“But the fight’s still on?” Abe asks.
“Fuck yeah. That fight is going to pull in some serious bank. Even got a few outside clubs wanting to come in and watch. It’s gonna be packed.”
“Sounds good. Now get the fuck out. I need to give my old lady a shower.”
My nose scrunches up at his words.
“What? You’re not my old lady?’
“It just sounds so…old.”
I hear Lucias shut the door, leaving us alone. Abe lets out a roar of laughter that shakes his whole body, shaking mine in turn. It’s a sound I intend to get from him as often as I can.
“Come on,” he says, picking me up and carrying me into the bathroom. “I’m going to clean you up, and then we’re going to introduce me to my son.”
“Sounds perfect.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
SAVAGE
I’ve never been so nervous in my entire life. I asked Julie about our son last night, wanting to know everything about him. Every time I asked something specific, she just told me to wait. It was driving me crazy, but she said seeing him would answer everything. I feel like I have this space in my heart just waiting to be filled by him. Coming to Julie’s parents’ house with her is so nerve-wracking, but I’d do anything for her and for our son.
Julie’s parents were welcoming, though not as warm as I’d hoped. She made me promise not to tell them about her working at the strip club. They thought she was just working at some random bar, pouring drinks on the weekend to make ends meet. Ends I should have been meeting for her. I can’t help but feel it’s partly my fault she worked there to begin with.
I know my relationship with her parents will have to mend over time. They saw what I did to her, and they’re the ones who have been taking care of her since I left the picture, but I’m going to work hard at fixing it. I’ll work to give our son a full family, something I never had.
“I’ll go check on him and see if he’s up from his nap,” Julie says, leaving me alone with her parents in the kitchen.
I look over at her mom and dad, knowing they deserve an apology. “I wish I had the right words to explain everything, but I don’t. I’m sorry I left Julie the way I did, and put you both in the position to take care of her when I should have been there for her. Thank you for taking care of her and my son, and if there’s ever anything I can do to repay that, I will.”
Her dad looks at me with those dark brown eyes, just like Julie’s, and nods his head. “You can start by being in their lives again, and being the husband and father they deserve.”
“You’re right. And I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to both of them.”
“Here he is,” I hear Julie behind me, and I turn around to see her carrying a giant of a kid.
“Oh my God, he’s only two? He’s huge.” I look at him in disbelief and wonder, with the biggest smile on my face. I can feel it stretching from ear to ear. “He’s so beautiful.” I instantly feel tears in my eyes. I can see my dark shaggy hair and Julie’s big brown eyes.
He looks at me with just as much wonder as I’m looking at him.
“This is AJ. As in Abraham Junior.”
“Julie,” I whisper, getting choked up. Jesus, she named my son after me, even though I was a piece of shit and ran out on her. “Hey, AJ,” I say around the lump in my throat. I can feel the tears slide down my cheeks, but I don’t want him to think I’m sad.
AJ reaches his little chubby hand out and touches my cheek where the tears are.
“Dada, no cry.”
I look over to Julie in complete shock. “Did he just—”
“You be tough, Dada. No cry.” He’s got this stern look on his face like he’s telling me to pull it together, and I cry more. My heart is bursting with so many emotions, I can’t help it.
With a heavy sigh, AJ holds his arms out to me, indicating I should hold him. I look at Julie and she’s crying too, but she nods her head and lets me know it’s okay. I open my arms, and he practically jumps into mine.
“Dada need hug,” he says, squeezing me tightly.
“How?” It’s the only thing I can choke out as I look to Julie and wonder how he knows me.
She holds up a big stuffed teddy bear dressed as a Marine, and points to the picture of me in the bear’s arms. “I told him his Daddy was a Marine and was defending our country. I told him how brave his daddy was, and how much he loved him and mommy, and one day he’d come home.”
I close my eyes and crush my son to my heart. I’ve missed so much time with him, and that stops today. I won’t ever miss anything ever again.
AJ starts to wiggle, and I let go a little so he can lean back and look at me. “I wanna snack.”
I laugh, seeing how perfect and beautiful he is, and I kiss him on the cheek. “I love you, AJ.”
“Love you, Dada. Snack?”
“Yeah, buddy, let’s get a snack.”
As I stand in the kitchen, cutting up a sandwich for my little guy, I look over at Julie and smile. It’s amazing how I can stand here and have my heart burst with love, and keep on breathing. It’s too much, and I don’t deserve it, but I’ll spend the rest of my life earning it.
Chapter Twenty-Four
SAVAGE
“We all clear?” I glance over at Pres, already ready for this to be done.
“Yep, we’ve already made a killing off the fight, sold out even more when people found out it would be your last.”