Page 44 of Rematch
“Pretty good,” I replied. I poured my juice into my cup and put the jug back into the fridge. “His opponent gave him a run for his money, but he still came out on top.“
My fathers carried the food over to the table. They set a breakfast bowl topped with melty cheese and a slice of avocado toast on top of each placemat.
“Well, we’re happy you had a great time,” Papa assured me. “We know how much you’ve missed him.”
“Yeah,” I murmured. I waved over the food and changed the subject. “So, what’s with the breakfast of champions? Not that I’m complaining, but it’s been a while since we’ve had a meal like this.”
My fathers exchanged a wary glance.
“We wanted to talk to you,” Papa said.
“About…?” My eyes darted between them. “You’re not getting a divorce, are you?”
Both of them laughed.
“No, honey,” Dad said. He placed his hand over Papa’s and gave it a squeeze. “As much of a pain as I am, Rashad is stuck with me.”
Papa smiled. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“We wanted to talk to you about the restaurant,” Dad said, his smile dimming.
I tilted my head, unsure I was ready for the direction the conversation was about to take.
“As much as I love pretending I can function as well as I did before, I don’t think I can do it much longer. This new treatment is kicking me down pretty bad. I know I’m only going to get worse before my body gets better. But, even then, I can’t guarantee I’ll feel as good as I used to. And I can’t run a business when I’m running on fumes. So, I’m thinking of selling the restaurant.”
“What?” I exclaimed. “No! You don’t need to sell! I can help! I can come by after my shifts and -”
“No,” Dad said, gently but firmly. “You worked hard for your career. You deserve to enjoy it. Now, we don’t have to make a decision today, but I just wanted to start the conversation. Give us all time to think.”
“But, dad, you love that restaurant. I remember when we all first met, you said it was your dream come true.”
“One of them, yes, but…” He reached out his free hand to grab mine. “Marrying the love of my life, raising a child, having a family: that was myrealdream. There was a time in my life, I thought I’d never have such a thing. Now that I do, I’d rather use all my energy towards cherishing all the time I can with both of you than keeping a business afloat.”
I frowned. God forbid this disease did take him, it couldn’t take his restaurant too. It wasn’t just a business; it was a piece of him. A mark he’d left on this Earth. A source of pride, hope, and inspiration for others with similar backgrounds and dreams.
The world needed it. Just like it needed him.
Dad squeezed my hand. “Don’t fret. It’s just a thought, alright?”
Nodding, I feigned a smile to hide the tears brimming behind my eyes.
“Alright, enough serious talk.” He let go of both of our hands. “Let’s eat.”
I grabbed my fork and poked at the eggs. As good as the food looked, I’d completely lost my appetite.
Chapter 18
Max
“Again,” I barked at Jayden after popping him with one of the flat punch mitts for what seemed like the thousandth time. I’d taught him a complicated combo earlier. He nailed it on the bag, so I raised the bar: add the dodging, keep the rhythm. But Jayden wasn’t picking up the pattern, and it was starting to piss me off.
Sweat dripped down his face as he squared his hands again. Jayden’s gloves pounded against my mitts in perfect rhythm before I struck him - hitting his face again.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I snapped. “This isn’t rocket science. It’s one, two, three, duck.”
“No it’s not. You’re moving too damn fast.”
“No, you’re moving too fucking slow. You’re used to dodging those slow ass hitters. You’ve gotta be quicker or the next one is gonna knock you out.”
