THE FIGHTER (Origninally called my UFC FIGHTER)

20. Ethan

It's been a little over two months since summer ended and I headed to community college not wanting to leave town until Noah graduated high school. I didn't want to be away from him specially now that we just got together.

Today, I decided to surprise him by picking him up from school—after getting the okay from his parents—and as I sat in the parking lot, I watched as the students began to pour out of the school. Finally, I saw Noah making his way towards the car, a huge smile on his face as he spotted me waiting for him.

As he got into the car, I could tell he was surprised to see me. "What are you doing here?" he asked, still grinning from ear to ear.

"I wanted to surprise you," I said, leaning over to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "And I thought we could spend the afternoon together, just the two of us."

Noah's face lit up even more at the idea, and we quickly made plans to grab some food and then head to the park for a walk. As we ate and talked, I could feel the bond between us growing stronger with every passing moment. Noah opened up to me about his hopes and dreams for the future, and I realized just how lucky I was to have him in my life.

After our little picnic in the park, we found a quiet spot by the lake and just sat together, enjoying the peaceful surroundings. We talked and laughed, and I felt like nothing could ever come between us. As the sun began to set, we made our way back to the car, both of us reluctant to say goodbye.

I pulled up to my house after dropping Noah off at his house, mom and Sol, my little sister greeted me at the door with warm smiles. I stoped out of my car and locked the door before walking up the gravel driveway only stopping a few feet away when Sol ran toward me with arms in the air. I smiled as I crouched to her level letting her little body collide with mine before I stood up with her in my arms.

"Did you have fun with Noah?" Mom asked, smiling as she watched us. I had told her about me going to see him after my classes ended for the day so she knew about me surprising him.

"Yes, it was great," I said, setting Sol back on her feet as we walked inside. "I really love spending time with him."

"I can tell," Mom said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "You two seem really happy together."

"Yeah, I think he might be the one," I said, feeling a surge of emotion as I thought about Noah. "I don't want to think about ever being apart from him."

"That's how you know it's real," Mom said, giving me a knowing look. "Just cherish every moment you have together, and everything will fall into place."

I nodded and followed her to the kitchen to help her with dinner. "Where's dad?"

"He had to stay late at the office again," she said, her smile faltering slightly. "He's been working so much lately, I just hope he's not overdoing it."  I felt a pang of worry for my dad, knowing how stressed he had been with work lately. As we cooked dinner together, I made a mental note to check in on him after we were done.  After dinner, I called Noah to talk some more, and we ended up chatting for hours until it was time for bed. As I lay in bed, I couldn't help but feel grateful for the day I had spent with him. And as I thought about the future with Noah, I knew that I would do whatever it took to make it work.

****

It was a little after one in the morning when I heard the sound of my dad's footsteps coming up the stairs followed by the opening and closing of my parents  door.  I felt a pang of worry for my dad, and I quietly got out of bed to go and check on him. As I approached their bedroom, I could hear muffled sounds of conversation coming from inside. I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to intrude on their privacy, but my concern for my dad won out. I gently knocked on the door and poked my head in to see my parents sitting on the bed, talking in hushed tones.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, feeling a knot of anxiety in my stomach.

My dad looked up at me and smiled reassuringly. "Everything's fine, champ. Just catching up with your mom after a long day at work."

I relaxed a little, but I could tell that something was still bothering him. I walked over and sat down on the bed, reaching out to give him a comforting hug.

"You've been working so hard lately," I said. "I just want to make sure you're taking care of yourself."

My dad looked at me with gratitude in his eyes, and I could see the worry lines on his face begin to ease. "I know, but I'll be okay. I just need to find a better balance between work and family time."

We talked for a while longer, and I could feel the tension in the room slowly dissipating. Eventually, my mom and I convinced my dad to take a few days off work to rest and recharge. As I left their room and returned to my own, I felt a sense of relief knowing that my dad was going to take care of himself.

As I lay back down in bed, I thought about the day I had spent with Noah and how important it was to cherish every moment with the ones we love. I made a silent promise to myself to always be there for my family and to support them in any way I could. And as I drifted off to sleep, I knew that I was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead, knowing that I had the love and support of those closest to me.