Epilogue
Emerson
Two years later
I smoothed the satin over my belly and smiled. The bump was just starting to show but only barely. My dress was better than I had imagined, I thought as I looked over it in the mirror. My hair was swept to the side in a braid falling over my shoulder and ending just above the swell of my swollen breasts. Luke and I had decided that we wouldn't tell anyone about the baby until after today, simply because we didn't want anything to take away from today. Luke had spent hours out in the meadow stringing up lights and making sure everything was perfect. I had helped him do as much as he would allow, but being pregnant had made me incapable of doing anything in his mind. He didn't even like me cleaning the house or cooking dinner. The man spoiled me. It was no wonder I loved him.
I thought back to when I first suspected I was pregnant.
My body was revolting, and I had too much to do. Weddings don’t plan themselves. I felt like I had the flu but had reason to believe that maybe something else was going on. I knew if I went and bought a test that it would be all over our small community in a matter of twenty minutes, and the last thing I needed was the attention. It just so happened that Rachel and Charles had come into town for Summerfest that weekend, so she grabbed a test for me while she was at the store. Keeping it from Luke had been a little tricky, but we had managed.
“So?” Rachel popped her head into the bathroom as I waited to see just how many lines popped up. When the second line started to show, I was overcome with emotion, so when Rachel stuck her head in the door, she wasn't sure if she should be happy or quietly somber with me. I nodded, and she ran into the bathroom pulling me into a tight hug. Her own protruding belly kept us from our normal tight embraces.
“If you have a girl, our kids can get married, and then we will be related for real.” She said through her tears.
“It's a little early to be planning that wedding.” I laughed at her.
“When are you going to tell Luke? I want to be here and see the look on his face.”
“I don't know, maybe I should wait a little longer.” Even though I wanted to wait and plan some elaborate way to tell him, he knew immediately I was hiding something from him.
“What’s wrong with you?” He asked me as we stood in the kitchen later that night.
“Nothing.” I smiled and turned back to the salad I was mixing. I felt his arms wrap around me and pull me against him.
“I don't believe you.” I turned in his arms and looked up into his blue eyes.
“I just haven't felt very good for the last week or so. I think I'm coming down with something.”
“Maybe you should make an appointment to go to the doctor when we are in Portland early next week.”
“I think I might.” I reached up on my tip-toes and kissed him softly before turning back to the salad.
At dinner two nights later, I had worked up the nerve to tell him. I wanted to do one of those extravagant treasure hunts, but instead I ordered a pacifier and served it to him on a plate. When I sat the plate down in front of him, he looked down and then back at me and then down to the plate again.
“Are you, we are, when, you aren't kidding me, are you? Because that would be cruel.” His dark blue eyes were shining, and his smile was blinding. He stood and grabbed my face, kissing me hard then dropped to his knees in front of me, kissing my belly over and over.
“Hey little buddy. I don't know if you can hear me yet, but I can't wait to meet you.” His arms wrapped around my waist, his head laid on my belly, and he talked to a baby that we hadn't planned but wanted.
“I cannot believe how good that dress looks on you.” Cindy smiled at me when she walked in, shuffling in her own dress.
“I was worried that it would show my belly too much,” I admitted.
“You are going to tell Ryan today anyway, right?”
“We were planning to, yes.”
“I still can't believe that he is so oblivious to what is going on around him.” Cindy laughed.
“You are pretty distracting.” I raise my eyebrows and smile at her. “Especially in that dress,” I joked.
“I never thought that he and I would be a he and I for real.”
“The man loves you.” I reached out and hugged her.
“Well, he better. Because at this point, I’d fight him for custody of you and Luke,” she winked. “Now turn around,” she said. “I’ll help you tie that ribbon in the back, and then you can get mine. Because you’re on in thirty minutes.”
I smiled.
Thirty minutes later, I was watching Luke make me all weak in the knees in his tux as I walked toward him and took my place standing across from him.
He winked at me, and I winked back. He blew a kiss toward my belly, and I melted a little more for him.
“I love you.” I mouthed, and he did the same. Ryan shuffled nervously next to him and fiddled with his tie.
“Stop.” Luke whispered as Ryan turned to look at Luke.
When the wedding march started, we all watched as Cindy stepped out of the tent and into view. Ryan’s face lit up when he saw her. Her raven hair was pulled up, revealing her long, elegant neck. A few soft curls fell around her face.
When I pulled my gaze away from her and focused on Ryan’s face, I saw his eyes get a little misty. Luke reached out and gave him a solid pat on his shoulder, which caused Ryan to wipe at his eyes quickly. When Cindy stopped in from of him, he reached out for her and immediately leaned in to kiss her out of instinct.
“Not yet, son.” The minister laughed. I smiled as Ryan’s hands trembled as he took Cindy’s hands in his. He had given Luke a ton of crap after our wedding about the same thing, and I knew by Luke’s smirk that it wasn't lost on him.
I watched Luke, and he watched Ryan and Cindy. I couldn't help feeling that I had everything. Not just what I wanted, but so much more than I had ever known I wanted. Luke looked at me suddenly, and I smiled back at him, remembering our vows.
“I promise to cherish every minute I get to spend with you. I promise to take care of all your needs, no matter how small or big they are. I promise to not work in my shop before seven in the morning and always finish before eight at night. I will eat your burnt cookies and never complain. I will always chase you even if I have to do so with a walker in front of me. I also promise to knock you up at least three times, four if you'll let me.”
The crowd erupted in laughter, and a bright smile covered Luke’s face.
“But most of all, I promise to love you with every part of me—heart, mind and soul for as long as I have breath in my body.”
I was directed at that point to say my vows.
“I promise to be a wife and partner to the best of my ability. I promise to let you help clean the house and to also let you cook all the meals so you don’t have to eat burnt cookies.”
Laughter rang from the crowd.
“I promise to help you be the best you can be at everything you want to do, even if that means you spend weeks alone in your shop. I also promise to make our house a home for you, not just a building. But most of all, I promise to love you and make you feel loved for as long as I am breathing.”
When I focused back on the ceremony in front of us, Ryan wrapped his arms around Cindy and dipped her back as he kissed her deeply. When he set her back upright, the minister pronounced them man and wife. Ryan kissed her softly again and then started to lead her toward the tent that was set up for the reception. A gentle rain began to fall as Luke and I headed toward the tent. I started to jog but was lifted from behind and carried to the tent. Luke kissed me before he set me back on my feet.
We watched as Ryan and Cindy danced and then shared cake. The wedding went smoothly even though the temperamental pacific northwest weather wanted to be a pain. Luke and I sat and waited our turn with the bride and groom. We wanted to tell Ryan as a bit of a wedding present. When they made their way over to us, we exchanged hugs, and then Luke began to tell Ryan in the way we rehearsed.
“You know I made you a promise a long time ago, Ryan. And unfortunately, it seems that I’m not going to be able to keep it. At least, not exactly.”
“What promise?” Ryan asked with his head tilted to his side.
“A promise that we would name our first born after you. And while Ryan could be used as a girl’s name, we’ve decided on Wrynn instead.” Ryan eyes grew huge as he looked from me to Luke and then back. His hands automatically went to the small rounding of my belly.
“You know, you have been hitting the cookie dough ice cream pretty hard lately,” Ryan said to me joking. “I just didn’t want to say anything.” He grinned and hugged us both, then bent over to talk to my stomach. “Hey, baby Wrynn. Your Uncle Ryan already loves you and can't wait to meet you and threaten any boy who ever wants to talk to you.” I felt her move inside of me letting me know that she knew we were talking to her.
“How long have you known?” he looked at Luke and me, and then he focused on Cindy, who was grinning.
“You knew, too?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Am I the only one that didn't?”
“Pretty much.” Luke patted him on the shoulder.
“You all suck.” He frowned.
“We wanted you to be focused on your wedding. We still have a few more months before she’s born.”
“Well, I guess we should get busy,” he reached for Cindy.
A flush covered her face, and I knew what she was about to say.
“Welllll, you see, we have already been busy.”
I watched as her hands moved to her lower belly. I looked at Luke, and he looked at Ryan in complete shock. Color flushed from Ryan’s cheeks, and he reached for her.
“Are you messin’ with me?”
Her eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head.
He pulled her to him and shouted to the entire room, “I'm gonna be a dad!”
Claps and whoops come from all around us. “And so is Luke!” he added on.
Warm arms wrapped around me, and in that moment my heart had never been fuller. I realized exactly what I was missing less than five years ago. I was missing the other half of my soul, and now I stood with strong arms wrapped around me, completing my life in a way that most people never experienced.
“I love you.” I whispered to Luke over my shoulder.
“I love you more, and our baby.”
EXTREME
By Claire Adams
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 Claire Adams
Chapter One
Justin
It was my fight night. I sat at the back of the arena under the overhang. From my seat, I could see how rowdy and pumped the crowd was. It was smaller than what I was used to, but it was okay. I was the main event. I was the reason everyone was there that night. It felt amazing.
The noise from the crowd was deafening. It was great because I could feel the energy in the crowd. The louder they became, the more it pumped me up for the fight. Most of the people there were eagerly waiting for me to take down my latest opponent.
I liked to stand near the back and watch the crowd get ready for me to appear. It helped me use that as motivation for my fights. I always stood where they couldn’t see me so I wouldn’t distract from the fight.
“You’re gonna do great tonight, kid,” Artie said from beside me.
“I know,” I said confidently.
This circuit was small, but I was ready for a few knockouts. I was ready to climb those ranks and show them who I really was. I didn’t feel nervous. In fact, I was so pumped that I began to bounce around a little bit. It kept my blood flowing.
I heard the announcer’s voice echo through the arena as he announced my opponent. I didn’t really pay attention to his name because I knew I would knock him out so quickly that it wouldn’t matter. Then, I heard my own name.
“And he’s here to climb the ranks, hoping to go further than anyone before him, JUUUUSTIIIIIIN SIIIIIMOOOOON!” he drug my name out for effect. My heart raced with anticipation. I loved hearing my name announced.
The crowd went wild, screaming, cheering, clapping, and chanting. There were a few boos, but from the sound of it, there weren’t very many. It was easy to block those out.
I followed Artie, my coach, down the aisle to the cage. People screamed at me as I walked by. I fist bumped a few of my fans and elicited even more cheers.
I could make out what some of them were saying, “Yeah!! Justin!” and “Kick his ass!” “Knock him down!” “You got this bro!” I appreciated my fans because I worked so hard to get to where I was. Four years ago, I wasn’t much of anything. I was nothing more than a walking mess, and now there I was, making a name for myself in the world of MMA.
It always made me laugh when people I barely knew would call me “bro.” It always seemed to be my die-hard fans that used that term of brotherhood. Even though they probably didn’t know a single thing about me, it never bothered me. They were the reason I kept going. They were the reason I continued to step into that cage fight after fight.
I entered the cage and looked around. A few of the newer fighters were right in front. They were hoping to pick up a few tips from me that night. They wanted to be up close and personal with me. They wanted to learn from me. Knowing there were fighters who wanted to be like me was more flattering than anything I’d ever felt before.
I looked around the crowd a little more. I took in so many faces, but none were memorable. Then, I spotted her. Anna. I was so glad to see her. I’d asked her to come, but I half-expected she wouldn’t show. That might have made for an awkward appointment the next time I met with her, but she was there, and she looked so hot sitting there watching me. She was close enough to see all the action, but far enough away to avoid the bodily fluids that might fly off during the fights. Smart girl. It was something I liked about her. She was sitting next to a girl who looked a little like her. They were whispering and, for a moment, I wished I could hear what they were saying.
I put my mouth piece in and smiled at her. She smiled back, and it was enough to drive me crazy. She had the best smile I had ever seen in my life.
I had never been with her, but I thought about it a lot. She was so hot. And not to mention, she was one of the sweetest girls I had ever met. Hot and sweet had always been a deadly combination for me in a woman. I was ready to show off for her so she could see how much of a man I was.
Anna was my massage therapist, and even though I hadn’t been with anyone in four years, I always thought it would be fun to date her.
From my spot in the cage, I could barely make out her dark brown hair and eyes. They both looked almost black because of the lighting. She had the best body and was a total knockout. I couldn’t get enough of her when she was around.
I was hoping she would stick around after my fight so I could talk to her for a minute. My mind was far away, focused on Anna, when I heard Artie trying to get my attention.
“I need you to focus,” Artie said, snapping me back to reality. “Let’s talk strategy before you get out there.”
I nodded my head because there was no point in trying to talk with my mouth piece in. I would have had to remove it in order to form any coherent sentences.
“This guy should be a walk in the park for you. All you need to do is watch for when he puts his guard down and then hit him high. You’ll get a KO for sure,” he said.
I studied my opponent for a minute. Artie was right. He had been in this business for a long time. I always trusted his judgment in the cage. I had to. I knew there was no way I would ever win a fight without him as my coach. I nodded my head again to show Artie that I understood him and was going to follow his advice.
The bell rang, and I turned my attention to my opponent. He was about my height but didn’t seem to have as much muscle mass as me. We bounced around in a circle in the middle of the cage, dancing in and out of each other’s reach. I don’t know how long we played with each other before he aimed for my face. I blocked it easily, but then he got me in the ribs. I told myself that wouldn’t happen again.
It didn’t hurt that bad. The guy didn’t hit too hard, which showed me his weakness. I aimed for his ribs with my left fist as a distraction. When he ducked, I hit him in the cheek with my right fist. I was good at this because I always made sure to be one step ahead of my opponent.
He got me in my stomach, again. Still not as hard as you would think for a fighter. I had been hit harder by my friends. My confidence soared.
I led him around in a circle and blocked a few more shots. I aimed for his stomach and ribs. He blocked them, but that was my intention. I was playing with the guy, trying to wear him out. He was playing right into my plan. He aimed for my ribs a couple more times, and got one in, but I blocked most of them.
When the bell for the third round rang, I could tell this guy was exhausted. It was perfect. This was exactly where I wanted him. Worn and unable to predict my next move. I hit him with a right hook and then an upper cut. That was all it took. He fell to the ground, hitting the mat hard.
The ref went over to him and counted to three. When my opponent didn’t get back up, the ref called it a KO. He announced me as the winner. Talk about an ego boost. Adrenaline was still coursing through my veins, and I felt invincible.
With the fight over, I tuned back in to the noise around me. The crowd was going wild.
“JUSTIN! JUSTIN! JUSTIN!” they chanted and cheered.
It didn’t matter if it was an easy fight or a tough one; every win felt just as amazing as the previous one. I loved it. The surge of energy that came with winning always felt amazing.
When I first started out, I didn’t know how good I was going to be. But as I started to master my moves, I quickly learned I was a great fighter. It had a lot to do with my amazing coach and the fact that I fought to support myself and my daughter. She had been a huge motivator for me to become as good as possible.
I removed my mouth piece and grinned at the crowd. Throwing my fist in the air, I yelled, “Hell yeah!” to the crowd. The cheers grew even louder.
Artie handed me my towel and water bottle. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and took a sip of water. We stepped out of the cage, and I high fived a few of the fans as Artie and I made our way back to my changing room. I needed to take a quick breather before I got changed.
“That was a good fight, kid. You KO’d the guy, and now you’re moving on. I’m proud of you, but…” he paused.
There was always a “but” with him. It was almost like he had to think of something negative whether I won or lost. He had to point out my weaknesses.
“Your form right before you knocked him out was weak. Your stance needs to be strong in case he comes back with a good hit. You don’t want to lose your balance. You need to keep your form tight. It’s only going to get harder from here on out. You have to keep that in mind,” he said.
I knew what he was talking about. “Thanks, Artie. I’ll remember that next time,” I said. He was right, after all. I couldn’t afford to let my guard down in the cage.
“And don’t forget to include more of your submissive wrestling moves. You can get them to tap out faster that way. You’re quick and good at it. Use it to your advantage. Keep your repertoire of moves in your mind at all times. They are your weapons.”
I nodded my head. I just wanted the lecture to end. He sure did know how to kill my good mood. I didn’t have much time to celebrate, ever. And it sucked. I wished I could have more time with the crowd to show them I loved to have a good time too and that I appreciated their support. I wanted more time to soak up the intoxicating energy that always came after a win. I wished Artie would save his lectures for the following practice. I wished he could let me have my moment.
“I can’t wait to tell Margie about the fight. She’s going to be so excited that I won,” I said.
“I bet her eyes will light up just like yours do right before you get in the cage,” Artie said with a smile. I agreed with him. My daughter, Margie, and I had the same eyes. She had her mother’s smile though.
It was still hard to think about Tammy. Even after four years, I still struggled to pay off the medical bills from when she died. And the guilt I carried around about my daughter not having her mother was insurmountable. More than anything, I hoped Margie wouldn’t take it on throughout her life. Her mom passed away while giving birth to her. They had tried everything to save Tammy, but they had to focus on Margie. They had to make sure they got her out safely. She was only four now and didn’t fully understand what happened. It was the best, most heartbreaking day of my entire life.
I wanted nothing more than to give Margie a great life. To be there for her and support her in everything she chose do. But it was hard. I was still dealing with the emotions of my wife’s passing and not to mention the pile of bills that threatened our way of living every single day. It was the whole reason I started fighting. Paying off those medical bills and giving Margie the life she deserved was my sole focus. I wanted my daughter to have the life I didn’t have as a kid. My parents weren’t poor, but we struggled. And that wasn’t the life I wanted for my daughter.
“You get home safe and rest up. I need you fresh in the gym on Monday,” Artie said while grabbing his stuff.
“Will do, sir,” I said.
“Don’t call me sir,” he said.
He always hated when I called him sir. I told him it was a sign of respect, and he argued that it just made him feel older than he already was. So, I started calling him sir for fun.
“See ya later, old man,” I said.
“Watch your mouth, kid, or I’ll ride you so hard in the gym that you will wish you never met me,” he threatened with a wave goodbye.
I changed quickly, hoping that Anna would still be around. I at least wanted to thank her for coming before I went home.