I was on a fucking high. Take my boxing career, take the last few years away from me, I didn’t give a fuck, as long as in the end, I was the man who came out on top, the man these ladies looked up to, the man who was a blessing in disguise.

Linda pulled away and wiped her tears. “I’m so glad you came by.” She laughed. “As you can see.”

“Linda, this is my friend, Jett Colby.”

“Why yes, you own Justice. Madeline and I are so grateful for your kindness to the community, opening such a center for this city. It was a pure act of selflessness.”

“Pleasure is mine,” Jett responded while shaking Linda’s hand. “Glad you were able to find peace within Justice.”

The meaning of Jett’s words were heavy. We all felt the weight of them and what he was conveying.

“May we come in?” I asked, feeling the tears she’d shed on my shirt. They were happy tears, tears I didn’t mind seeing shed.

“Of course. Please excuse the mess. Madeline and I had a slumber party in the living room, so sleeping bags are on the floor.”

As I entered the little house, I instantly felt at ease. The walls were a beautiful yellow color, the same yellow that was in Goldie’s room at the Lafayette Club. All the furniture was white, and there were little touches of orange and teal all around the house. I felt calm, my pulse wasn’t racing, and my skin didn’t crawl. Instead, I felt like I’d found another home, a piece of me that had been missing.

To the right was the living room where there were pillows and sleeping bags on the floor. DVD cases were strewn across the coffee table, Frozen being the one that was open. Two cans of soda with straws coming out of them were sitting next to a giant bowl of only kernels left on the bottom. The scene made my heart ache in a good way.

Linda and Madeline were thriving, more than I could have ever asked for.

“Went to the bathroom!” Madeline said as she skidded into the living room, stopping abruptly when she saw there was company. “I mean… used the ladies’ room,” she corrected herself, looking embarrassed.

She was wearing the same pants and slippers as her mom, but her hair was a wild mess on top of her head, and she was wearing a Frozen shirt that was entirely too large on her. In a few short days, I’d learned to absolutely adore this little girl.

“Mr. Kace, what are you doing here?” she asked, twisting her shirt.

“Madeline, is that how we greet our guests?”

Madeline straightened and said, “Can I get you something to drink, Mr. Kace?”

Chuckling, I squatted down in front of her just as I grabbed the box of beignets and opened it up in front of her. Her eyes widened from seeing the deep fried pastries. “Do you have anything that will go with these?”

“Chocolate milk!” she said with excitement. “I would have to make it though. We have powder.”

“Would you make my friend Jett and me a glass?”

“I would love to.” She took off to the kitchen and started rustling around, opening cabinets and shutting them.

Linda shook her head. “Putting your drinks in Madeline’s hands. I would watch out, boys.” Linda smiled and led us to the dining room to a small round white table and matching chairs. Linda pulled back a teal curtain so the morning light came in.

“Your house is beautiful, Linda,” Jett complimented.

“Thank you, Mr. Colby.”

“You can call me Jett.” Sincerity laced his voice.

“Thank you,” Linda said. “When Marshall passed, I decided to redo the house with some of the insurance money we got. The house was so dark and dreary before. It had his decorations, he was everywhere, and I needed to be rid of him. Madeline helped me pick the paint color, and we went to work. I couldn’t imagine this house any other way.”

“It’s so cheery and inviting,” I praised.

“Thank you. It’s what we were going for.”

Before Madeline reappeared, I pulled out the envelope Linda gave me before I left the community center the other day and handed the envelope to Linda, who refused to take it. “Linda, take this, please.”

“No.” She shook her head. “That is your money, Kace. Start over with it.”

“Linda, I gave this to you for a reason.”

“Yes, and even though your reasoning was very sweet, we don’t need it. We are doing just fine. I have a well-paying graphic design job that allows me to work from home. We are good, Kace. We are taken care of.”

“But what about Madeline’s college? Can I put it toward that?”

Linda shook her head. “She’s set. This is your rebirth. Do me a favor and use it. Start a new chapter.”

“Got the drinks,” Madeline said as she carried in a tray with four glasses of chocolate milk on them. She moved carefully to avoid spilling. Her tongue was sticking out as she concentrated on trying not to spill.

She set the tray on the table and then kneeled on a chair and started handing out the glasses.

“I put extra chocolate in yours, Mr. Kace. You look like a chocolate kind of guy.”

“Is that right?” I asked.

“Mom says milk makes you strong and you have lots of muscles, so I figured you drank a lot of chocolate milk.”

“And I don’t have muscles?” Jett asked in a teasing tone.

Madeline looked Jett up and down. “Hmm, I think Mr. Kace just wears smaller shirts.”

A snort escaped Jett, and Linda warned her daughter to be polite. I knew Jett would never let that comment drop, so I looked forward to a future teasing.

“Madeline, why don’t you get plates and napkins as well?”

“Sure thing,” Madeline said, scurrying off to the kitchen once more.

“I’m sorry about that,” Linda apologized to me.

“Totally fine,” I said, taking a drink of my chocolate milk. Chunks of chocolate hit my tongue, and I about spit it back in my glass from the surprise of having a chunky chocolate milk, but I swallowed, despite my stomach revolting.

“Told you to look out,” Linda chuckled as she grabbed a spoon from the tray and stirred her drink, breaking up the chunks.

“I’m going to need that spoon after you,” I said, wiping the thick layer of chocolate off my mouth.

Linda laughed and handed it over. I quickly stirred my drink and Jett’s before Madeline returned. I didn’t want her to feel insulted that she didn’t do a good job.

“Do you like your drink, Mr. Kace?”

“Very chocolatey,” I complimented.

“I knew you would like chocolate.” She smiled that toothless grin at me.

Madeline handed out plates and napkins and then opened the box of pastries. She divvied those out as well, giving us each one. She continued to kneel down on her chair and started to dig into her breakfast. With one bite, she had powdered sugar all over her face.

She was too cute with her morning hair that rivaled Albert Einstein’s, her powder-covered face, and her oversized shirt. How could anyone else raise their hand to this precious little girl? The mere thought had my stomach buckling. Marshall Duncan was exactly where he belonged, six feet under.

“These are good,” Madeline said before she picked up her glass of milk with both hands and took a big gulp. When she put her glass back down, she formed a chocolate and powdered sugar paste ring around her mouth. “I’m excited to hit the mats today,” Madeline said in between bites, using one of my terms.

Linda shook her head and shrugged her shoulders at me, as if to say, girls will be girls.

I chuckled and said, “Yeah, you going to throw down today?”

“I’ve been practicing my jabs.” She closed her hand into a fist and punched the air while saying, “Pow, pow!”

“Honey, remember, we talked about how you don’t have to make sound effects while punching,” Linda said with a motherly smile.

“But it’s so much cooler with saying ‘pow,’ Mom. People take you more seriously if you make a noise. If you just jab the air, people will think you’re crazy, but if you say ‘pow pow’ while doing it, they will be sure not to mess with you. Isn’t that right, Mr. Kace?”