We parked atop a hill, surrounded by houses the size of football stadiums. It was an unusually clear night, and the bridge was visible in the horizon, under the canopy of stars in a black night sky. I could call it romantic, only that Maggie was visibly distraught beside me.

Her shoulders shook as she sobbed into her palms. All I could do was sit there and feel like a total schmuck. Things were going so smoothly. She'd asked me to keep quiet about the trip until she had the chance to speak to her sister. And what had I done? I'd blabbed about it. I began rubbing her back to soothe her, and Maggie leaned over to cry on my shoulder.

"It was my fault. I'm sorry," I said, kissing the top of her head.

"No, it's not," she mumbled, "It's not your fault." She straightened and wiped tears from her cheeks.

Maggie had worn a bit of makeup for dinner, and the mascara streaked down her face. I tilted her head up and gently rubbed the black lines off with a thumb. Her nose was red, her eyes were puffy, and her bottom lip jutted out into a pout, yet, she was still achingly beautiful beyond words.

"I love my sister, but she's been a bitch lately. She still treats me like a kid who doesn't know how to tie my own shoelaces! We'd had the same talk last night, and I thought she finally got it. But now..." She sobbed in her hands again.

I was useless. How could I console her? The moment brought me back to the dark shadows of my past. To the time when I helplessly witnessed a man causing harm, every which way he could, to the woman who hadn't wanted to do anything but love him. I was useless then to my own mother. And now to Maggie.

The car filled with her hiccups and sobs, and all I did was grip the edges of my seat, hard enough that I could probably rip it to pieces. I would be surprised if I had any enamel left on my teeth after I'd ground them together.

Say something, you idiot!

My lungs filled with air as I inhaled as much in, hoping that courage came with it. I glanced quickly at her. Her curtain of hair hid her face from me. I raised a hand to reach over and soothe her again, when she brought her head up, strong and proud.

And she spoke in a hoarse voice, "I better get this straightened out." Maggie continued to dry her cheeks with the pads of her thumbs. I should have done that. I could have, but instead, I froze.

She faced me, her lips and eyes swollen and red. "I'm going back to talk to her. Can I drop you at home?"

"You can drop me here," I squeaked out, wincing at the pathetic sound of my own voice.

Maggie, after all the tears and hurt, smiled at me, and it damned near broke the walls of my heart from swelling to triple its size. "Zach, I'm not going to abandon you at the side of some random street like a sick puppy."

And since I had no other brilliant things to say, I asked her jokingly, "You would abandon a sick puppy, Beanie?" Then offered her my version of a heartbreaking smile, although inwardly, I was hoping it didn't appear too pathetic.

She laughed. Not a small trickle of sound, but a loll-your-head-back, slap-your-thigh kind of laughter. I covered her hand with mine, held it and brought it up to my lips, kissing the middle of her palm, and then continued down the inside of her forearm, while Maggie stroked the side of my face with her other hand. When her fingers reached my hair, she pulled me to her and licked the center of my slightly parted lips, causing me to open up to her.

An all-consuming desire ripped through me, heightening all my senses as Maggie slipped her tongue into my mouth. I heard the click of a seatbelt, and Maggie maneuvered around the car, ready to sit on my lap, her dress bunching up over her hips and thighs. If I was any other kind of man, I would have taken advantage of the situation. But I chose to be someone Maggie would be proud of, so with a quiet curse, I asked her to wait.

"Wait," I said again. Confusion, which was followed by dread filled her eyes. Her cheeks flushed. Maggie hovered over me. I kept explaining, "You have no idea how much I’m about to kick my own ass for saying that. But Maggie, you said you want to fix things with your sister." I watched her capture her bottom lip between her teeth. "If we continue, I don't know if I'll be able to stop. Maggie—" I pressed a thumb on her chin, urging her to release her lip. "I'd like our first time to be more special than a quickie in the car."

Her shoulders slumped. I felt her defeat. "Yeah, you're right...but...Zach?"

"Yup?"

She peered at me with narrowed, but playful eyes. "A quickie?"

And it was my turn to laugh. "Maggie, how many times have we started then stopped? I'll be honest I don't think I'd last a minute if we..." I let the words hang in the air, and we both laughed together.

Maggie slid back to her seat, still giggling over what had happened. "Then I'll drop you off at your apartment," she said while starting the car.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll head over to Rick's. He lives nearby." Maggie nodded. Before she backed the car, I added, "There's a party going on, but I'm not going for that. I want to make sure I'm close by if you need me later on. Call me whenever, okay? It doesn't matter what time. Just call."

Maggie cupped my chin with one hand. She smiled, but it didn't show in her eyes. There was something sad about the way she tilted her head to one side, and I was terrified to think why.

* * *

Rick dangled a cold bottle in front of me. I waved it away and continued to stare at the clear blue water, ignoring the handful of half-naked people in it.

"Get you to relax a bit?" he said, sitting right beside me on the edge of the pool and dipping his toes in the warm water. He'd chosen a Hawaiian theme for his party, complete with hula girls and an artificial mini-volcano.

"No. I'm training."

Rick snorted. "No, you're something else. Your head is far from your fight." I didn't bother looking at him. He was right. Since I'd arrived at this party, Maggie had stayed in my mind. I checked my phone every minute, if not less. Friends and other guests of the party tried in their own ways to get me to join the festivities, but my heart was somewhere else.

"She hasn't called, Rick. What if something bad happened?" I bent forward, leaning my elbows on my thighs.

He slapped a hand on my back twice. "She'll be fine. You said it yourself, she's a tough girl."

"Yeah," I huffed. That was true, but Maggie wouldn't believe it. Among all the people seated at that dining table—apart from Maggie—I was the most surprised by her reaction.

"Why don't you stay over tonight? If she calls, you can take one of my cars," Rick offered.

I nodded and mumbled a "thanks."

While the party continued outside one of the bedrooms in Rick's house, I stretched on the bed, and ran a thumb over the photo I had of Maggie and me when we were little. Part of its edges had peeled and worn. The color faded. But her smile remained true.

I didn't believe in the notion of romance, and for a long, long time, I didn't believe true love existed. I'd been a witness to the pain and suffering my father had brought on to my mother. Maggie had been a glimpse of hope. A ray of love.

When we moved to escape my vicious father, I'd held on to that hope. But life had been cruel, and every year that had passed, I'd convinced myself that Maggie--the symbol of a better life--had been nothing but a figment of my imagination. Every year, as I'd pounded my way through, the hold I had had to that small sign of love had dimmed.

This was exactly why I couldn't lose her again. Never again.

* * *

Two hours had passed since I'd last felt the burn in my muscles. It had turned into a constant ache and numbness in my extremities. My lungs threatened to collapse inside my chest. No matter how hard I tried to remain focused, I failed. My mind was filled with Maggie.

"Watch your feet!" I heard someone yell outside the cage.

"To the right!"

"He's open. He's open."

In a blink, I was flat on my back, and Rick's legs were on top of me. He raised his head up, showing ferocity in his eyes I had never seen before. He had me trapped in an ankle lock, my left leg squeezed between his upper arm and torso. It wasn't a hard move to counter, even with the building pressures on my knee and Achilles' tendon. If I had been paying attention, I wouldn't have been in this position.

"Give it up, kid." His voice boomed.

Rick wouldn't injure me this close to a fight, but he was trying to teach me a lesson. My head wasn't in the game. He had said it even before I jumped into the ring. He knew, and that was the whole reason he sparred with me. Rick was a legend in MMA. He'd retired before I even began. To have him in the cage with me was a privilege. But he didn't see it that way, and neither should I.

I snapped back into the moment, and untangled myself from his hold. There was no time to rethink my movements, and in an instant, my freed legs made contact with his abdominals, forcing him away from me. I was back on my feet and waited for him to do the same. By this time, we had the entire gym's interest.

"Come on, old man. Let's see what you're made of!" I goaded Rick.

He rolled his head around, producing a crack and pop from his joints, and then followed it with a grin. "I was just warming up, kid." He raised his hands chest-high, and anchored his feet to the base of the cage.

Before I could ready myself from his incoming attack, my name was called once again.

"Zach! Zach!" Stephan, Rick's teen son, standing ten feet away from the cage, waved at me. And he wasn't alone. Maggie stood beside him.

Even from this distance, I saw the worry in her eyes. I straightened and smiled, and didn't brace for the two hundred and fifty pounds of muscle that rammed me mid-torso.

"What the hell, Rick? Maggie’s here," I yelled at him, while I blocked all his punches.

He stopped and hopped back on his feet without losing a beat, and then turned to where Stephan and Maggie were watching. "I didn't know she's around."

"Yeah, thanks for making me look like a turd." He offered a hand to me, and I held onto it, bringing myself back up to standing and left the cage.

If anyone had said anything to me when I got out, I didn't hear it. I zoomed in on Maggie and her bright smile, laced with fright. My body was covered with sweat, and I stank to high heavens, and I couldn't stop trembling. In one swoop, I had Maggie in my arms and her lips tasting mine. Her legs hooked around my hips, and her arms were tight around my shoulders. I didn't give a rat's ass who was looking and what they were thinking. Of course, in a gym filled with men, hoots and hollers tend to be the norm. I ignored them all, and Maggie ignored them too.

"I missed you," I rasped out between kisses. My hands firmly gripping her ass, holding her tight against me, I walked the two of us right into the hallway toward the locker rooms.

Would Maggie stop me from going further? Would she let me take her here and now? My desire for her clouded my mind, especially when she was firmly wrapped around me, and all the blood in my brain surged down south.

"Zach," she whispered against my lips. Then she licked the underside of my jaw. Maggie's fingernails dug into the skin of my back and shoulders when I pushed my hips forward, letting her feel me, all of me through her jeans. I returned the fervor with a nibble on her neck, with a hand cupping her right breast.

There was nothing more I wanted to do than continue to savor Maggie with her back pressed on the wall and my erection strained beneath my shorts. Or I could take a few more steps and lock the two of us in Rick's office or down the hall to the locker rooms. But this was Maggie. And it would be our first time. I was serious about what I said to her last night.

I stopped. Panted. Shuddered. I breathed her sweet scent in. Maggie studied my face, my eyes, and my lips.

"Hi," I huffed out.

"Hi," she said with a smile present in her eyes.

My breathing slowed, then steadied. I could stare at her, at the purest joy in those eyes, for eternity and be content.

She started to say something but changed her mind. She did this a couple of times, and when she finally voiced it out, she said, "No quickie?"

Astounded by her question, I remained staring at her. Maggie bit her bottom lip, regarded me from underneath her lashes, and giggled. I leaned my forehead on hers, closed my eyes and listened to the thrill of her laughter. Her laughter quieted down, and I slowly let her stand on her own shaky feet.

Pushing away the stray hairs off her face, I said, "You didn't call me, Maggie. I was so worried." I continued to stand. Our bodies flushed together.

"I couldn't. Nica and I had a very long talk."

"Why didn't you call this morning? I was ready to drive to their house and demand to see you."

With the palm side of her right hand, she cupped the side of my face. "I'm sorry. It was a long night, and this morning I had to pack my bags..."

My heart plummeted. Was she leaving? Maggie was going back home? I could stay here for another day in San Francisco, but I could not follow her to Fresno. I had a promise to keep.

"You can't leave now. I..." I paced the hallway. "We still have time together. I can ask for more time here with you, but if you go back home, I can't..." I shook my head, desperate to come up with better solutions.

"Zach, stop." Maggie held her hands up, halting me from pacing again. "I'm not going back home. Not yet. Have you forgotten? I told you that I want to go to Vegas with you." Maggie waited. She waited until her words made sense to me. Of course, how could I have forgotten? It was the cause of the argument the night before.

"You are? You're really coming with me?"

"Yeah. If you want me to."

I picked her up again and kissed her, unfettered. "Yeah, yeah I do. We'll go to casinos, shows, party, eat at my favorite restaurants..."

"See your mom?"

"See Ma," I confirmed. With her feet back on the ground, I grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the main floor of the gym, where people had returned to their exercises and paid us no mind. But Maggie tugged back at my hand.

"Wait, Zach, aren't you forgetting something?"

"I am?"

She nodded her head and looked me up and down. "A shower and maybe more clothes?"

"Oh yeah, you're right. Sorry I got too excited." We walked back to the hallway. "And I have to call Patton too. He can make arrangements for my flight to change, and I'll ask him to make sure you're on the same flight."

"Or..."

"Or?"

"Well, Levi has a private plane he said we can use."

"Levi has a... Your brother-in-law said we can use his jet?"

Maggie nodded, and even when she kept her head low, I noticed the blush that crept up her face. "Or his helicopter. He said it's our choice."

I reached out to her, got her to raise her chin up and look at me. I wanted her to know how serious I was about all of it. Of her. "Maggie, even if we have to ride donkeys the entire way, I would still go on it. I just want to be with you."

"That's great, but...I don't know if Levi has access to donkeys."

As clear as day, while the gold flecks in her eyes caught the light coming through the windows, I found my care-free Maggie, the one person who had owned my heart, since the age when I didn't think it would have been possible.

* * *

Following a rushed, but thorough shower, Maggie and I went straight to my temporary apartment and gathered all my stuff. I was returning home. And Maggie was coming with me.

After a quick call to Patton, I arranged for one of my friends to pick Maggie and me up at the airport. Another call went to the nursing facility where Ma was, letting them know I would be visiting later that day with a friend. Every morning, while I was away, I'd called Ma. The calls varied from a minute to fifteen, depending on her mood. She'd been resting when I called today, but Nurse Debbie assured me she was in a talkative mood that morning. However, I wouldn't let this bring my hopes up. Her mood could change in a matter of seconds.

Maggie drove us to the airport hangar, where a sleek jet awaited us. I'd flown coach and first class, but I'd never been in a private plane before. When I stepped in, the luxurious finishes took my breath away.

"So, this is how the one percent fly," I murmured.

"What did you say?" Maggie turned to me, eyes wide with happiness. She'd flown in this plane before, even though she had never told me. The way she maneuvered inside it told me she was comfortable in this environment. It suited her.

I shook my head. I couldn't exactly tell her I thought it was ridiculous to own a luxury plane like this when I was about to spend two hours in it to head home. I opted for, "This is nice."

Maggie took my hand and led me to one of the seats. As soon as we settled in, Alex and Chase emerged from the front of the plane.

I wasn't surprised to see them, after all, I was on the Laurent family property. And I wasn't shocked that they came out with Alex's clothes all ruffled. Chase looked put together though in a tight black dress, a leather jacket and high heels. Even with the tough exterior she presented, she was a beautiful woman. They stopped and stood in front of us, hands clasped between them.

Alex spoke first. "Should be ready to go soon. We uh...just checked the cockpit to make sure everything's in working order."

Chase didn't bother to make excuses. So, what if they were screwing in the cockpit? Her demeanor dared me to challenge her. She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded at me. "Maggie's been in here before, Zach. Follow me to the back, and I'll show you the rest of the plane."

This was new. I thought Maggie would have done that with me, but as it seemed, she was more than happy to relax in her cushiony seat. I gave her a kiss before getting up to follow Chase. We continued on, past one of the bathrooms, some sort of kitchen, and right into a bedroom, which was bigger than my bedroom at home.

"Wow. This is great. I've never seen--"

"Yeah yeah," Chase interrupted. "Listen, Zach--" She poked two fingers on my chest, and turned even more serious than I'd ever seen her. Was I in trouble? "--that girl out there is my family. I only have a mother, but Maggie and Nica are my sisters. They're my family." She stepped closer, boxing me in between a cabinet and the bedroom door. "You break her heart, and I'll break you. You know I'm your biggest fan, but I will kick your ass if you so much make her cry once. Just once."

Entertaining as it might sound, it was almost heartfelt. I understood what it was like to have friends as part of your family, and wanting to protect them as much as I possibly could. With what Maggie had briefly told me about Chase, I didn't doubt that she could do a bit of damage on me. She strikes me as a dirty fighter. And more importantly, I would never fight back. I wasn’t my father. I didn't beat up women.

"There's nothing to worry about, Chase." I raised my hands up as a sign of surrender, then brought them over to my heart. "I would never hurt Maggie. You can count on that."

She regarded me curiously, peering at me through thick lashes. Her lips pursed. One of her eyebrows shot up to her forehead. Chase meant business. So, did I. I let her process the whole situation in her mind. Her features smoothed a bit before she stepped back. I released a quiet exhale. This was only the beginning.

"Good. Now, how about a drink?"

"That would be great."

I followed her out of the bedroom and back to our seats. Maggie was talking to Alex when we returned. Alex shot me a look of understanding, and I offered a curt nod in reply. Maggie was lucky to have people like them to protect her, especially after what her ex, the dingbat, had pulled. If I'd been there, I would have made sure he'd be sipping through a straw for the rest of his life.

Maggie held my hand once I settled in. "It's such a huge plane, isn't it?"

I titled my head to one side, lifted our entwined hands up to my lips and kissed her knuckles. "It's magnificent," I said, but truth be told, I wasn't talking about the plane.

She snuggled closer to me, propping her head on my shoulder and slyly kissing the side of my neck. I groaned and adjusted the instant bulge in my pants. Chase and Alex sat across from us, and I sent them a side glance. Maggie was going to get me in a ton of trouble. But it would be worth it. She was worth everything.

* * *

Surprisingly, Alex and Chase bade us farewell once we landed in a private hangar at McCarran International Airport. Only then did Maggie tell me they were en route to New York City, where Alex's sister lived. Chase pulled Maggie aside while I shook hands with Alex, thanking him for the ride.

"We'll be back for Maggie whenever she chooses to return," Alex said.

Throughout all of the excitement, I never asked Maggie when that would happen. How long would she stay? I was too afraid to ask. All I wanted to do was concentrate on our time together here. Just us. Like how it used to be.

At the mention of her name, Maggie came bounding back and kissed Alex on the cheek. "Thanks again, Alex. I'll give you guys a call later."

"Don't forget to check in with your sister. Nica will have my head if you don't."

"I promise," she said with a bright smile. She had put her hair up into a bun on top of her head and peeled off the light sweater she had on in the plane. Summer in Vegas was no joke.

After all the farewells, we walked over to my friend Edison, who stood by a 1999 Dodge Ram 2500, with his mouth agape. I grabbed my bags and Maggie's and threw them in the bed of the truck, trying to avoid the recently painted body that was too hot to touch.

"That's some ride, brother." Edison whistled, gawking at the jet. Edison was Patton's new recruit, but I'd known him from the underground fights. He was two years younger than I, had a killer upper cut and a jaw made of marble. But he was a lady's man and his preference to older, married women got him into more trouble than Patton could stomach.

"Courtesy of Maggie's brother-in-law." I placed my hand on the small of Maggie's back. "Edison, this is Maggie Stewart. Maggie, this is Edison, my brother from another mother."

Edison took his cap off and shook his thick blond hair. He showed off an incomplete set of teeth when he smiled. He was damned proud of each missing tooth, and refused to get them sorted out. I knew for sure Patton would have him measured for veneers before he ever stepped into the ring. I was lucky enough to still have all of mine.

"Nice to meet you, Maggie. I've heard a lot about ya."

"You have?" Maggie and I simultaneously asked. We looked at each other and laughed. Although mine was on the edge of a nervous chuckle.

Edison stammered a reply, "Ah...yeah...Bailey's been...ah...talking about you two since...ah...she came back."

I should have known. I would have to have a chat with Bailey next time I see her. Her yammering about Maggie could cause problems.

"We should go, Maggie. Ma's waiting. Hop in, and I'll drive."

"Okay. Is this yours?" Maggie asked, pointing at the truck.

"Sure the hell is." While Edison settled in the back seat, I helped Maggie on the passenger seat, then I ran to the driver's side. The engine turned over, and the truck roared to life. "We'll have to drop off Edison, pick up something to eat then head out to Ma's." I didn't wait for a reply before gunning the truck out of the hangar.

* * *

While we drove with the air conditioning on full blast, we ate burgers and fries. Maggie would feed me fries, and after every bite, I'd lick her fingers. She'd giggle. God, I loved the sound of her laughter. I ran in my head every scenario I could do to keep that smile on her face. Every scenario. Most caused my pants to tighten.

"It's good to see a girl eat," I commented when she finished off her burger, fries and a large milkshake.

She licked the salt from her fingers, and it fired up my boxers. I swerved a bit and shook my head when Maggie laughed. "I was so hungry, and it was so good."

When she looked at me, there was a small spot of BBQ sauce from her burger on the corner of her mouth. I quickly leaned in and licked it off. She tasted amazing.

Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes fluttered. The blush crawled all the way down her neck. I wondered if it spread out all over her body. That was something I needed to see.

Later. Always later. I had to remind myself we had an important visit. But later, yes, we'd be alone. Just Maggie and I. The thought didn't help the throbbing inside my boxers. I groaned and grunted and kept quiet for the rest of the drive, listening to Maggie's chatter of the things she'd like to see.

* * *

With the nervous current flowing through me, I tapped a finger on the elevator wall while we ascended to Ma's floor in the nursing facility. My heart thundered in my chest. It had a lot to do with Maggie. How would she react when she meets my mother again? Would Ma recognize her at all?

While Ma and I were on the run, hiding from my father, we often had to sleep in the car, with the few belongings we brought with us. There were times when only I ate for a day. And during the harshest times, neither of us would have anything to eat at all. Sometimes it lasted for days. When those times came, Ma would recollect the good times she and I had. A lot of those happy memories included Maggie and her family. Ma would often describe Maggie as an angel who fell from the heavens. I knew even then that Maggie wasn't just a sign of hope for me. Ma held on to that too.

With Maggie being here with me, ready to face my mother, would she be able to bring another light in our lives?

I pushed Ma's door open. A sun-filled room and Nurse Debbie greeted us right away in her sing-songy voice. "Look who's here!"

She offered a smile at Maggie, but when she turned to me her smile edged on pity. It wasn't a good day. Nurse Debbie rounded the bed and shook Maggie's hand. "This your friend, Zachy?" I nodded but stared at Ma. "Nice to meet you. I'm Debbie. What's your name, dear?"

"Maggie. Maggie Stewart. It's a pleasure to meet you, Debbie."

"Pleasure is all mine, darling. Zach doesn't bring a lot of his friends over." I caught a knowing glance from Debbie. "She just had her lunch. She should be good and up for a few hours, but she might get a little tired later this afternoon. How long will you be staying?"

"Few hours," I answered.

Debbie clapped her hands together. "Well, I'll leave you to it. If you need anything, just ring me." She leaned over to Ma, resting her right hand on my mother's. "Lisa, I'm going for now. You have your son here, and he brought a friend. Isn't that nice, dear?"

Ma barely sent her a glance. Her head was turned to the windows, out into the sun-drenched afternoon.

"Thank you, Deb."

As soon as she was out of the room, all I could do was stand and observe. Maggie seemed comfortable, even though she'd never been here before and it had been years since she'd seen my Ma. Maggie pulled the strap of her small purse over her head and placed it on top of a drawer. Then she sat beside Ma on the bed.

Her fingers delicately swiped hair off Ma's face, tucking it behind her ears. "Hi, Mrs. Faustino. It's me, Maggie." I wanted to tell her not to bother. Even on good days, my own mother barely recognized her only son. "Did you have a good lunch?"

For a few seconds, I stopped breathing. I crossed my arms over my chest to make sure Maggie didn't see how heavy my heart pounded. Maggie looked up to me and gave me a "relax, will you?" smile. So, I did. Maggie was a natural. She had a way about her that kept people at ease.

"I didn't like the Brussels sprouts." I heard the words spoken, but I didn't want to believe it. Ma replied to Maggie's question. It brought me off my feet and onto the foot of the bed with them.

Maggie's gaze flittered quickly to me then back again at Ma. "Oh? I'll let them know that you don't like Brussels sprouts. They can taste a bit off. Would you like to watch tv? Or we can play cards. I'm sure they have a deck I can borrow."

With bated breath, I waited for Ma to respond. Maybe Debbie was wrong. Maybe she was having a good day. Maybe today I get to have my mother back.

Ma cocked her head to one side and stared at Maggie. I mean, really stared, like she was trying to figure out where she knew her. Her hand twitched on her lap, then she lifted it and pointed at the book on the table.

"She likes to be read to," I told Maggie. And both women turned to me. Ma looked like she was shocked to see someone else in her room. Her brows furrowed. Her lips tightened into a straight line. She didn't recognize me. With the ache so acute in my heart, I smiled at her. It took a few moments for her to relax and give me a small smile in return.

Standing to fetch the book, Maggie flipped it over her hand, screwing her lips. I knew what she was thinking. "She likes this? You've read her this before?" A little tease played on her lips and flickered in her eyes when she faced me.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, a few too many times. I tried getting her another book, but that's one of her favorites." It was a romance with a few too many erotic pages. I'd skipped a few chapters every now and then.

"This should be fun." Maggie perched back on one side of the bed. "Mrs. Faustino, would you mind if Zach sits with us, maybe he can brush your hair, while I read you this book?"

Ma slowly turned to me, then back to Maggie and nodded. Maggie handed me a brush from the side table, and I moved to the head of the bed, behind Ma. I fluffed her pillows and helped her lean back. And while Maggie turned to a tattered page, I brushed the tangles out of Ma's hair. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been able to be this close to Ma without her cursing me out or worse, without fear in her eyes.

I admired Maggie's soothing voice while she read passages from the book. She brought life to words. At some point, I'd stopped brushing Ma's hair and just sat there with her, drawn to the sweet voice of Maggie Stewart. Then a miracle happened.

When Maggie read a thrilling part of the story, Ma gasped and held onto my hand. She squeezed it and didn't let go. Maggie noticed it too and paused for a beat to share this special moment with me. Ma's hand was soft and thin and fragile in mine. Her skin was pale and wrinkled. She tangled her fingers with mine and leaned closer to my chest. This caused a burn inside me, and the prickle of tears under my lids. I took a soothing breath in, smelling the delicate fragrance in my mother's hair. Men don't cry. But at that moment, I wanted to say fuck the rules. My mother just held my hand.

Maggie continued on for a few more pages, then she stopped.

"What's wrong?" I asked in a low voice.

She pressed a finger to her lips. "I think she's sleeping."

I tilted my head and peeked. Sure enough, Ma's eyes were closed. She still held my hand and had her head leaning on me.

"I don't want to move." No, I didn't. I wanted to stay there protecting my mother for the rest of my life.

Maggie stood and placed the brush and book on the side table. "She'll be more comfortable lying down, Zach. Does she take long naps?"

"I don't know."

"Well, you might be stuck like that for at least an hour." Maggie fiddled with Ma's blanket, pulling it up higher.

Reluctantly, I agreed. I loosened my hold on her hand, and Ma relaxed hers. Then I guided her head down onto the pillow. She looked peaceful.

"Do you want to go? You must be tired," I said to Maggie when I straightened.

"I could use a shower. The heat really got to me," she whispered her reply, and moved around the bed, clutching her purse in her hands.

Ma's eyes flickered open, then her pressed lips separated. "Are you leaving?"

She wasn't asking me. She was asking Maggie.

"Yes, but we'll be back tomorrow. You should get some rest."

Ma nodded and tucked her hands under her head. Before she closed her eyes again, she said, in her own, natural voice and not of a woman who had been too tired to deal with the world, "Good. I can't wait until my son meets you. He'll take a liking to you."

Maggie gasped, and the look in her eyes was something I didn't ever want to see from her. Pity. But she opened her mouth to ask, "What's your son's name?"

Ma opened one eye. "Zachary. Zach. He's only ten, but he's a real sweetheart." Then she snuggled in deeper under her blanket.

All the hopes, the little miracles that happened today were crushed by her simple answer. I spent hours with my mother, right beside her, and in that time, she never knew who I really was.

* * *

For about fifteen minutes, the only sound between Maggie and I was the rumbling of the truck. I didn't like this silence. It was the type that brought too many complications later on. Or too many questions that, from experience, I didn't know the answers to. Maggie didn't look uncomfortable. But she wasn't comfortable either. I could see her glancing my way once in a while, but she never said anything.

She pitied me. I didn't want that from her.

At a red light near my apartment, I couldn't take it any longer. With a heavy sigh, I told Maggie what only a few people know. "It's not the first time that's happened." She didn't say anything, but she turned, pressing her back on the passenger side door, to face me. I continued but didn't risk a glance at her. "It's been a while since Ma knew who I really am. In her mind, I'm still a young boy. Sometimes when she sees me though, she thinks I'm my father."

The lights turned green. I gripped the wheel harder, and Maggie reached out to release one of my hands and intertwined it with hers. She was letting me know that she was listening. That I could tell her anything and everything and I would still find her there beside me.

"When they first diagnosed her, they said she had early onset Alzheimer's. Then I happened to meet this doctor, a neurosurgeon, at some fancy party Harckwick had. I just...I told him about my mom and her history. Everything, you know." I paused to look her straight in the eye. The pity was gone. Replaced by compassion. "His theory is that Ma could have NPH. Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. One of the side effects of head trauma or brain injury. It has similar symptoms to Alzheimer's. But it's treatable."

I made a turn, and after a couple of miles, I parked in front of a large gate. Flicking the switch clipped on my visor, the gate opened. After parking the car, I kept talking, "There is hope for her. I was able to save enough money to pay for all the necessary tests to prove that she has NPH. The results have been good in a way. It is leaning more toward NPH rather than Alzheimer's. All I need now is money to pay for all her treatments."

"Your fight this month?"

"Yeah. If I win, and I will, she can get all the treatments, stay in a nicer facility and have a chance at a better life."

Maggie squeezed my hand again. "I've seen the way you moved in the ring. I know you'll win."

Plenty of people had told me that. I'd said the same thing over and over. But when Maggie said it...it felt like a done deal. She believed in me. It was all I needed.

"Let's go upstairs, so you can rest a bit."

Maggie stepped out of the truck, and I followed, grabbing our bags from the back. I led her to the elevator where we rode up quietly until the last floor. As the doors swished open, I got nervous. My hands felt clammy and cold. There was a knot in my gut.

I got so nervous I had a hard time unlocking my fucking door. I was such a douche. What was wrong with me?

When we walked in, I hit the lights and welcomed Maggie into my apartment. "It's not much, but it's home for now," I said, dropping the bags on the floor by the door.

Maggie took a few steps, then turned back around. She held out her hands. Fuck, my heart was about to explode. My head throbbed. But I took her hands and pulled her close to me. She kissed me. Sweetly, tenderly, soft lips pressing on mine.

"Maggie," I rasped out, begging her, wanting her. "If we start, I don't think I'll survive if I have to stop again."

Maggie rubbed her lips on my bottom lip, tangled her hands behind my head, and peered at me through thick lashes. "Then don't stop."