work," Nathan said. Milo took his baseball bat and he swung it before hitting the ball after Nathan threw the ball at Milo.

"That a boy. See, why do you want to quit now, hmm?" Nathan wondered before he ran across the field to pick up the baseball once again. "Again," Nathan said, before returning to the pitcher's mound. Milo took his baseball bat and placed the handle in his fingers rather than deep in his palms, aligning his "door-knocking" knuckles (middle knuckles) for better control and wrist snap.

Milo kept a relaxed grip with hands together, ensuring the top hand's knuckles aligned between the bottom hand's index and middle knuckles. Before Nathan used his glove as a pitcher and threw a baseball by using a multi-phase, full-body kinetic chain, transferring energy from their legs through their torso and arm to the ball, rather than relying solely on arm strength.

The motion, typically a six-step delivery, involves a wind-up, stride, arm cocking, acceleration, and follow-through, creating high-velocity, specific spin rates for different pitch types.

Nathan and Milo were back home sitting in the dining room together eating dinner. Ella and Victor were on vacation and enjoying themselves. Nathan and Milo were having takeout pizza for dinner and Milo just ate his last slice of pizza.

"Daddy, I am full," Milo said.

"Then don't eat anymore. Don't make yourself throw up again." Nathan said, chuckling.

Milo leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"So, how's school been going for you? Did you learn anything new this week?" Nathan wondered.

"Mrs. Sebastian said that we have a field day on Monday. Mom had to sign a field trip permission slip yesterday." Milo said.

"That sounds like fun," Nathan said, before taking a sip of his drink.

"Yeah. I'm excited." Milo said.

"I'm sure you are!" Nathan answered, after swallowing his drink.

Nathan before he took another bite of his pizza, started coughing. Then his coughing became violent.

"Daddy, are you okay?" Milo asked.

"Yeah, I—," Nathan coughed once more. "I'll be right back," Nathan said before he stood up from his chair, then left the dining room as he continued to cough and headed to the bathroom alone.

After entering the bathroom, Nathan shuts the door as he continues to cough violently. He gaped for air as he was coughing and until he coughed up blood. Why? Nathan thinks his cancer isn't responding to the chemo. Nathan saw blood on his hand. He was breathing heavily because he coughed really hard.

Nathan asked himself a question, and if he's gonna die from his cancer sooner rather than later? The truth is that he may, and his oncologist told him that the chemo may not respond to his cancer. And Nathan's whole world just vanished. He knows that he has to tell Ella that he's dying sooner or later.