"Ah! Before I forget," the young man said, reaching into his pocket. He crouched down so that he was eye level with the little girl and held out a baseball — the same one he'd used in the championship. A signature curved across its surface, beside a small drawing of an autumn leaf — a quiet symbol sketched by the boy in the baseball cap.
"I told you you'd get my first autograph, didn't I? So here it is — promise fulfilled."
"Yay!" the girl shouted joyfully, clutching the ball with both hands. Overcome with excitement, she suddenly threw her arms around him. Caught off guard, the young man lost his balance and fell back onto the ground, laughing at her pure delight.
"I think you're spoiling her too much," James said in the basketball jersey, chuckling at the scene.
"I agree," the young woman added teasingly. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm really your number one — or if it's your little fan Rosette."
"Of course you're my number one," Dranred replied with a grin. "But she's my number one fan, and that's different." He smiled at Rosette, who beamed proudly and nodded.
"Besides," he added, standing up, "you're not exactly into sports, remember?"
"That's true," said James in the jersey, still smiling. "And you shouldn't be jealous of Rosette. Dranred thinks of her as a little sister. Isn't it nice that someone else loves this troublemaker as much as we do?"
"I'm not jealous," the young woman muttered, rolling her eyes. The man in the jersey laughed, glancing at his pitcher friend, who shrugged and smiled back.
"Shouldn't we get going?" the young woman said, turning to her brother. "Mom and Dad are probably waiting for us."
"Ah, right — I almost forgot," James said with a snap of his fingers. "Dranred, do you want to come with us? We're having a small get-together at home. Mom and Dad want to celebrate. If you're not busy, that is."
"Of course!" Dranred replied brightly.
"Won't your coach be looking for you? I bet your team's going out to eat after the championship," the pitcher asked.
"I'll let him know. I'm sure Coach won't mind," Dranred said confidently.
Just as he promised, he asked his coach for permission to skip their championship dinner. At first, the coach refused — wanting his star player to join the team celebration — but in the end, he couldn't say no. He knew Dranred well enough to understand that when he'd made up his mind, there was no changing it.
When they arrived at the neighborhood gate, Dranred paused, blinking in surprise. "You moved houses?" he asked, looking around.
"Yeah," James replied with a grin. "Mom's loan finally got approved, so we were able to move in. So you could say tonight's not just a championship party — it's also a housewarming."
He waved toward a man and woman busy grilling in the yard. They smiled and waved back as the woman came over to open the gate.
"It's a nice house," Dranred said, still looking around. "By the way, aren't you guys champions too? Is it okay for you to skip your own party?"
"No problem," the pitcher said, pointing toward a nearby table. "They're all here anyway."
Dranred's eyes widened when he saw the entire basketball team — including their coach — laughing and eating together. It didn't surprise him much; he knew how close this family was, and he often found himself drawn to their warmth. In truth, he spent more time with them than in his own home.
"James, Estelle, Rosette! I'm so glad you finally made it!" called the woman from the yard as she opened the gate wider. "We've been waiting for you — your teammates have been asking where you were!"
The three siblings greeted her respectfully before heading inside, laughter and the smell of grilled food filling the evening air.
"Dranred! I'm so glad you made it," the woman greeted warmly. "Congratulations on your win, by the way. We saw it on TV — you were incredible."
"Thanks," Dranred replied with a modest smile. "But it wasn't just me. My teammates really pulled through."
The woman smiled at his humility, then turned to the little girl. "Come on, sweetheart, let's go inside," she said, guiding the Rosette toward the house. James, Estelle, and Dranred followed behind.
"Oh, look who finally arrived — the MVP himself!" one of James's teammates called out as soon as they entered the yard. Laughter and cheers erupted around the table as the group spotted Dranred.
"Go on, they've been waiting for you all this time," said a man carrying a plate of grilled meat as he approached. "Here — take this to them," he added, handing the plate to James.
"Got it," James said, taking the plate with a grin before turning to Dranred. "I'll be right back. They'll kill me if I don't join them soon."
"Go ahead," Dranred replied. "I'll help your dad with the grilling."
James nodded. "I won't be long," he said before walking over to join his teammates at the long table filled with food and laughter.
Dranred made his way toward the man tending the grill. "Sir, is there anything I can help with?" he asked politely.
The man looked up at him and smiled. "Yes — could you grab some of the meat from that box over there?" he said, pointing toward a cooler beside the table. "Glad you could come, by the way. Won't your folks be looking for you?"
"I told them where I'd be," Dranred replied as he lifted the wrapped meat from the box. "They know we've got a championship party tonight. They won't worry."
The man nodded approvingly, but there was a thoughtful look in his eyes, as if he wanted to say more.
Nearby, another man — the same one who'd handed the grilled food to James earlier — joined them, wiping his hands on a towel. "Lieutenant," he said to James's father with a grin, "your son's really something, huh? He's amazing on the court."
James's father chuckled. "He's got talent, that's for sure."
"Do you think he'll go pro?" the man continued. "Or will he follow in your footsteps and join the police force?"
"He can do whatever he sets his heart on," the lieutenant said, his tone steady and kind. "I won't force him into anything. If basketball makes him happy, maybe he'll go professional one day. For now, I just want him to finish school."
The man laughed. "You're a lucky father, sir. A talented, good-looking son — I bet the girls go crazy for him!" he joked, then added with a wink, "And your daughters too — I heard from your wife that Estelle's a top student with plenty of awards. You must be so proud."
The lieutenant smiled and glanced toward Estelle, who was helping her mother serve food to James's teammates and a few uniformed officers sitting nearby.
Then the man's gaze shifted back to Dranred. "Looks like you're the only one here not wearing a basketball uniform," he remarked, noticing Dranred's baseball uniform.
Dranred looked down at his shirt and laughed lightly. "Guess I'm the odd one out," he said, his tone good-natured.
The evening air carried the scent of smoke and grilled meat, blending with bursts of laughter and the faint chatter of friends reunited. Dranred found himself smiling quietly — not the smile of a champion, but of someone who finally felt at home.
"Uncle Sergeant, Red isn't a basketball player," Rosette said, skipping up to them. "He's a baseball player — and a really good pitcher! His team won the championship this year. Didn't you see it on TV?"
Dranred couldn't help but smile at the little girl's excitement.
"Is that so?" the sergeant asked, humoring her. "He's that good?"
"Of course!" Rosette said proudly, her eyes sparkling. "He didn't let the other team get a single hit! Strikeouts all the way! He even hit a home run himself. The umpire had to stop the game in the seventh inning because they knew they couldn't beat him!"
The sergeant chuckled. "You sound even happier about his win than your brother's."
"That's not true!" she protested, crossing her arms. "I'm happy for both of them!"
"Sure, sure," the sergeant teased, laughing. "But your eyes give you away — they shine a little brighter when you talk about Red."
"Papa, look!" Rosette said quickly, changing the subject as she held out the baseball in her small hands. "I have a ball with Red's autograph on it!"
Her father smiled, leaning down to look. "Make sure you treasure that."
"Of course! I'm the very first person he's ever given his autograph to!" Rosette said proudly.
The sergeant let out a hearty laugh. "You look like someone who just won the lottery — all for a used baseball."
"You wouldn't understand," Rosette said with a playful pout, sticking her tongue out. "You don't have one!" Then she giggled and ran off toward her mother.
The sergeant shook his head, still laughing. "Looks like she's the odd one out in your family, Lieutenant."
James's father laughed too. "She's special — and we wouldn't have her any other way."
Laughter rippled through the yard as the night carried on. The warm smell of grilled food mingled with the chatter of teammates and the cheerful noise of children running about. James was laughing with his basketball teammates nearby, while Dranred had joined them, trading stories and jokes as though he'd always been part of the family. For a moment, under the soft glow of the patio lights, everything felt simple — like winning, family, and friendship all shared the same heartbeat.