Fight Like a Girl

w i n

❝ Fight like a girl. ❞

-Lane Davis

I’m trying to hold in my emotions. I don’t want them to see. No one can see what I’m feeling, but it’s too late. It’s too late.

“Coach, I’m not competing.” I have to get to my bag to call Karen, or someone to get me to the hospital.

I get out the auditorium, and run to my bag. My phones’ got no messages. Why didn’t Karen tell me?

I press her contact. I’m shaking.

This isn’t happening. He’s gonna be okay. This isn’t happening.

“Hi, sweetie-”

“Pick me up.”

“Honey, you should finish your last round.”

I’m about to yell and tell her she has to pick me up when I realize what she’s told me.

She wants me to fight. Karen, the one who was so against me fighting, now is encouraging it. And I don’t know what to do.

“I don’t want to fight if he’s not there to watch. He’s gone through everything for me, and I just want to be with him.”

The line is quiet for a minute.

**********

We arrive at the hospital an hour after I originally called Karen. The two of us rush to his hospital room, where he’s hooked up to a tube.

Bruises scatter his face. He’s got quite a few cuts.

“He went through surgery. He won’t wake up for a bit.”

“But he’ll be okay, right?”

The nurse nods.

“A few scars. We just had to cut out some shrapnel.”

I take a deep breath.

I could’ve stayed at the match. I could’ve won. But honestly, it would’ve meant nothing without Dad there.

I had already made it pretty far in the competition, so I didn’t fail at all.

I don’t think I’m lying when I say that I kept my list in check.

And I fought like a girl for what I love.

I grab Dad’s hand, but I look at Karen. At Mom.

Maybe I should give her a second chance too.

She sure gave me one.

an: it's short. but it's simple. hopefully you understand that it wraps up the story. I don't want anything super sappy. epilogue coming next.

if you're wondering what happened between her and Karen, I'll explain it in the epilogue.