Page 42 of The Vow

Alex’s quirks still catch me off guard, but I learned that she was right. I’d rather she be unpredictable than boring. Still, I was confused. “Who are you talking about?”

“At the restaurant. You said that you believed you were in love at some point.”

Anjela.

“I had brain damage,” I said. “She was nobody.”

“Good answer.”

“Come here,” I said, pulling her into a hug. “You have the number for Phoenix, right? I dog-eared the phone book.”

“Yes. I’ll be fine. Don’t forget about me.”

“Not possible. I love you.”

“Ti amo.”

“Good of you to show up, kid.”

Before I met Alex, I was 5-6 guy. I’d train five or six days a week, and rest on the seventh. Lately, I’ve been slacking, and I only make it to the gym every 3-4 days. My lack of discipline is affecting my performance. During my last sparring session, I felt light-headed, like the time I helped my Uncle Joe make his homemade wine and siphoned too much from the demijohn. “You’re not supposed to swallow! Meh... that’s okay. It’ll put hair on your chest,” he told my fourteen-year-old self.

“Had to. I missed you,” I said to Cable. “So what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Your new girl.”

“Really?”

“Nah. But you seem happy, kid.”

“What gave it away? My goofy smile?”

“And this,” he said, patting my belly. “You need to get rid of that. I got a sure thing for you. An underdog.”

“Easy money?”

“The best kind.” Cable was popping cashew nuts into his mouth.

“How much?”

“A grand. Nothing to sneeze at.”

“When?”

“Two weeks. I need you in here four to six hours a day. We have a lot of work to do before then.”

My first thought was Alex, and spending that much time away from her, but we could use the money. Or, more accurately, I could use the money – to buy her a diamond. A couple of weeks ago, ma asked me if we were serious, or just playing house. She was in a bad mood. She was watching the soccer game, and AC Milan was losing. My mother wasn’t a soccer fan, but it was pop’s favorite team. To honor him, she’s never missed a game and will often talk to pop as if he was sitting beside her. So as not to add fuel to her fire, I had chosen my words carefully:

“Someone once told me that when you know, you know.”

“I told you that!”

“I know. And you were right.”

“I’m always right. I’m your mother!”

Cable was done with the nuts, or he was just being Cable, because instead of chewing, and swallowing, he was spitting them out. “Well, kid? You game?”

“Isn’t it late to choose an opponent?”