Princeton
The routine was all the same, but everything about it felt completely different now that I had decided this was my last go-round.
I found myself trying to take it all in, absorb every moment, every sparring session, every run, every sunrise, every meal. And it wasn’t just the fact that this was my last training camp that had me feeling different, but also that this was my first training camp without my father around. There wasn’t any of the toxic energy he brought with him, none of the pressure or intimidation, and I wondered would that missing piece come back to haunt me later since it hadn’t exactly failed me before. But I couldn’t worry about that now, instead doing my best to stay focused on the task at hand of making Scotty regret even thinking about coming back to the sport.
Still, even that came second to thoughts of Bella and Baby Z, the daily nudes I got last camp transformed into daily belly updates that somehow felt more fulfilling. I couldn’t believe how much bigger she had gotten in the six weeks I had been away, couldn’t believe how close we were to seeing Zuri’s face outside of the high-tech ultrasound pictures. And while the anticipation was killing me, I tried to channel that energy into working my ass off so my absence during the homestretch would actually be worth a damn.
As if I needed the motivation in the moment, I found myself scrolling back to the video Bella had sent just this morning that started from a back view where you could hardly tell she was pregnant and ended with her flipping around to unveil the watermelon she looked to be hiding under her shirt. It was hilarious yet fascinating all at once, though I also noticed how good her titties looked sitting right above it. And while I was happy just seeing her happy and healthy, I couldn’t help mentioning the twins when I replied, “Damn, girl. I see you already stocking up meals for Baby Zuri ;P.”
The message was sent hours ago, but Bella hadn’t replied which was unusual for her since she usually messaged me back right away. But instead of worrying myself sick about it, I got back to work, running through hand speed drills with Little Tony followed by footwork drills with his father before taking another break.
Still no reply.
Once again, I tried not to get too worked up about it. But this time, my anxiety quickly took over. Though instead of calling Bella, I made a call to someone who might know enough to put me at ease, immediately taking her pleasant tone as a good sign when she said, “Hey Prince.”
“Hey, Ma. You talk to Bella?”
While her tone stayed the same, her response didn’t exactly match it once she answered, “Uh, yeah. We’re all up at the hospital right now. She wasn’t feeling too well, so we thought it’d be best to play it safe and see what was going on.”
The anxiety I had originally called with was only amplified, Tony, Little Tony, and Brandin all watching me with a confused expression as I used my teeth to get rid of my hand wraps while asking, “Is everything alright? Do I need to come back?”
“Umm… let me find out more information and I’ll call you back,” she replied before ending the call, only making my uneasiness a thousand times worse.
That in combination with the tension I had built up for the fight was enough for me to shout, “Fuck!” as I started gathering my things from the training facility with no time to go back to the place we had been calling home to grab the rest.
But none of that was as important as making sure my girl was alright, though my actions only made Tony more confused when he asked, “What’s going on, P? Everything alright?”
“Bella’s in the hospital,” I answered quickly as I traded out my boxing shoes for tennis shoes.
“She going into labor already?”
I shrugged, stuffing everything into a duffle bag as I replied, “I don’t know. My mom didn’t say. Brandin find me a flight.”
“Already on it, champ,” he said, for once being on top of his untitled job as he took off and started scrolling through his phone. But even with his phone out of the picture, there was still one buzzing and ringing nearby. And once I realized it was mine, I rushed to get it, being especially quick to answer once I saw it was my mom’s number.
My tone was breathy by the time I said, “Hello? Ma?”
“Not quite, but soon to be,” a familiar voice replied with a laugh, my shoulders sinking just slightly as she continued, “Your mom told me you called. We rushed out of the house when I started having some unordinary pains, so I don’t have my phone. Everything okay?”
“Fuck me. Is everything alright with you?” I asked, my heart still pounding through my ears as I waited for her to respond.
It didn’t exactly bring me complete relief when she answered, “I think so. They ran some tests to make sure, so we’re still waiting on the results. I’m pretty sure I was just being scary though. First-timer problems. But anyway, how’s camp?”
My face scrunched as I asked, “Bella, for real? Fuck camp right now. I’m on my way.”
“On your way? Princeton, you really don’t have to do that. I’m sure everything is fine.”
“Nah, everything is not fine cause you’re there and I’m here. So I’m on my way,” I told her, tossing the bag I had put together over my shoulder.
Even though my mind was already made up, that didn’t stop Bella from trying to change it as she pleaded, “Princeton, seriously. I’m fine. I feel fine now. You need to stay up there. You need to stay focused.”
“But I can’t focus knowing you’re going through this shit on your own, B. I can’t focus knowing our baby could show up any day now. I can’t focus when all I can think about is if you’re good or not.”
There was a long pause that had me holding my breath as if she was getting ready to spill the full truth. But instead, she only broke out in a fit of giggles when she squealed, “That’s so cute!”
“Bella…” I groaned, way too on edge for her teasing.
But once again, she did her best to calm me down as she said, “Seriously, Princeton. You’ve equipped me with more than enough people to worry about me here. You stay up there and handle business. Mama’s got it covered.”
While I trusted her judgment, trusted her to tell me the truth, I couldn’t help asking, “Are you sure?”
“I’m…. mmmph… positive,” she pushed out, the interruption making my concern grow back faster than weeds.
“Bella, what was that?”
Her reply of, “Nothing” came a little too quickly for me to be comfortable with.
Still, I tried to stay as calm as I could when I asked, “Quit playin’ with me, B. What was it?”
“Just a... small discomfort. Nothing for you to worry about,” she answered in an obvious effort to get me to chill before continuing, “But I promise if anything changes, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Just like I was the first to know this time?” I asked sarcastically, though it wasn’t completely fair to hold it against her since she was only trying to look out for me by keeping it to herself. But when she grunted again instead of responding with words, the panic came rushing back in, forcing me to tell her, “Bella, I don’t like the sound of that.”
This time her voice was a little strained when she replied, “Because you’re also a first-timer who doesn’t know any better. I’m pretty sure your daughter is just on the inside giving me hands cause it’s in her blood. She’s a fighter, Princeton. And so are you. So go handle your business. Please?”
It would’ve been silly of me to argue against her wishes, argue against the support she was trying to throw my way by easing my worries. Still, I couldn’t help reminding her, “If anything changes, you better let me know, Bella.”
“In the words of one of my favorite people on this planet, I got you. I promise.”
“Was that supposed to be my voice?” I asked, my face scrunched as my lips threatened to crack a smile. And I lost all bets once I heard her silly ass reply.
“No, it was my baby daddy’s. He’s this gigantic boxer with the heart of a Carebear. But don’t get it twisted, he’ll knock your ass out just like he’s gonna knock the lights out of “Lights Out” in a few weeks. Ever heard of him?”
Instead of answering her question, I shook my head, feeling some relief when I told her, “Bella, I love you.”
“I love you too, Princeton. Now go do what you need to do. We’ll be here when you get back... possibly in two pieces instead of one.”
Just that quickly, I was tensing back up as I warned, “Bella, that’s not helping anything.”
She only laughed as she replied, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m gonna hold her in for as long as I can. But I must say… the little chick is already behaving like an independent thinker with plans of her own.”
“Wonder where she got that from…” I muttered teasingly, knowing firsthand she had easily inherited that shit from her mama.
But of course Bella managed to put her own twist on it when she said, “With hands from you and brains from me? That’s a deadly combination. Middle school better beware. Matter of fact, we might need to play it safe and homeschool. You’ll have plenty of time since you’ll be living the retirement life and what not.”
Once again, I shook my head with a grin, peeking up to find three sets of concerned eyes staring my way as I told Bella, “Just let me know if anything changes, aight?”
“Will do,” she replied before ending the call. And the second I pulled my phone from my ear, I was bombarded with questions from Brandin.
“So… what’s up? We leavin’? We stayin’? Is Bella aight?”
I felt a special sense of pride - and peace - as I thought about how much I had gotten out of the conversation. But the most important part was a lesson on strength I wasn’t even sure Bella realized she had given, though I took it to heart with plans to apply it right away as I nodded and answered, “She’s holding it down and reminded me that I need to do the same. Now let’s get back to work.”