Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 100(@200wpm)___ 80(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 100(@200wpm)___ 80(@250wpm)___ 67(@300wpm)
“Well, as I got older and bigger, so did my opponents. The hits came harder, and my injuries got worse. Over the years, I got my nose broken several times, a few cracked ribs, and a couple of concussions.”
“That all sounds horrible. I can see why she was scared for you.”
“I had big dreams,” I replied with a shrug, “I wanted to become the super heavyweight champ, and was willing to do whatever it took to achieve them. My dad and I both tried to explain that to her, but she grew more concerned over time. A few years ago, I made it to the final qualifier for the championship fight.”
“That's amazing!” Avery gushed, warming my chest.
“It started out that way,” I answered, and his grin turned to a grimace as he listened to the rest of my story. “My opponent was tough. He fought me harder than anyone ever had. By the fifth round, I was struggling to even stand upright. It felt as if he had a brick in his glove as he delivered hit after hit to my face. I was too tired to guard myself. I was just trying to make it to the bell. My eyes were swollen and I could barely see. My ears were bleeding and ringing, but I could still hear my mom screaming at my trainer to throw in the towel and call the fight, while my dad yelled even louder to keep it going.
“But it didn't matter in the end; my opponent clocked me in the temple for a total knockout punch. I woke up three days later in the hospital with a massive concussion, a brain bleed, and split up parents. Mom couldn't forgive my dad for pushing me too hard, and he was furious that she'd tried to intervene.”
“I'm so sorry.”
“Thanks, but I'm surprised they held on as long as they did. They are very different people. Since then, they've each found someone who loves them as they are, and they're very happy.”
“I'm glad to hear it. But still, in the moment, it had to be so hard to not only worry about physically healing, but to have that emotional trauma when you woke up, too.”
I gave Avery a grateful smile and added, “It was. And in the end, I had to put my boxing career to rest and retire before I won a championship. The brutal hit caused some short term memory loss, though it has gotten better over time. My stutter appeared again for a while, but I've worked hard to get it back in check, too. But even though I can't step into the ring myself any more, I'm grateful I can still train others. The gym was happy to have me; even though I'm a loser, I'm still their biggest success story.”
“You're not a loser,” Avery insisted. “Troy, you had to take care of your health. You couldn't put yourself in danger anymore. Besides that, you made it to the final qualifier! That's something to be proud of. Not many people can say that. And even though things look a little different now, you can still be a part of something you love while helping others. I know you are making a difference in peoples’ lives, because you're making a difference in mine.”
“Thank you.” I reached across the table, and Avery flinched when I placed my hand on his.
Not wanting to make him uncomfortable, I immediately pulled away, but he captured my fingers with his. “No, please; I want to. I just…” his words trailed off, and I took it as a sign that he wasn't ready to talk about whatever it was. He could have all the time he needed; I was content to hold his hand and wait.
Avery flinched again when the waitress appeared by our table once more. I loosened my grip, but he didn't pull away. Once our plates were settled in front of us, he tightened his hold on me and picked up his fork with his other hand to dig into his food. That left me to awkwardly feed myself with my non-dominant hand. I didn't care; I wasn't going to let go of him for anything.
“I never met my dad,” he told me around a bite of chicken. “He left before I was born. My mom married my step dad when I was five, but I don't see either of them any more.”
I offered, “I'm sorry,” but Avery gave a swift shake of his head.
“Don't be.”
Oh, that doesn't sound good. There was so much brewing in Avery’s beautiful head, and I hoped he felt comfortable telling me everything in time. But for the time being, he turned his attention to his food and offered a quiet, “This is delicious.”
We didn't speak much as we ate. I gave Avery space to think, while holding onto him to remind him I was there.