A creak of the door swinging open caught our attention and before Jennie could yell at the person, she quickly shut up and a soft smile appeared.
“I was starting to worry about you, my girl,” Dr. Andres' light voice said. Her eyes trailed to the counter and darted back to me. A gentle smile spread across her face. “Let’s get you to a room.”
I shook my head. “I can’t be admitted, I have somewhere that I need to be.”
Dr. Andres chuckled. “Well, it’s a good thing I wasn’t going to, but I know you want to know.” She opened the door wider waiting for Jennie and I to walk out. My little family, coming to be there for me when I needed them the most.
Jennie called out to Sarah as we got back to an empty room. Sarah bolted through the door, closing it, giving us some privacy.
“You don’t have to do this, Dr. Andres.” I didn’t want to pull her into this mess. My life was starting to clear up and enough people were already entangled.
“Didn’t say I had to, but we take care of our own.” She patted my hand as we got into the room. “You think that no one was watching you, but” she started wagging her finger, “I know a silent survivor when I see one.”
My face dropped. I knew what she was saying, but I worried that my past would be what people thought of me; weak. I was at a loss for words. We should never go through life not knowing that we have people in our corner, ready to be there when you need them.
“Why do you think I scared your boyfriend that day?” She patted the exam bed, “I needed to know that he was worthy of you, of taking care of the one person whose hearts bleeds so much.”
All I could say was, “Thank you.”
They always said that family was who you make of it, but I thought it was just something you said to empathize with someone. Guess I was wrong.
With Sarah and Jennie, side by side by me, taking my hand in theirs. I laid on the bed, waiting for the sign that I needed to tell me it was going to be okay, that this was a good thing, that history wouldn’t repeat itself. I waited to see if I had the chance again.
The subtle whooshing sound brought the tears back and the joy back into a lost smile. A moment I thought I would never have again. But even through all the rainstorms, there’s always a rainbow spreading hope.
I turned to the monitor and was welcomed to the sound of a brighter future.
“Congratulations, my girl.” Dr. Andres said. “Look what love made for you.”
It made me a mother with a healed heart.
Chapter 43
Shooter
Idon’t know how many times I checked my phone for messages. I knew the day was going to be long at least with anticipation of what was to come.
Otis had done me a favor and helped finalize the house, and many signatures and a little vacation after the fight, we would be walking into a new life, and under one roof.
Otis did a lot of favors for me. He had Amelia’s divorce papers ready to go so her asshole ex would finally sign them after the fight. He hadn’t shown up to her house, but the “family” had reassured me that he would be attending the fight.
Something still didn’t feel right, but as a condition, I had one additional request and all that was told was that it would be handled. I knew what it meant, they had him either on a leash or knew his whereabouts.
Part of me didn’t want to fucking know, because in the end, I was going to win.
The gym was quiet, I mean it helped that the sign on the door said closed, but the quiet served me to collect myself and get in the headspace that I needed to be. I walked around the gym,visualizing every mistake I made through sparring, anticipating how my opponent would fight. While I’m better at my own offensive work, it was defense where most would anticipate I struggle at.
“You keep pacing and you’ll owe the gym a new floor.” a booming voice said toward the front. I peeked through the gym equipment and found Hound Dog leaning against the wall.
“Add it to my bill,” I jokingly said. “What are you doing here, Prez?”
“Well, since Stray nor Otis couldn’t find you, I figured I’d find you here.”
One thing about Hound Dog, he knew us inside and out, and watched for everything. Part of his control issues, but he was getting better at it, or at least Melody, his ol’ lady, was helping him. That and I thought I overheard B.B. chew him out one day. But not my circus, not my monkeys, as Amelia likes to say.
“You found me. Do you get a prize now?” I teased, knowing sometimes my cockiness could overstep at any minute.
“I got all that I need, but I came to check on my brother.”
