Chapter 47
Max
The announcer’s voice cuts through the noise of the crowd.
My hands are already up. This guy has been in my head all day—the way he leaned into the microphone at the weigh-in, the specific thing he said about Sol got me in his face.
They pulled us apart. It only fueled me to get him in the ring.
He’s bigger than me, no question. But I’ve watched every fight he’s ever had on tape.
By the fourth round, he could barely see past the cut I’d opened under his eye when I had him cornered. Blood oozes down his cheek. His corner men cleaned it up, but it was only going to get worse.
By the sixth round, his shoulders drop, and his combinations get sloppy. Right now, his hands are fast, and I let them be, slipping left, catching the rest on my forearms, waiting. The bell rings. Seventh round. My feet move like something hunting.
My fist catches him on the jaw. He staggers back into the ropes, bounces off them, and goes down.
His hand shoots out for the rope, misses, and he’s flat on the canvas.
The ref is already crouching over him, two fingers up, then three.
The man’s left eye is a red mask. He tries to push himself up on one elbow and can’t find his footing.
The ref waves it off. The fight is over.
The crowd roars my name, but I’m already looking past them. Drake and Xander are climbing into the ring. My dad, too. I let them pull me in, raise the belt. The only person I’m searching for is my wife. I found her. There she is.
My wife. She’s absolutely breathtaking. Sol stands at the barrier in a black dress, and even here, even now, she’s the only thing I can actually see. Her smile does something to my chest I don’t have a word for.
She mouths, “I’m proud of you, champ.” She can’t exactly climb into the ring right now. I drop down and go to her. I bring her into my arms, and our lips collide into small, breathless kisses. “Congratulations, Max. I’m so proud of the man you’ve become.” Our foreheads touch.
“Thank you,” I say, still catching my breath from the fight.
Water splashes on my leg.
“Oh, shit,” Sol cries out.
She peed.
My eyes widen as I try to cover her up. “Do you need to use the restroom?”
“They’re coming.”
“Who?” I ask, peering into the crowd.
“The twins. My water just broke.”
Relief and excitement course through me.
“Let’s go.”
I wave my dad and the guys off. Before I rush out, the announcers try to stop me for a brief interview. But, when they see Sol, they say something on the microphone. I’m already heading to the back rooms of the arena. “Call the valet. Tell them to have my car ready,” I bark at Henry.
It’s been three days since the doctors released Sol and the twins from the hospital.
It has been one of the most rewarding days of my life.
It was like I have been waiting for this moment all my life.
Shortly after arriving at the hospital an hour later, she delivered our son.
At first, a minute of silence, then he wails.
My heart erupted at the sight of him, and warmth seeped into my bones.
Then, four minutes later, we welcomed our daughter into this world.
So many emotions clawed at my chest. The perfect little princess.
She pouted, and then cries erupted. Tears rolled off Sol’s cheek as she stared at them, then at me.
“You did good,” I praise her. It’s a moment I’ll carry for the rest of my life.
The shower sprayer turns on, indicating Sol has stepped into the shower.
I peer at the two beside me on the bed with hearts in my eyes.
My little Leo stares up at me with his cinnamon eyes, like his mom, and his dark black hair.
Milk drizzles down his chubby cheeks. We named him after his uncle.
It was only fair to give him the name of the man who saved them.
Leo’s bravery will not go unnoticed. Sol said Leo asked to name him after him.
Leo smiles as I wipe the milk from his mouth.
“You’re too cute. I love you.” I laugh at his adorable smile.
My little princess grips her brother’s hand but stares at me with her long eyelashes.
Her eye color is a mix of gray and green, like a storm.
My dad said that in a couple of weeks, her color will change to a darker green.
Juliana’s cheeks puff up, and her lips purse.
My smile widens at the softness of her pink cheeks.
“You’re too pretty. Aren’t you, mi vida?
I love you.” She scrunches her body, then she…
“You couldn’t wait to take a shit until your mom got out? ”
She pouts.
“I’m joking. I got you.”
Then it’s Leo’s turn to take a dump that leaks out of the diaper.
After cleaning them both and dressing them in fresh clothing, I lie next to them and curl my finger in theirs.
Click-clack sounds climb the stairs and head into the bedroom.
Daisy peeks her head in. She’s been on alert since we brought the babies home.
Every time she hears them cry, her ears point upward, and she’s filled with anxiety.
“It’s okay, come on.” I usher her in. “Come here, girl.” Daisy’s paws click, her head low, sniffing the air.
“They’re your baby brother and sister.” Daisy gets on her hind legs and peers at the twins, her head tilting to the side.
“You’re probably wondering where these two came from.
” She sniffs at Leo’s feet, then rests her snout on the bed.
My wife comes out in a silk pink robe, looking hot as fuck but tired.
“It’s about time. You left us to fend for ourselves for a whole forty minutes,” I joke.
She scoffs. “Don’t be ridiculous. I was gone for a whole twenty minutes. I wouldn’t say gone. I was in the shower.”
She never takes twenty-minute showers. She’s known for her long, steamy showers. “I’m only joking.”
“I know you are.” Her eyes soften at the sight of them. “You changed them?”
“They took a massive dump, and Leo peed all over the place.”
She chuckles, bending to run her fingers gently through their hair.
They shift their gaze to their mom, and then she sings a lullaby in our native tongue.
The last time I heard her sing was over the loud music in the grocery store in Tahoe, dancing down the aisles.
It’s nothing compared to how she’s singing now.
Her voice is calm, soft as silk. A whisper brushing along your skin. Leo and Juliana’s eyes flutter, completely content, and then they drift off. She keeps humming, then stops when they fall into a deep sleep. I’m completely mesmerized.
“My mama used to sing it to me. She wrote it in one of her books,” she whispers. Sol wraps her hair to one side, then plants a soft kiss on their forehead. “Sleep, mis amores.”
Daisy gives the twins one last look over, then her paws click-clack down the stairs. Sol’s body heat seeps into my lap. Her fingers thread through my hair, then around my neck.
“We did good,” I say, both of our gaze on the twins and our hearts full.
She averts her gaze to mine, her soft lips brush along mine. “We did.”
Sol says I saved her, and I’m her savior. In the end, we were each other’s savior. Fate knew we needed each other during a time of desperation, although life can throw us curveballs and test us. Sol and I are unbreakable.