by Nikki Ash
“Check out the schedule.” Cooper hands me the lineup. Sure enough, if Tristan and Bella both win their first fight, they’ll be fighting each other in the following round.
“You know Bella is going to kick Tristan’s ass, right?”
“Hey, now. Tristan and I were sparring last night and he’s gotten good.”
“No, not because he isn’t good. Because there’s no way he’ll hurt Bella.”
I chuckle at that. Cooper has a point. While Tristan loves fighting, if it’s possible for a seven-year-old to be in love, then Tristan is most definitely in love with Bella. They might be young but their friendship goes deep.
“You never know. He takes fighting seriously.”
“We’ll see.”
I find Tristan waiting outside the makeshift ring he’s going to be fighting in. He’s watching the two kids go at it with complete rapture, pointing out the strengths and weaknesses he observes in each fighter knowing whoever wins could eventually be his opponent. The kid in the red shorts grapples the other kid to the ground and quickly moves him into a position, forcing him to submit. The kid taps out.
“You ready?” I ask him. Unlike in class, where we focus on all types of MMA skills, Newbreed Tournaments focus on skills and submission. It’s a grappling only competition, which means there’s no striking of any kind allowed.
Tristan puts his mouth guard in and nods.
“You got this, buddy.”
He walks to the middle of the mat, and after the referee quickly reminds them of the rules, Tristan and his opponent shake hands to begin the fight. I see Ashley on the other side, gnawing on her bottom lip and clapping nervously.
Immediately, the other kid dives down and grabs Tristan’s legs, bringing them both to the mat. Tristan uses this opportunity to wrap his legs around his opponent’s waist, and his arms go into a head lock. His opponent pushes up several times and breaks free.
Before he can get on top, though, Tristan moves back on top of him and forces him into an arm bar triangle. The kid taps out. The entire fight couldn’t have lasted more than a minute.
“Yeah, Tristan!” I yell, clapping. He smiles at me, then at his mom. The referee holds both their hands, then raises Tristan’s hand up in the air, announcing him the winner.
“Good job, Tristan!”
“Way to go!”
Everyone in our group mauls him, quickly congratulating him. Tristan thanks everyone then goes in search for someone. “Where’s Bella?” Tristan asks. “Did she see?”
“I saw you, Tristan! You did so good!” Bella gives him a hug. “I won, too! My dad said that means we’ll be fighting each other!” Bella looks ecstatic while Tristan looks like someone just broke his PlayStation.
“I’m fighting you?”
“Yep! After Marco’s fight!”
“Great.” Tristan sounds like it’s anything other than great, though. Cooper catches my gaze, and smirking, gives me a knowing wink.
“Tristan, come here, bud. We need to talk.” Cooper hears me and starts laughing.
“Yeah?”
“Let’s talk while we walk over to where Marco is about to compete.” Ashley eyes me warily so I give her a quick wink. She walks over to Hayley, taking Mackenzie out of her arms to hold her. The baby looks like she belongs in Ashley’s arms. I can’t wait until my fiancée is knocked up.
Slinging my arm around Tristan’s shoulder, I ask him how he feels about fighting Bella.
“I want to win, but…”
“But?”
“I hate hurting her. Whenever we’re in class, I always let her win. I don’t want her to be sad if I beat her.”
“Tristan, I can’t tell you what to do, but if I were Bella, I would want to win fair, not because you let me win.”
“But what if she stops talking to me?”
“If Bella is your friend, she won’t stop talking to you for winning.”
“What if I hurt her?”
“Did you hurt the kid you just fought?”
“No, but Bella is a girl.”
“Tristan, my man, don’t let a woman hear you say that… especially Bella. When you’re fighting here and in class, there are no boys and girls. It’s just fighters, and you and Bella are both the same color belt. You’re both equal.”
“Okay.”
We stop in front of the ring just in time to see Marco’s fight begin. This past year the kid has grown a few inches and is starting to gain a little bit of muscle. After about three minutes and a close fight, Marco’s opponent forces him into submission. After the referee announces the winner, Marco stalks off pissed.
“I’ll go talk to him,” Caleb says, running after Marco.
The rest of us stay here waiting for the next fight to be announced, which will be Bella and Tristan. I see Cooper talking to Bella but can’t hear what he’s saying. Her hands are on her hips and her head is tilted in defiance. Whatever he’s saying, little Bella isn’t liking.
The referee stands in the middle of the ring and Bella and Tristan’s numbers are called. They both go to the center and wait for the ref to finish replaying the rules before they shake hands. Cooper is standing on one side and I’m standing on the other, both watching to see what will happen.
After a couple minutes of grappling, it’s clear Tristan is giving it his all. He’s on top until Bella pushes him off. Bella then gets the upper hand, her legs locking around Tristan’s upper body with his arm locked above her legs. Tristan tries to buck her off and successfully gets her on her back, but she twists her body so his arm gets pulled back farther and he has no choice but to tap out.
The referee announces Bella the winner, raising her hand into the air, and once he let’s go she runs to Tristan, giving him a hug. “You almost beat me!”
“You did good, Bella.”
“Thank you.”
The day goes by quickly. Bella fights three more rounds and wins them all, making her the no-gi champion. The gi-on tournament goes by quickly. All three of them win their first and second round, but only Bella wins the third, so she and Tristan won’t be fighting each other. She wins the fourth and fifth round, and she’s officially the gi and no-gi champion for the kid’s six and seven-year-old division.
“How does it feel to be a two-time champion?” I ask Bella at dinner. We’re all eating out at a local Hibachi restaurant. I hold the spring roll I’m about to eat up to her mouth, making it a fake microphone.
“It feels good! I think I’m going to one day become a UFC women’s division champion, and then I will start a petition to change the rules so I can beat all the boys too.” Everyone laughs.
“How do you know what a petition is?”
“Mommy told me what it is.”
“So, I have to ask. Before your fight with Tristan, your dad was talking to you, and you looked mad. What did he say?”
“He told me not to be mad at Tristan if he beat me. I told him he’s crazy! Tristan is my best friend. I could never be mad at him. That’s just stupid.”
Cooper looks over at me and smiles, knowingly nodding. We have some damn good kids.
“Hey, Dad!” Tristan calls across the table. “Tomorrow at Disney, can we go on all the rides?”
Ashley gasps. “He called you Dad?”
“He asked me last night if I would be his dad. You were in the bath when we got back to the room and then it completely slipped my mind.”
She looks at me with unshed tears in her eyes, then rubs her nose trying to stop herself from crying. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, babe.” I give her a kiss on her cheek.
“We can go on all the rides,” I tell him. “We may have to stand in line for hours at a time, but we can go on anything you want.”
“Yes!” Tristan fist pumps. “You hear that, Bella? All the rides!”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ashley
“Oh, dear, that dress looks gorgeous on you. How do you like it?”
I glance at the price tag a
nd almost have a heart attack. It’s a beautifully simple sweetheart A-line dress with a beaded sash. It has a strapless bodice and the back is crisscross strapped like a corset holding everything up top in place. The dress is fitted up top but gently flares out at the bottom. It’s floor-length with no train, which I love. It fits me perfectly, and if I’m honest, it makes me feel like a princess. However, I could live off the cost of this dress for like three years.
“Umm… well, it’s beautiful, but…”
“But what? What’s wrong?” Sandra gets out of the leather seat she’s been sitting in and puts down the complimentary champagne the sales associate gave us when we walked in. When she walks up to me and puts her hand on my shoulder, I choke up. I don’t know why but I’ve been so emotional over the little things lately.
“Talk to me. Why are you crying?” She wraps her arms around me in a hug.
“What’s wrong?” My mom comes out from the bathroom and rushes to me. I didn’t know it, but when I showed up in Colorado, my mom was getting off her flight as well. Kaden surprised me, knowing I would want my mom to be here when picking out the details for our wedding. It was one of the best surprises I could ask for.
“Sandra, give the girl some space,” Rose speaks up from her chair. When I look at her, she gives me a wink.
“I’m sorry. I love the dress. It’s just a lot of money. I don’t feel right spending this kind of money on a dress. Kaden and I are supposed to become equals, partners in a marriage, right? Isn’t that what Dad and you always said?” I direct my question toward my mom. “I just feel like I have nothing to contribute.”
“Oh, sweetie, you contribute plenty,” Sandra says. “You make Kaden so happy. There was a time when we thought he would never find love again, but he did, and he found it with you and your sweet son. Partnership isn’t about money. It’s about trust and friendship. It’s about supporting and respecting one another.”
Rose stands and places her hands in mine. “Don’t allow money to come between you and my grandson. Whether you are rich or poor, money can destroy a relationship. Don’t ever feel like you are inferior. No amount of money can buy the friendship and love you and Kaden have created. Let him love you. He wants you to have the perfect wedding. Don’t look at prices. Enjoy yourself, so when you look back you remember the beautiful moments. Don’t allow them to be tainted with who has more money.” She pulls me into a loving embrace and kisses me on my cheek. “Welcome to our family, my sweet girl.”
I turn to look in the three-way full length mirror and without thinking about the price, fall in love with the dress. “This is the one I want.”
After picking out the dress and sending pictures of the bridesmaids’ dresses to the girls, who let me know they appreciate me not sticking them in crazy ugly-colored dresses, we go to meet the wedding planner, Julie, for lunch.
“Is there a venue you’re thinking of for the wedding?” Julie asks.
“We can just do it at the club… Wouldn’t that be the easiest?”
Rose and Sandra exchange a look.
“What?”
“Well, it’s just that Kaden and Gabrielle got married there.”
“Oh no, I didn’t even think about that. I’m so sorry.” I bury my face in my hands. How could I not have thought about the fact that Kaden has already been married? What if I choose the same colors they had or the same style dresses? Will he remember her instead of thinking of me? Tears quickly form and I have no choice but to release them so everything isn’t blurry.
“I’m sorry, Julie. I know you came here to discuss the wedding, but I don’t think this is a good idea.”
I drop my napkin onto the table and rush outside, needing some fresh air to collect myself. I’m walking down the sidewalk, not paying attention to where I’m going, when I run into a woman walking in the opposite direction.
“Excuse me.” I look up and see a ghost. It’s the woman in the pictures. Gasping, I look around to see if someone is playing a joke on me. “Gabrielle?”
The woman’s eyes widen before smiling sadly. “No, she was my sister. You’re Kaden’s fiancée, right? I saw you that day in the club when we ran into Kaden, but you probably weren’t thinking about that at the time.”
“Oh, right. You were hugging him. I didn’t see your face clearly. You’re Gabrielle’s twin?”
I palm my forehead at the stupid question. Why else would this woman be a spitting image of Kaden’s dead wife? “I’m an idiot. Please ignore me.”
The woman laughs. “That’s okay. My name is Danielle. It’s nice to meet you. You looked like you were in a rush, and you’re crying. Are you running to or from something?”
“From… I was at a lunch with the wedding planner and I kind of got overwhelmed. But you don’t need to be bored with the details of my crap.” I wave my hand.
“I don’t mind. Kaden and I have been friends for years. I’m happy he found you. When he came to visit my family a few months ago he seemed to be turning a corner. Congratulations on the engagement.”
“Thank you. And I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. So, what had you feeling overwhelmed?”
“It’s going to sound stupid, but I was supposed to pick the venue, so I picked the country club, which was the same location where Kaden and your sister were married. Now I’m second guessing everything. It’s my first wedding, but he’s already done all this.”
“Ahh…and you’re afraid you’ll either be repeating what they did or he won’t like what you chose and compare it to their wedding.”
“Yeah. Stupid, right?”
She laughs softly. She has a pretty smile just like her sister did in all the photos I looked through. “No, it’s not stupid. Talk to Kaden. Tell him how you feel. Otherwise you’ll drive yourself crazy with worry.”
“You’re right, I will. Thank you. It was very nice to meet you.”
“You, too. I look forward to the wedding.” Danielle gives me a quick hug, then walks off. The wedding? I never would have thought her family would want to attend our wedding…
My phone goes off.
Kaden: Ash….
Me: Yes?
Kaden: Talk to me, babe. My mom said you ran out of lunch crying.
Me: Can we just elope like Caleb and Hayley did?
Kaden: We can do whatever you want, baby.
I think about how selfless he is. I know if I really wanted to, Kaden would go to the strip, find a little church, and marry me tomorrow. But then I remember our family, especially his grandmother, who wants to see us get married. It would be selfish to deprive them from being there to witness us getting married. I feel so lost and confused. I sit on the bench and start crying again.
Kaden: You there?
Before I can reply, my phone rings.
“Hello?”
“Baby, are you still crying? What’s going on?” The sound of his voice makes me cry harder.
“I-I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” My cries turn into sobs. “We were deciding on a location and I pick the wrong one. I picked the one where you married Gabrielle.” I’m now crying so hard I’m hiccupping, and I can’t stop.
“Ashley, baby, please calm down.”
“I-I can’t. What if our wedding is horrible? What if you liked your first one better? What if I say the wrong things? Or pick the cake you already had? You didn’t want to get married again because you were only supposed to get married once. You already had your perfect wedding.”
“Oh, baby. I wish I were there so I could wrap my arms around you and hold you. I miss you.”
“I miss you, too.” I sniffle and it sounds horribly unladylike, “Ugh! I’m all snotty. I sound like a vacuum sucking up snot.”
Kaden chuckles softly.
“I don’t think I can do this, Kaden.”
“Do what? Marry me or plan the wedding?”
“Plan the wedding. Of course I want to be your wife.”
Kaden sighs into the phone.
�
��I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about. How about we do something a little untraditional? How about I plan the wedding? You already picked out your dress, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So, everything else is just details. I don’t like you sounding like this. It’s not worth the stress. Our wedding will be one-of-a-kind because it’ll be ours. Everything could be the same: the colors, the venue, the food… It wouldn’t matter because the only important detail, the only thing I care about, is you and me and Tristan. It will be perfect and original because I’ll be marrying you.”
“Everything you say is always so damn perfect.” My cries that slightly subsided start back up again in full force and Kaden chuckles into the phone.
“They weren’t meant to make you cry, Ash. Go back to the restaurant and eat lunch. Enjoy your time with our moms and my grandmother. Go to the spa, get a massage, and then come home. I’ll handle the details. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“And baby…”
“Yeah?”
“I love you and your cute snotty sniffles.”
“I love you, too.”
Chapter Thirty
Kaden
“What the hell was that about?” Bentley asks. The guys are all over my house to watch the Super bowl. With Ashley being out of town, we all figured my place would be best to drink beer, eat shitty food, and watch the game. No women are allowed. Cooper, Bentley, Alex, and Stephen are already here and Caleb is on his way over with Marco.
Just as I’m about to answer, Caleb and Marco walk through the door. “What’s up!” Caleb says hi to everyone then grabs a beer from the fridge before plopping onto my couch, Marco joining Tristan to play video games in his room.
“That was Ashley. I guess there’s something I should tell you guys.”
Everyone looks at me waiting for me to continue. “So, you know I was married before, but you assumed she left me, and I let you believe that without correcting you. The truth is I was married before, but she didn’t leave me. Her name was Gabrielle and she was killed in a car accident on our way to the hospital for her to give birth to our son.”
