Born for This
four.
Emma let out a soft sob as she watched her husband finally open his eyes. They were a bit clouded over and the look of confusion across Tommy’s face was not missed. The fighter sat up and began swatting at the medical team that had swarmed around him. He turned to face Brendan who was leaning against the far wall, his arms crossed and head down. Tommy jumped up, ignoring everyone else in the room, and took a few long strides to his big brother. His voice was low but rough.
“I saw her Bren, I just saw her... She was standing here, right next to me in this room.”
Brendan studied his brother’s face for a moment, searching for clarification, “Who did you see, Tommy? What are you talking about?”
Tommy’s eyes nearly bugged out of his skull, “Ma! I saw her.. it’s not the first time either.”
Before Brendan had a chance to speak, Tommy felt a delicate hand touch the small of his back. “Tommy, are you okay? What’s going on? Come sit down so the doctors can finish looking at you.” Emma had been the only one in the room brave enough to approach the brothers. Her soft voice brought a calming feeling over the fighter.
“Go get looked at, I’ll call you in a day or two.” Brendan responded and left the locker room, dragging their father with him.
Tommy shuffled back to the bench and groaned as the medical team began their poking and prodding. His eyes were glued intensely to the door, counting the minutes before he could be left alone. Emma chewed her thumb nail anxiously as she shifted Keane on her hip. Over the course of their relationship, Tommy had his fair share of close calls in the ring. Things were different though; they were a family now. There was so much more on the line as Tommy aged.
The medical team began to retreat from the fighter, “I’ll be frank Mr. Conlon, another beating like the one you took tonight, and I’m not so sure you’ll be leaving the arena on your own two feet.” The fighter gave his usual grunt of a response and stood up quickly to leave. He swayed for a moment causing his wife to rush to his side. “You’ll need to take it easy for a few weeks.” The doctor threw over his shoulder as he left the room.
It was the first time in over twenty-four hours that the Conlon family had been alone together. Tommy stood, at a much slower pace, and threw his duffle bag over his aching shoulder. Emma remained silent, not knowing what to say. She had warned Tommy and expressed her concern countless times. She bit back an ‘I told you so’ and settled into spot underneath his arm as they left the locker room.
“You gonna say anything?” Tommy asked as he threw his duffle in the trunk of the car and grabbed his son from his wife’s arms.
Emma shrugged as she traded her son for the car keys, “What’s there to say. You know how I felt about you still going in the cage.”
Tommy rolled his eyes, “Please, what happened tonight aint gonna happen again. It was a fluke. Still won didn’t I?”
“Are you serious?” The brunette climbed in the car and started the engine as Tommy buckled Keane into his car seat. “You almost died tonight! But hey... at least you got a nice check in the end.” Sarcasm was oozing off every letter out of his mouth.
“Yeah, at least I got a nice check. If you haven’t forgotten, those ‘nice checks’ are what keep us in the luxurious lifestyle you seem to love so much.” Tommy growled in a hushed tone, fearing his voice would wake the sleeping baby.
It was Emma’s turn to roll her eyes, “Luxurious lifestyle? Tommy we’re living in an two bedroom apartment on the top floor with a baby who before you know it is going to outgrow his closet of a room. We’re cramped and soon enough Keane is going to be a curious toddler creeping out to the balcony.”
Tommy looked at his wife with a look of bewilderment, “What do you mean cramped? You love that fucking apartment.”
“We’re a growing family, Thomas. I’m ready to settle down. I don’t want our children to be growing up hundreds of feet off the ground. They need a backyard, room to grow, have friends over...” Emma took her eyes off the road for a moment to take a look at the expression on her husband’s face. She could see the wheels turning in his mind.
He ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh, “Growing family? Are you...?”
Emma nodded, “Yeah Tommy... I’m pregnant.”
“I saw her Bren, I just saw her... She was standing here, right next to me in this room.”
Brendan studied his brother’s face for a moment, searching for clarification, “Who did you see, Tommy? What are you talking about?”
Tommy’s eyes nearly bugged out of his skull, “Ma! I saw her.. it’s not the first time either.”
Before Brendan had a chance to speak, Tommy felt a delicate hand touch the small of his back. “Tommy, are you okay? What’s going on? Come sit down so the doctors can finish looking at you.” Emma had been the only one in the room brave enough to approach the brothers. Her soft voice brought a calming feeling over the fighter.
“Go get looked at, I’ll call you in a day or two.” Brendan responded and left the locker room, dragging their father with him.
Tommy shuffled back to the bench and groaned as the medical team began their poking and prodding. His eyes were glued intensely to the door, counting the minutes before he could be left alone. Emma chewed her thumb nail anxiously as she shifted Keane on her hip. Over the course of their relationship, Tommy had his fair share of close calls in the ring. Things were different though; they were a family now. There was so much more on the line as Tommy aged.
The medical team began to retreat from the fighter, “I’ll be frank Mr. Conlon, another beating like the one you took tonight, and I’m not so sure you’ll be leaving the arena on your own two feet.” The fighter gave his usual grunt of a response and stood up quickly to leave. He swayed for a moment causing his wife to rush to his side. “You’ll need to take it easy for a few weeks.” The doctor threw over his shoulder as he left the room.
It was the first time in over twenty-four hours that the Conlon family had been alone together. Tommy stood, at a much slower pace, and threw his duffle bag over his aching shoulder. Emma remained silent, not knowing what to say. She had warned Tommy and expressed her concern countless times. She bit back an ‘I told you so’ and settled into spot underneath his arm as they left the locker room.
“You gonna say anything?” Tommy asked as he threw his duffle in the trunk of the car and grabbed his son from his wife’s arms.
Emma shrugged as she traded her son for the car keys, “What’s there to say. You know how I felt about you still going in the cage.”
Tommy rolled his eyes, “Please, what happened tonight aint gonna happen again. It was a fluke. Still won didn’t I?”
“Are you serious?” The brunette climbed in the car and started the engine as Tommy buckled Keane into his car seat. “You almost died tonight! But hey... at least you got a nice check in the end.” Sarcasm was oozing off every letter out of his mouth.
“Yeah, at least I got a nice check. If you haven’t forgotten, those ‘nice checks’ are what keep us in the luxurious lifestyle you seem to love so much.” Tommy growled in a hushed tone, fearing his voice would wake the sleeping baby.
It was Emma’s turn to roll her eyes, “Luxurious lifestyle? Tommy we’re living in an two bedroom apartment on the top floor with a baby who before you know it is going to outgrow his closet of a room. We’re cramped and soon enough Keane is going to be a curious toddler creeping out to the balcony.”
Tommy looked at his wife with a look of bewilderment, “What do you mean cramped? You love that fucking apartment.”
“We’re a growing family, Thomas. I’m ready to settle down. I don’t want our children to be growing up hundreds of feet off the ground. They need a backyard, room to grow, have friends over...” Emma took her eyes off the road for a moment to take a look at the expression on her husband’s face. She could see the wheels turning in his mind.
He ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh, “Growing family? Are you...?”
Emma nodded, “Yeah Tommy... I’m pregnant.”
♠ ♠ ♠
sorry for being away from this for so long.