Page 44 of Sucker Punch Drunk Love

He was still pretty hard on me, inside the cage, but I couldn’t really argue, because I no longer went into fights hoping for a knockout just to win.

“Nice concentration, Sierra.” Héctor noticed. “I see you.”

“At least someone does,” I taunted.

“Hey, I ain't the one who's got a fight this Saturday,” Josue argued. “Just because you got a streak, don't mean you get to strap up your heels and go dancing.”

As Héctor looked suspiciously between us, noting the difference. “Wait, that almost sounded like a compliment. Is y'all fucking?”

“Excuse me?” Josue asked, offended. “Looks like I gotta work you harder, Medina. According to your little boyfriend here, I'm going soft on you.”

“Thanks, Héctor,” I yelled sarcastically.

“Damn, my bad,” Héctor respectfully bowing out, not catching Josue’s wink in my direction. I hope we didn't lookthatobvious. I knew the implications of it all, but that post-fight-fuck was just easier to do with Josue than a stranger.

There was just no romantic future for it. He didn't want kids, and I really wanted my daughter, so we wouldn't work. Or at least not outside of the bedroom. And that, I was going to enjoy while it lasted.

***

“Whoa, slow down, the clams are dead, they're not going anywhere,” as I spun and slurped the pasta on my fork, enjoying the victory dinner Josue made once we got back from Houston.

“I haven’t had carbs in two weeks,” barely taking the time to chew.

“That was a clean win out there, I’m starting to think you’re only winning this good to get me to fuck you,” he teased.

We’d done a lot of celebrating back in Houston, but I was a little sore, and he could tell, so he took things easy on me. He talked about taking me out for my week off, but I had made plans, at least the first day or two back, which he made sure to bring up as he washed the dishes.

“I noticed you rejected my Google calendar invitation to head to the city. Did you make plans on your week off?” he wondered. Now seemed like the best time to address it.

“Was just taking a short trip to Philly. Tie up some loose ends,” I said nonchalantly, hoping he wouldn't press too hard.

“Hope one of your days off,wecan find something to do together. You know? To further celebrate,” he worded suggestively.

“Yeah.” It hadn’t been my intention to throw him off, but I just hadn’t wanted any speculation or questions related to my daughter to come up, so he was right to be insecure that I was being a bit vague.

“Just to be clear, you're still comfortable with…us helping each other out from time to time? I don't want to come at you if it's one-sided?—”

“No, it's still mutual, Josue. The Philly trip is just to catch up with stuff still there that I need to catch up on,” I assured.

“I was just making sure you're not, like going to see a boyfriend or anything. Not that it'd be my business if you were. I just want to know when it comes to…when we…got that kind of itch, that’s it’s something I’m not pressuring you to do. Because if you feel that way, we can stop?—”

“Josue, I promise, it’s just me tying loose ends. When I get back from Philly, I’ll show you how much. I’m just trying to focus on my trip for now, okay?”

“Okay,” he dropped it, after stealing a kiss.

***

“Slow down, baby. Mami got in a little accident, so she can't run as fast. Mónica obeyed and slowed her step, as her little body struggled to hold the door open for me. Staying the night at my ex’s mom’s house, I’d rented a car to get around better, something I was grateful after learning Sondra hadn’t gotten to all her dirty clothes for the week.

I volunteered going to the laundromat, even offering to wash a few of Sondra’s she hadn’t made time to do, just so I could have more alone time with my daughter.

She was one of those old school Puerto Rican boy moms who didn't care much for me when I was dating her son, but when she saw the pictures from my police report, she couldn't, in good conscience, side with her son.

When I'd slipped into money problems, something I took accountability for, she’d been humble enough to put her feelings about me, or her son, or us having kids way too young aside.

I didn’t have much choice if I didn’t want Mónica to fall into the system likeIhad and she had the stability neither Kelvin or me had had to support Mónica, and I wasn’t too pigheaded to admit that.

“La manta está cálida?*,” Mónica shivered, giggly wrapping herself in the blanket. It was probably because the AC was high in here and it’d come straight out the dryer.