Page 42 of Alexis

If she wasn’t willing to do the unthinkable, she wouldn’t even be here. He wouldn’t have gotten the chance to meet her, or the chance to have a child of his own.

Alexis was exactly what he needed her to be, which made her everything he could never have.

18

TIAGO

Tiago awoke feeling more at peace than he had been since he was a child.

Alexis was wrapped in his arms, still asleep. Her small form felt just right against his.

He closed his eyes, soaking in the feeling of utter calm.

But it was too late. He was awake now, and a million things jockeyed for position in his brain. Of course, one in particular pushed its way to the front.

Surely, after last night’s activities, Alexis was expecting by now. He slid his hand down slightly to cup her abdomen.

Are you in there, little one? I can’t wait to meet you…

He was being silly. He should wait to have it confirmed before getting sappy.

But in a part of his mind that he couldn’t seem to control, he was already thinking about names and tiny clothes and diapers and cribs and college savings.

He opened his eyes fully and realized the fire from last night was still burning. It must be one of Oberon’s creations, since a real fire could not have burned so long without more fuel.

It was incredibly convincing. Even the creosote scent was so real.

He very gently extricated himself from Alexis and found some sweats from the dresser in the room, then hit the bathroom and dressed quickly, hoping she slept a little longer. It couldn’t hurt for him to take a quick run before their day got underway, since he wasn’t getting his usual workouts.

He turned to check on her before pushing the door open, but she hadn’t moved a muscle since he’d gotten out of bed.

Outside, the air was cool and crisp like last night, and the sky still mostly dark. He decided to run around the meadow a couple of times so Alexis wouldn’t worry if she woke up before he came back.

The fresh air felt good in his lungs, and though his muscles were still sore from his adventure on the stallion yesterday, they were sore from more fun things, too.

And besides, it was worth being kidnapped by an ill-mannered animal if it made Alexis laugh so hard.

As he took his second lap, he wondered if there were supplies in the kitchen like in the house where they slept the first night. He was eager to show off his cooking skills for her again. It had been a joy to watch her eat with such pleasure.

He knew she had been recovered for a long time, but he could also see how conflicted she felt about her body.

He understood all too well. While he might have women throwing themselves at him after every fight because of hiskiller bod,the truth of the matter was that he was in a constant battle with it, too.

Strength, flexibility, and holding a weight class - each facet came at a cost to the other two. Gaining bulk meant less flexibility and pushing to make weight. Losing weight meant the loss of muscle and held his energy down when he most needed extra workouts and flexibility training.

The whole thing was a precarious balance on which his career rested heavily. And as he got older and bad joints and torn ligaments entered the fray… well he couldn’t fight forever. No one could.

The key was to set aside a good nest egg and be realistic about when to quit, so you could do it with dignity. There was nothing worse than seeing an old, punch-drunk fighter bagging groceries on the gossip feeds. Tiago had no interest in repeated concussions or hustling for more credits when it was finally over.

He had a healthy amount of savings now, and hoped one day to have enough to buy some farmland and tinker with growing food and tending to animals if he felt like it, or hiring others to help in case he didn’t.

A happy image flashed through his mind before he could stop it. Alexis in a red dress with a white apron, standing in a country kitchen that smelled of gingerbread, twirling around with a toddler girl in her arms and bigger kids around her skirts, all smiling up at her.

That’s not what she wants,he reminded himself.She came here to have a baby for me and go. That’s all.

But the vision had felt so real, like a memory that just hadn’t happened yet.

He focused on his breathing and trying to regulate his oxygen intake for the next couple of laps. It was a sufficient distraction, and he finished his run without another unpleasant or overly pleasant thought.

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