. . . I dunno, you think it's cool? Cooler than being a musician?

[She's not wrong about any of those things, and it gets to him a little—like he needed more getting to. Actually, baseball as a whole gets to him these days. He doesn't like to admit how much he misses it, but it's always somewhere in the back of his head. Hence little displays like earlier's ballway session . . .

But admitting that to someone else? Ah, it's her, though! And she's even being encouraging! She wouldn't be tricking him, right?

Damn, he's so easy. He can already feel himself crumpling.]

I—you don't think I'm a dumbass for missing it after I made a whole thing out o' quitting, right??