Epilogue
“Let me hold the baby.”
Zervou handed off the squirming, whimpering almost one-year-old to Maria.
“There now, Grandma will make it all better,” she cooed at young Ioannis.
Normally Zervou preferred to ease his son’s frustrations himself, but his nerves couldn’t quite settle enough to do so.
“I still don’t know that a sporting arena is any place for a baby,” Maria muttered irritably.
But she smoothed out her tone. “But you will see Mama win, won’t you?
” She held Ioannis up so he put his weight on his pudgy little feet and bounced on her legs.
This eased any complaints he’d had about being restrained.
Nothing could ease the twists and turns in Zervou’s chest. Nothing, until this fight was over.
Ari had put a lot into coming back after the birth of their son. She had determined this comeback fight would be her last. Win or lose.
He wanted her to win, and he had absolutely no say in the manner. No matter that his stunningly successful stadium boasted the fight, only Ari and her opponent could determine the outcome.
It had been quite the lesson.
Ari had been quite the lesson.
Ioannis, family, love had been quite the lesson. He had continued to learn it, and so had Ari. It was no easy task, even with love. But it was the most worthwhile task.
Maria was doing well. His own mother had met Ioannis, and while there were still many inroads to be made, for the first time since his father’s death, Zervou saw a glimmer of love and life in his mother’s eyes.
Hope.
And while they lived and loved, Erjon rotted in prison. Exactly where he belonged.
Ari appeared in the ring, as did her opponent, but Zervou only had eyes for his wife. He watched her ready, then watched the bout, heart in his throat. She fought as she always did, with brains and heart and determination.
And he knew, in this moment, she was saying goodbye to an angry young girl who’d been harmed and struggled and survived. This was her goodbye to survival.
And stepping into what was next.
It took eight rounds. But finally, her opponent went down and was counted out. Cheers erupted form the stadium below them.
“Mama!” Ioannis shrieked excitedly. Unlike many small children, he loved the noise of the crowd.
“Yes, Mama,” Zervou agreed. “Mama won.”
They stayed in their private box. Ari would come to them when she was ready. It felt like hours, though it wasn’t. When she arrived, freshly showered and bandaged up, she was beaming.
Zervou scooped Ioannis up so he wouldn’t make a beeline for Ari until she was ready. He crossed the room to her.
She swayed a little, but he caught her, and she leaned against them, reaching out to hold Ioannis’s outstretched hand.
She sighed, exhausted and bruised but clearly satisfied. Happy as she leaned, basking in her win on her own two feet and the family who’d helped her get there.
“So, you will go out on top, glikí mou.” He kissed the top of her head. “I always knew you would.”
Steadier now, she took Ioannis’s weight, though she still leaned into Zervou. She pressed a kiss to their son’s forehead.
“Perhaps I did, and I am proud. But the best is yet to come.” She smiled up at him, and he knew it to be true.
With love and family by his side, the best was always yet to come.