I got up from the bench and went over to the punching bags to get in some punches before Artie came to work me harder. I appreciated him so much more after our talk. He was only being tough on me because he saw what I was worth. And now, I saw it too.
When Artie was done with the guy in the ring, he called me up. I got back into the ring, and he helped me practice my submission holds, the holds that were going to get me further in my next two fights.
He put me in a rear naked choke, and to my surprise, when I focused, I got myself out of it and in turn put him into the same hold. He complimented me on my form and quick moves and told me that was exactly what I needed to do during my next two fights.
As we were finishing up, Anna and Margie got back from lunch.
“Daddy!” Margie yelled as I climbed out of the ring. “We brought you some food. And Anna bought me a dress and shoes!” She was so excited. I grinned down at her. Seeing her so happy made everything else seem so inconsequential.
“She did? How was lunch with Anna and her parents?”
“It was great. I had a lot of fun, and my sandwich was so yummy!” she turned to Anna. “Show him my dress and shoes!”
“What kind of sandwich did you have?” I asked her as Anna moved the bag she was holding onto the chair and pulled out a white and yellow daisy dress and white shoes.
“Ham and cheese kid’s meal. It came with a cookie and chips. And a chocolate milk,” she said.
Anna said, “I hope that’s okay. The cookie and the chips, I mean. Well, and that I bought her this dress.”
I gave Anna a hug and a kiss. “Of course, it’s okay. She seems like she had a lot of fun.”
“She had a blast,” Anna said with a laugh.
I sat down in the chair next to Anna while Artie showed Margie around the gym. She had been begging to let me come with her for a while now.
“I hope that didn’t upset you,” Anna said.
“What?” I wasn’t sure what she was asking me.
“That I bought her the dress and shoes.”
I looked at Anna. “Of course, it’s okay. I can pay you back for it.”
“No, I don’t want to be paid back. I did it for Margie,” she said with such a bright smile that I knew she was just as excited about it as Margie was. “It’s a club, I hope that’s okay,” Anna said and handed me a to-go bag with a foil wrapped sandwich and a bag of chips.
I smiled. “I love club sandwiches.”
“Margie thought so, but she wasn’t sure. She said you had ordered one once and liked it.”
“She remembered; that’s sweet,” I said and looked over at my daughter. Artie was teaching her how to hit the punching bag. I turned back to Anna, “Thank you for taking her with you.”
“It was my pleasure, Justin. She had a blast. We all did. Plus, I couldn’t just let her starve.” She said it with a wink, and we both laughed.
The best part about Anna was that she was easy for me to get along with, and we could make each other laugh. It was simple, and nothing felt forced.
“Are you ready for your next fight?” she asked after a few minutes of silence.
I put the second half of my sandwich back down on the wrapper. “Yeah, I think I’ll be able to nail this one. I feel good about it.”
“That’s good to hear,” she said.
I watched as she moved a strand of hair out of her face. She looked so perfect in this moment, and I wished I had access to my phone to take a picture of her. She might have found it a little creepy if I just took a random picture of her, but the moment felt so perfect.
After I finished my sandwich, I got back in the ring for a few more rounds with Artie. We left two hours later. It had been a long day, and I could tell Margie was exhausted. We walked Anna to her car.
“I don’t want Anna to go,” Margie said as tears began to form.
“Awe, Margie. I’m sorry sweetheart, but Anna’s got to get home. And so do we,” I said.