Page 121 of 4th Degree

Finally, Mom takes pity on Joey. “Alright, alright, fine. We’ll see the newest Fast and the Furious movie, instead. Satisfied?”

Joey grins. “Very. At least there’re hot girls in that one.”

Now we’re the ones groaning. But it’s Maria who balls up her napkin and chucks it at my brother’s head.

Resting my head on Dominic’s shoulder, I take a second to soak in the sight of my family. They’re happy, as healthy as possible, and together. There’s not much more I could ask for.

Dominic presses another kiss to my hair. Lifting my head, I look up at him with what I know has got to be a giddy, love-drunk expression. And like always, he reads my mind.

“I’m glad you walked into my gym, baby.”

My lips brush against his as they lift into a smile. “Me too, Coach.”

EPILOGUE

DOMINIC

Six years later

“Doctor Skylar Caruso!”

The cheers from our row almost drown out the sound of my racing heart—almost. Every one of us is clapping, screaming, cheering for my wife as she walks across the auditorium stage to collect her degree.

From medical school.

When we finally quiet down, I catch the sound of a sniffle from beside me. Glancing over at Joey, I realize his eyes are shining with tears.

I don’t want to embarrass him, but it makes me want to hug the kid. He’s always been the most incredible support for his sister.

Disguising my hug, I reach around him to squeeze his mom’s shoulder, who’s sitting beside him. She, on the other hand, is not worried about hiding her tears. With her eyes on her daughter, pride radiating, she’s silently sobbing into a tissue.

“She’s going to cure something someday,” Joey says in quiet wonder.

I give up on not hugging him and move my hand from his mom to the back of his neck. “Yeah, I know,” I breathe.

I spend the rest of the ceremony choking down my own emotions and trying to figure out how this much love can fit inside a person.

It’s crazy to look back at how our relationship started. Six years ago, we were both worried that it wasn’t worth it to take the risks. Now looking back, I can’t believe the thought ever crossed our minds.

We did experience judgment, in the beginning. The whispers and side glances were there for a while. Thankfully, though, I didn’t see a huge effect on the gym. I think the UFC granting me the Hall of Fame award helped a lot. But once the community figured out we were in this for the long haul, our drama became old news.

Skylar figured out how to juggle a relationship in her busy life way quicker than she gave herself credit for. She still worked sixty hours a week, still pushed herself in school, but she also learned how to accept help, from all of us, and stopped feeling bad about doing things that brought her joy. She even let herself move in with me—though I made the decision a lot easier when I moved her mom into the apartment building right next to my townhouse.

By the time she started medical school, we both knew this was a forever thing. She didn’t even seem surprised when I popped the question on a random Tuesday night, Brutus sleeping between us and her textbooks spread out all over the couch. It didn’t matter that she was twenty-three; our commitment to each other had already been made when we initially went public with our relationship. Going down to City Hall with our close family and friends and exchanging rings was just a formality.

Memories of the months after, of my nights spent helping her study and her nights spent helping me grow my business even more, flit through my mind. Skylar is the best partner I never imagined for myself, and every day, I’m in awe of how much better she makes my life. The fact that she was able to earn her doctorate at the same time is just Skylar in a nutshell.

When the ceremony finally ends, we’re quick to stand from our seats and move over to the courtyard, eager to congratulate Skylar in person.

The moment she spots our group, the biggest smile brightens her face, and she runs over to us, completely unbothered by the dress and heels that she’s wearing. Nothing could delay her from wrapping her arms around her mom.

I give the women some space, the sounds of soft cries filling the air. Joey quickly swipes at his face, trying to hide his tears, then I watch as he gives up entirely and throws his arms around his family.

To no one’s surprise, all three of them have achieved some pretty incredible things these past few years. Skylar’s mom has good days and bad days with her health, but through it all, she’s still her kids’ number one cheerleader. She’s the only one I know who rivals Skylar in strength.

Joey accepted an offer to play D2 basketball at an in-state college—with a full scholarship. He also found a girl to go out with him.

And Skylar…she did everything she set her mind to.

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