I take a step back, thrown off guard by the people standing infront of me, until my eyes meet my parents. My dad with his arm around my moms shoulder, both of them decked out in Giant's gear.

"Mom." I whisper, my eyes tearing up from the overload of emotions. How the hell did they get here? They hate flying.

"Happy birthday sweetie." She says, the moisture behind her eyes matching mine.

I leap forward and hug both of them, overcome with happiness. Quickly realizing my dad had to have flown here, I take a step back and examine him, making sure his condition hasn't worsened.

"I'm fine honey. I promise. I just got a checkup at the doctor before we flew out here." He says, pulling me in for another hug. Relief flows through me knowing his heart is returning to a normal level. He had a few heart murmurs after the heart attack that kept me up at night praying to a higher power to make them disappear.

"How did you get here?" I ask, knowing they don't know how to book a flight. Hence why I fly to them whenever I can.

"Mason obviously." I hear a shrill voice from the corner of the suite. My head snaps over to see Kaylee standing next to Mason's former roommate, Noah, with a massive diamond on her left hand while Gia bounces her baby boy in her arms.

"Happy birthday girlfriend!" Gia says, her baby clapping in response.

"What in the world are you two doing here!" I exclaim, running over for a group hug. They throw their arms around me for a long overdue embrace.

"As if we would miss your quarter-life crisis birthday." Kaylee teases. "Welcome to your mid-20's! It's all downhill from here babe."

"Oh please, this is when life gets good." Noah says from behind her. I watch his hand linger on her back before returning to his side. When the hell did that happen?

Before I can ask, the doors to the suite swing open as a team of servers file in with trays of food and beverage stations. Platters of sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, and cookies are placed on the granite counter while the beverages are laid out on a pop-up table. One more item comes wheeling in, a pink and gold birthday cake that reads "Happy Birthday Lexi".

"Food is here. Everyone come eat before first pitch in fifteen minutes." Adrianna shouts, directing my family and friends to the line. Everyone begins filling their platers, chatter bouncing off the walls as they catch up and find a seat. I make it to mine just after the starting lineup is announced and settle in to watch my man.

"How are you doing sweetheart?" my dad asks, polishing off his second sandwich. I zero in on what he's eating before he shakes his head at me. "I brought my latest results from the doctor because I didn't think you'd believe me. They're sitting in your email."

I nod and fight the urge to look. I know I shouldn't be this overprotective but I'd be lying if I said seeing him get taken out in an ambulance wasn't traumatizing. "I'm doing well, really well actually."

"But are you happy?" He presses on in an uncharacteristic interrogation.

I tilt my head to the side, pondering it. I'm beyond happy with Mason but my job, which is normally my first love, isn't bringing me the same joy it once did. Part of that is my fault for getting involved with my artist but I'm not the first one nor the last to do it in this industry.

"I'm happiest in San Francisco." I answer truthfully. The crowd cheers at the crack of the bat, signaling a homerun for the Giants.

He nods, understanding why. "And what about your job?"

"It has its ups and downs like every job." I watch Mason come up to bat, digging his cleats into the dirt, while his upper body starts swaying. He twists the bat in his hands staring down the pitcher trying to guess his pitch.

I swivel in my seat to get a better look at his butt. Damn man has to be a right-handed hitter and puts me in a box to the left of him. Doesn't he know his ass looks best in baseball pants? It's simply unfair to make me crane my neck to catch a glimpse.

"Is it because of that boy?" he asks, directing his own attention to Mason. Mason swings, missing the ball. Strike one.

"Yes, and before you lecture me again, I know it was wrong to get involved with Riley." I say, agitated. This is the last thing I want to talk about on my birthday. "But you know I was hurting, and he took away the pain. Physically at least."

My dad winces and not because Mason just missed another ball, indicating strike two. "Honey, I do not need to know what you do physically with any man. Have you told Mason?"

I watch as he swings the bat forward, connecting with the ball and sailing it to the outfield. The center fielder misses it, letting it fall behind him and Mason takes off for first base then second, before sliding into third. The crowd goes wild, chanting, "MVP. MVP." while I jump out of my seat, screaming and clapping alongside them.

He may have only hit a triple but he'll be hitting a homerun with me later. I smirk to myself then remember I'm in the middle of a conversation with my dad, immediately banishing every dirty thought, as if he can read my mind.

I sit down as the next batter steps up and turn my attention back to him. "I haven't told him but I'm going to soon. Things are so good right now that I don't want to mess it up. He's a good man, way better than when we first met."

My dad sighs, reaching across the table to take my hand in his, voice thick with emotion. "He's always been a good man. He just had a little growing up to do. But he loves you more than you know."

"How do you know that?" I ask, my own voice on the brink of quivering. As hard as I've worked to keep the voice away, there's always a part of my that doubts if I deserve Mason now. While he worked on bettering himself for another shot at us, I was using other guys to take away the pain and loneliness.

"He'll tell you tonight. But Lexi, you need to be honest about your time out here. Your mom and I know how much you've struggled. You need to let him in on that." He pats my hand before releasing it and standing up. "I won't monopolize your time tonight. I'm sure there are plenty of people here who want to catch up with you."

He presses a light kiss to the top of my head then walks over to join my mom at her seat. He sits down, his arm resting on my mom's chair and presses a kiss to her cheek. I watch them, enamored with their love, and hope that Mason and I can have the same future.

The next few innings fly by while I hold Gia's baby and grill Kaylee and Noah about getting engaged. Kaylee acted like it was bound to happen, but Noah gives more details about how Kaylee couldn't stay away after a hot night in a hotel room between them. There friends with benefits arrangement turned into real feelings when Kaylee caught another girl dancing with him at club. She threw her drink in Noah's face and fled but was too slow. He demanded to know why she was acting like a lunatic, she told him because she loved him, he loved her back and within a week he popped the question. A modern love story really is how Kaylee described it.

The rest of the game passes quickly as I try to watch every at bat of Mason's and talk to everyone who came to help celebrate my birthday. As I sat back in my slightly uncomfortable stadium seat, I couldn't help but think about how grateful I am for Mason. Grand gestures were never really his thing however that seems to be all he knows how to do nowadays.

I take in the ballpark, the suite, and my new friends in San Francisco and think how easy it would be to stay here forever. To wake up next to him every morning, to spend his off days with him exploring the city and neighboring areas, and to spend every night loving him, making up for our lost time. But reality sinks in and so does one terrifying thought. Can I really abandon my career in Los Angeles?

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"What's on your mind?" Mason asks, my back tucked safely into his chest. His arm is slung over mine, his fingertips gently caressing my hand. My temperature rises, leaving me feeling hot, even though I'm completely naked. No, we didn't have sex yet, but we did fool around during our shower session, hence why we're naked now. What's the point of putting any on clothes when we're going to rip them off either tonight or in the morning anyway.

"I was talking to my dad tonight and he mentioned something about you wanting to tell me about something..." I drift off, keeping my eyes trained on the wall and focusing on keeping my heartbeat from spiking. I silently curse myself for being so awkward about it.

Mason disassembles himself from me and slides out of bed, leaving me wondering what I said that could've upset him. I roll over and before I can ask what happened, he pulls out an envelope from the top drawer of his dresser. Wordlessly, he flips the switch that turns on the lights above our bed and hands me it. The return address has my father's name and our home address in Boston. I look up Mason, obviously confused, while he nods and says, "Open it."

I pull out the letter with a small notecard attached to it. I notice my father's handwriting on the card immediately.

Mason,

I thought you'd want this back someday to show Lexi why I gave you another chance and why she should too. One day, you need to come clean to her about the flowers. I can't keep taking all the credit. Even if it doesn't work out, I'm rooting for you in everything you do son.

Take care,

Mr. Olson.

The room is eerily quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin needle drop. I open the creased letter.

Mr. Olson,

I'm sure by now you know Lexi broke up with me and for good reason. I watched her heart shatter into a million pieces in mere seconds, and I couldn't pick them up quick enough. It was a train wreck waiting to happen, gaining speed with every white lie, missed phone call, and extra mile between us. But I'm not writing to you to beg for your forgiveness when it should be your daughter I'm on my knees in front of. Sir, I'm writing to you to tell you how amazing your daughter is and how lucky some man will be to marry her one day.

Your daughter came into my life at a time where I felt like I was losing myself. I'm not the model boyfriend to bring home, I'm aware of that. But the first time she hung out with me; I was memorized. Yes, I heard about her from mutual friends, but you know her, she's quiet until she feels comfortable around you. When she trusts you, it's the best feeling in the world. The way her beautiful blue eyes shine with happiness when she talks about her passions is enough to keep me under her spell forever. But how she makes me feel is something I've never felt before.

I often wonder if she feels the same need for me as I feel for her. We can be in a crowded room full of people, and I still only have eyes for her. We're drawn to each other, whether we like it or not, and I know I can't ever be friends with her. After knowing her in more ways than one, I could never pretend to ask for a friendship. I want her, all of her, everyday we're together on this Earth and everyday once our souls have entered into Heaven. I love her more than I could ever say. I know you're probably wondering how a twenty-two year old like me could know about love?

I didn't have the best upbringing of what love should be. My relationship with my dad is like a business transaction. He gives me what I need to succeed at baseball and I deliver the results. My mom left me when I was young, which I'm sure Lexi has filled you in on. While I might not know how love is supposed to look like, I do know what it doesn't look like. Perpetual fighting, scarring your child, using your child against one another, questioning their everyday motives, and being passive aggressive.

But Lexi showed me what love is. Her patience, understanding, loyalty, and selfness showed me that when someone is all in on you, they will give you their very best and very worst. While she always gave me her best, I gave her my worst. And because of that, I will regret letting her walk out the door for the rest of my life.

I have a lot of growing up to do, I know that. And while I'm doing it for me, I'm doing it for her too. Which is why I've decided to forgo Tampa Bay's offer and take San Franciso's instead. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping our paths wouldn't cross. I feel as if this is the best decision for me as well as for her and I.

But sir, if I'm not the man your daughter chooses, make sure her future husband cherishes her. Make sure he always gets her pink and white roses; the red ones are ordinary, and she deserves more than that. Make sure he knows that when she says she only wants one dessert, he buys her at least three. Her eyes will light up and she'll give him a smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts. Make sure he lets her know how beautiful she is on her best and worst days. Make sure he holds her after a sad movie because she will cry for fictional characters who don't exist. Make sure he protects her and gets her home safely after she's had one too many drinks with her friends. Most importantly, make sure he tells her everyday how much he loves her.

While I'm hoping you read this through its entirety I also understand if you shredded it when you read my name on the return label. I don't deserve Lexi, but I will spend every day proving to her and to your family that I do.

Respectfully,

Mason Young

*Author's note: I'm swooning over him. Why can't a man write me that kind of letter?? How are we feeling? Next chapter is VERY smutty. Like the whole chapter will be straight smut (just a fair warning) I know you've all been waiting for it and after that letter, well.... Mason's going to show her just how much he loves her.

As always, I appreciate all of your votes, reads, and comments! Incase you missed it - I will be posting weekly for Losing Our Way on Friday afternoons EST :)